EggXpert

So I need a group effort on troubleshooting this. I've searched Google as much as I could, searched on here - no dice.

This is my second time building a computer from scratch by myself but I've done it a few times with help so I know basically what I'm doing. I had absolutely zero problems with my first build so I figured I would have no problems with this one either. Sold the first and bought all brand new components for this one. Put everything together, powered it up, started installing Windows XP and then when it tries to reboot automatically during installation.......nothing. Monitor goes black, tells me I have no DVI input, mouse and keyboard power off, Ethernet activity stops but all my fans keep going and the system never actually reboots. This happened on the very first install of windows. So, I finished installing windows and did all my driver updates, flashed the BIOS, updated windows, everything I could think of....still can't reboot. The reset button on my case does not even cause it to reboot. Same symptoms. No matter when I try to reboot (reset button, Start->Reboot, going into BIOS and then exiting, etc, etc) it never works. Always the same thing. If I shut down power and then start it up it works fine.

I assumed it was my motherboard so I RMA'd it back to Newegg. Installed it and the exact same thing is happening. So here I am.

Since I am fairly novice at system building I have no idea if perhaps I am missing a connector somewhere, maybe a random jumper is not connected properly, a BIOS setting is incorrect, or what hardware piece is malfunctioning (strike 1 on the motherboard, unless I got 2 bad ones...). That's why I need your guys help...I'm stuck.

Everything else is working flawlessly on my system......I hope.

Ask me anything you need to know to help troubleshoot, I'll try to answer anything I can.

Thanks for any help.

Try setting the ram voltage to 1.8 volts in the bios, also make sure you have the cas latencies set to 9-9-9-24 and the spped set to 1600mhz.

Might also try a BIOS update just incase the version it came with doesn't like your other components.

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Did you buy a new power supply too? Are all the connections tight, did you use old cables ATA DMA, jump the CMOS AKA or clear the BIO,read the manual that came w the MB. Check voltages from PSU to MB, if it is a PC Power and Cooling PSupply call them ask what to do they will trouble shoot the whole deal with you untill they say call the M.Board people but fist read the motherboard manual and then call them to make sure the manual is correct sometimes it is not.If you don;t read the manual they may yell at you, don't call them on Mondays they are cranky on Mondays.  I always find it odd when I have to replace cables what can go wrong with cables, so much so I now hunt for the best cables I can find. Sometimes they cost more but it is worth it, such a little thing and it is always on the bottom of my list, it does not sound like a cable problem, but I say that eveytime.

The most important part of trouble shooting is knowing when to stop it. Relax, eat take a walk sleep on it, it will work I am sure of it, I have trouble shot my PCs hundreds of times, it never works when I am freaked out, and for some reason if my PC is not working at its best I am allway freaked out a bit.  And yes I have paid M.soft support twice in 17 years. I have paid Dell and Gateway in blood, lots of blood thats why bulid my own, i****s AKA dummies all of them.

No go on the memory settings, didn't fix it.

All my cables are brand new. Everything in the system is brand new.

Power supply is a Corsair TX 650W.

Sometimes the computer wont even boot properly. It will be off and when I turn it on all the fans come on but nothing happens. The fans just sit there and rev up and down.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Ok, I have not tried that stuff yet because I have had to use my computer for school and haven't had time to troubleshoot it more.

However, I was reading some other peoples posts with similar problems and found something interesting that you said GmsCool.

"That rams intended for I7 CPU's.   Try using just one stick at a time and then another stick to see if you can get it to post."

The guy had OCZ DDR3 1600 (6gigs) and the AMD 955 3.2ghz quad.

I have GSkill DDR3 1600(4 gigs) and the same processor.

I'm assuming that my ram is also for core i7's and is possibly the cause of my issue?

Its not the ram; at least not the primary reason for not rebooting. When/If the ram fails, you would still be able to turn on the power and it will hang either before or after the bios stuff.It will also give you an error message, same with a failing processor, videocard, etc.....The fact that not even the power button comes on points out to a mobo problem, but since you replace the mobo its highly unlikely to have a faulty mobo. Since you installed the OS its higly unlikely that something other than the mobo to malfunction.

 You said you flashed the bios right? Did you remove the battery/reset bios before turning on the power? Did you flash the bios with the RIGHT bios file? In any case, remove the bios battery and then put it back. This will hard reset the bios and will default all settings in the bios.

ok did some more troubleshooting:

disconnected hard drive - same problem

disconnected dvd drive - same problem

removed/swapped ram sticks - same problem

removed battery from bios - same problem

plugged power into different outlet - same problem

The only thing I didn't do that I can think of was remove both sticks of memory and try it. Can it even boot without memory?

Sounding more and more like a CPU issue but I don't know.

Anyone?

Your Phenom has the memory control unit on the CPU: it's not on the motherboard.  If you have what looks like a memory problem but your memory tests well in memtest86, it could be the CPU >or< the memory.

Try to boot your system with only one stick of RAM.  Run 20 passes of memtest86, let it run over night.  You'll get an error message or a pass.  Error message means definitely a RAM problem.  No error message means test other stick.  No error message on either stick means >probably< not a RAM problem and more likely a CPU problem.

 Have you verified that your RAM is tested by the manufacturer for use with AMD processors?

TexasTransplant:

Actually, I checked it for you.  That RAM is not meant for use with AMD.

Thanks yeah I see that now on GSkills website.

Why does Newegg have

"Compatible with Dual Channel Intel Core i5 CPU for P55 chipset motherboard, Dual

Channel Core i7 CPU for P55 chipset motherboard, and AMD AM3 Platform."

under the Specifications tab?

Ugh.

netman:

. That 260 requires good power.

As opposed to sloppy gooey drippy power? His 650W Corsair should certainly be taking care of business. lol. j/k

Penewah!

netman:

I would think that if the machine is running without a flaw then the RAM, CPU and other components are good. I have not messed with that specific motherboard but I would really be looking at motherboard setting and also checking into the video. That 260 requires good power. Have you tried a different power supply?

For one video card, that PSU is enough.

Assuming NewEgg is saying the ram is compatible, they should be perfectly happy to refund and let you get something else if you are within your 30 days.  Just check with the RAM manufacturer before buying.

All power supplies are not created equal. Good power as opposed to power that is not cutting it (ie not working right)

 You did say that you can get the machine to run. Have you checked the event viewer to see if you have anything suspect in there?

  EVENT_SERVICE_EXIT_FAILED

 Any kind of strange events? I would not automatically put this onto hardware whenever windows is involved..

 Good luck and let us know what you find...

I am currently in the process of getting compatible RAM ordered. Hopefully that will fix the issue.

I seriously doubt this is a Windows problem because 1) it happens *during* Windows installation and 2) it does it if I just go into the BIOS and then exit not even getting to Windows.

LOPster,

I have the same issue with a new build it has the same Motherboard and PSU, I've tried the following without any luck.

- Reload BIOS defaults
- Reset CMOS
- Update BIOS to F6 version
- Checked cabling
- Checked graphics card seating
- Unplugged HD and DVD
- Swapped over HD & DVD SATA connections
- Tried a different graphics card
- Checked jumpers
- Removed reset button jumper
- Changed VGA initialisation order to PEC
- Swapped the memory chips around
- booted from each single memory chip.

Did changing the memory work?

So far the PC has booted cold ok and I've successfully installed Windows 7. The PC will just not reboot correctly or exit BIOS menu without going into what could be a sleep state. From Windows I can perform a Shut down without issue.

Any help from yourself on any one else on the forum would be appreciated.

Motherboard: GA-MA790XT-UD4P
CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 Tri Core 720 2.80GHz
Memory: Corsair 4GB DDR3 10666C9 1333MHz XMS3 TwinX Dual Channel Kit Memory Latency:
PSU: Corsair TX 650W ATX SLi Compliant Power Supply
Graphics: Palit GeForce GTS 250 1024MB GDDR3 PCI-Express Graphics Card Graphics Driver: 

I can confirm that the memory was also the cause of my issue as well.

Sent the whole system back to the shop, they changed the memory and now it reboot ok.