EggXpert

Here's the deal:  For various reasons, I decided to get a new case and power supply, mainly to help bring more power to my 1650X and eventually allow for an upgrade to something like an 8800 or the like.  Anyways, I swapped everything, being meticulous and careful as to not mess anything up.

The last build I had was my first DIY, this one my second.  The first time around, I had trouble finding which jumper cables on the motherboard went where, but eventually I was able to figure this out through trial-and-error.  This time around, I've tried several different spots for the cables and still, no power.  We're talking no lights, no fans, no nothing.  I've got the POWERSW cable hooked into the on/off portion of the plug and the cables marked + and - plugged into the PWR LED portion of the plugs.  I've tried swapping the POWERSW and PWR LED's, I've tried swapping the PWR LED polarities, everything.  The power supply is brand new, the case is brand new and the MB is only several months old.  I've checked the transistors on the MB for possible damage...nothing visible.  Here's the specs just for the hell of it, incase that might help:

Coolermaster Centurion 5 or something like that

Antec 500W Earthwatts PSU

Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 2.2GHz

BIOSTAR Geforce 6100 M9 

Western Digital 200GB Caviar (IDE - slave)

Western Digital 160GB (IDE - main)

2GB of RAM (1GB Crucial 2700DDR + 1GB Kingston ValueRAM 3200DDR)

Radeon 1650X Pro

Microsoft Vista Business 

Oh, and yes, I've plugged in the power cable and turned the PSU to the "on" position.  Thanks for any tips you may have, this sucks big time.

Have you tested the PSU by shorting out the green and black wire on the main power connector?  (Make sure to unplug the mobo when you do this).  Is the voltage switch in the correct position, it should be 115v or 120v? 

Try using the old PSU for testing and see if it powers up.  try to assemble the computer outside of the case. 

How exactly do I short the wires?  Also, my PSU apparently switches between 115 and 120 automatically or something like that.  There is no voltage switch on the back.

You can use a paper clip and stick one end in the green and the other end in a black one adjacent to it.

Page 14 of your manual shows the pin out for your connectors.

ftp://ftp.biostar-usa.com/manuals/GEFORCE%206100-M9/GEFORCE6100M9manual.pdf

You can unplug the ATX connector and turn off psu the look at the connector and there is one green wire with black wires on either side take a paper clip and insert to green connector and the either black connector and when you turn on psu it should start up. Most likely you have front panel connectors hooked up wrong.

Hey, that's a neat trick.  PSU worked fine.  I figured it was the wrong connections in the front panel connections, but seriously, I've tried a variety of different things and nothing seems to be working.  I've got the manual open to page 14 already, as I have for the past 3 or 4 hours.  Here's what I've got connected:

a 4-prong plug labeled "SPKR" plugged into sockets 1,3,5 +7, according to the way the manual numbers it.

a set of one-pronged plugs that are intertwined, one green and one white, one with a + and one with a - sign as their label.  i've got the + plugged into socket 10 and the - in socket 12.

a 2 pronged blue/white cable labeled "POWRSW", which i have plugged into the sockets labeled "On/Off" in the manual, aka socket #14 and 16.

another 2-pronged plug labeled HDD LED plugged into socket 9+11 (labeled HLED in the manual).  

lastly, next to the HDD LED (sockets 13 +15), i've got the 2-pronged RST cable pluged into where it's labeled "RST"

Am I messing something up here? 

Also, I might want to add that I don't have any of the audio jumper cables connected.  I don't really use the mic/headphone in jacks, so I didn't think those were necessary to install.  They weren't before.

 

Edit:  I've also got all the jumper cables facing upwards, as jumper cable plug is seated horizontally in the case. 

You may have a bad power switch you can check by removing connections to pin14&16 and take a screwdriver and short across pin14and16 for a second and should try to boot. 

lowboy:

You may have a bad power switch you can check by removing connections to pin14&16 and take a screwdriver and short across pin14and16 for a second and should try to boot. 

What do I do?  Just take the screwdriver and hold it across the two pins?  Sorry, still very new to this.
 

Yes as PW switch is a momentary switch you don't have to keep it shorted as it should boot.

Okay, so I took a screwdriver and pushed the head against the two sockets (14+16).  Everything else was plugged in.  No dice.  Does this mean my MB is screwed and I have to get a new one?
I should probably add that on my old build, whenever I shut off the CPU, the LED, instead of merely not being lit as usual, was lit up with an orange glow.  The last few times I tried to shut it off, it would just shut down and then restart to the MB boot screen, at which time I'd press the power button manually and shut it off.  Could this be a possible sign of a bad one as well?

You have the atx connector plugged in and the P4(4pin) connector plugged into mobo and the power connector to the gfx card plugged in. And jumping pin14&16 on mobo did nothing ? Do you have any lights or anything on mobo that lights up when psu is turned on.

I don't think my graphics card has a power connector, I've looked for the 6-pronged plug all over it and don't see anything resembling what the PCI-E power cable would plug into.  I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the P4 connection, but if you're talking about the square-shaped connection next to the CPU/heatsink, yes, that's plugged in.  Could this be because my graphics card has no power connection and therefore the power supply won't come on without it?

 

And no, no lights or anything, nothing.  I'm pressing and holding the metal screwdriver ending up against both metal plugs on the On/Off portion of the jumper cable sockets and pressing the power button, everything plugged in.  Nothing is happening. 

Have you tried taking all the parts out of the case, and hooking it back up outside of the case, with the motherboard on an anti-static bag?

Kevan

No, but what would that do?  Show me that it's not grounded or something like that?  I'll give it a shot if it means I don't have to shell out another $60 on a new MB to get this up and running.

Correct, you want to make sure that it is not being grounded, and if you are going to have to get a new motherboard, then you'll have to take it out anyway, it's worth a shot.

Kevan

KevSC1:

Have you tried taking all the parts out of the case, and hooking it back up outside of the case, with the motherboard on an anti-static bag?

Kevan

Except DO NOT USE an ANTI-STATIC BAG!

Anti-static bags (many types) conduct electricity. in order to defer the current from the protected device, that would cause you problems!!!!!

Just lay it on a piece of cardboard. 

GmsCool:

KevSC1:

Have you tried taking all the parts out of the case, and hooking it back up outside of the case, with the motherboard on an anti-static bag?

Kevan

Except DO NOT USE an ANTI-STATIC BAG!

Anti-static bags (many types) conduct electricity. in order to defer the current from the protected device, that would cause you problems!!!!!

Just lay it on a piece of cardboard. 

I have heard that to.  But the other day, i took a continuity tester to a bag and didnt register anything.  I tried it on resistance and didnt get anything either.  I guess it depends on the bag.  But i would rather be safe than sorry.  

I've been wondering about the bag thing as well.  Are they conductive or are they not?!  Hmm..  c'mere wikipedia...  . . .It's just a stub, but it says they're only somewhat conductive.  Probably just enough to create that Faraday cage effect.  I don't think it's conductive enough to harm your motherboard if power was applied, but I may be wrong.

 
If that doesn't work, I'd say you have a bad motherboard.  Every manufacturer makes mistakes and may ship a bad board.  Who knows, maybe it was the last one on the assembly line?  Or the first over-buttered pancake off the pan?

 

 
 

Thanks so much, guys.  Turned out to be a bad grounding issue.  I'm sure the search function can take it from here.  I'm not sure what exactly is the ground problem, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.  Lowboy in particular, thanks so much man, you stuck with me for a good bit of this.  I can't tell you all how much your help means...let's put it this way:  tonight I finally get to play Bioshock and see how badly I need an 8800 to replace my 1650X.  I cannot wait.

Enjoy the 8800 may be some day I'll break down and get new cards. Make sure all standoffs are in correct place and check back of board for anything that may touch. Good Luck!

Everything is up and running.  Bioshock definitely needs that 8800 card.