new build - help

[mach1219]

Im atempting my first build and I cant get any video. Lets take it from the top; my PC lost video, I took it to geek sqaud, they swapped out my video card, and still had nothing, so they said my main board was bad and they couldnt even get it run a diagnostics.

So i bought a new PC, then decided to try and get the old one working. I got a new mother board, installed my old processor (P4), still nothing. No video. should you not get the post screen or the bios or something when you first put a PC together?

I decided my CPU may have been shot and ordered a pentium dual core E5200. I installed the new chip in the new motherboard, still nothing. I tried the new chip in my old motherboard, nothing.

I did the beep code diagnostic check on the new main board and got three beeps, pause, three beeps, pause, continuously, This was with no ram installed. ASRock tech guys said i should have got one beep with no ram. Installed the ram, then got
no beeps.

I figured maybe i got bad board, so i sent it back to newegg for a refund. I then went and purchased a board locally from the one and only overpriced PC shop in town figuring i could return it easier and the extra cost would be worth the conveniance.

Install the new chip in the 2nd new board, hook it up to monitor, boot up, nothing!

Help! what am i doing wrong?

 

[zigzag3143]

First

You are making so many changes that you will probably never know what the original problem was.

Settle on the hardware you are gonna use. then see if y ou can install an oS, see if the cpu beeps on post, etc.

when y ou are ready let us know and we will be happy to walk you thru it


Ken

 

[lemur]

If the mobo is bad, everything else is for naught.

 

[lordbob75]

Sounds more like a bad PSU. Not able to supply enough power or something. What are you trying to run?

And I agree, you need to decide what parts you want to run, then get them working.

~Lordbob

 

[mach1219]

iTS THE PSU out of the new computer. I upgraded that one and im using it for this one, so I know its good.

my board shoudl be compatible with CPU and ram. cpu is 800 mhz and ram is 533. the board manual says its supports all of this

I cant load OS if i cant even get a POST screen?

 

[mach1219]

ive been trying to get parts working, the problem is they wont work, thats why i try new parts

 

[lordbob75]

iTS THE PSU out of the new computer. I upgraded that one and im using it for the this one, so its good.

I cant load OS if i cant even get a POST screen?

Which is why i suspected the PSU.... If it won't boot, it is hardware trouble. We just don't know what.

Ok, lets do this. Tell us EXACTLY what happens when everything is hooked up and you press the power button.
Do you get any lights? Does the PSU turn on? Is the mobo light on? Do the HDDs spin up? Does the video card turn on?

~Lordbob

EDIT: I also need your mother board model and what BIOS it uses.

 

[mach1219]

answer me this....do u normally get a post screen with a new pc build, even if you dont have hard drives installed, from the BIOS?

 

[lemur]

My $$ is on a fried mobo. Mach is using a brand new psu.

 

[mach1219]

the main board is an asus P5N-MX

the LED on the board lights up, the hard drive spins up, the chassis fan spins up, the CPU fan spins, I just dont get anything out on my monitor. Im using the built in video, no graphics card installed yet.

do u have to load the BIOS software on a new board before it will do anything? i dont see how you could do this if you have nothing on your screen

 

[mach1219]

My $$ is on a fried mobo. Mach is using a brand new psu.

its a brand new board, 2nd one!

 

[mach1219]

I installed mainboard diagnostic speaker. I get no beeps as curently configured.

hell, im even using a brand new monitor. I first tried on my old current monitor ( i know its good) but i bought a new monitor for the new computer and i hooked it up to that, nothing. I suppose i should have got the PC running before investing in a new monitor. this just hasnt been my week

 

[lordbob75]

My $$ is on a fried mobo. Mach is using a brand new psu.

its a brand new board, 2nd one!

Hey, listen to us. Listen. Wait, calm down. Listen.

Ok, NO the BIOS is already on there, no worries. Next step:
What KIND of BIOS is used on the board? Different BIOS means different beep codes.
Second: Does the mobo have onboard video? If so, take OFF the card, and use that.

This seems to be a memory problem, therefore we need to find it.
have you used the same RAM throughout?

~Lordbob

 

[mach1219]

im not sure how to tell what the bios is. Looking through the main board manual, it lists BIOS features as: 8 MB Flash ROM, Award BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI v3.0

 

[lordbob75]

im not sure how to tell what the bios is. Looking through the main board manual, it lists BIOS features as: 8 MB Flash ROM, Award BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI v3.0

That is your BIOS type.

Alright. So I still think this is a RAM or video memory error. So I ask again, is this the same RAM you have used this whole time? Does your mobo have onboard video?

~Lordbob

 

[mach1219]

I havent installed my graphics card yet, im trying to use the onboard video. I assume it supports it, it has a monitor plug in the back and the manual says GeForce 7050 GPU. I asssume that the built in video.

Sorry if i seem a little excited, its just that ive been dealing with this thing for a couple weeks now, 2nd board, new CPU, etc.. and im at the end of my rope. Im about to throw the whole thing in the dumspter and swear off computer building forever.

Ok, the RAm. I have 2 sticks of 1GB 533 ram in it. I believe this ram to be good, as i had it installed in my new PC, which has 4GB 800 mhz, and when i installed the ram in addtion to that ram, it showed up as having 6GB, and it even slowed down the 800 to 533.

I do have some extra 512 MB sticks of 533 that i could try to swap out, however, i was led to belive you could get the POST screen without even having any ram installed. is this not correct?

 

[lordbob75]

No..... That does not sound right.

Now, what kind of RAM is that? DDR, DDR2, DDR3?

What kind does the mobo need? If it is new, DDR2 or DDR3. That RAM might be DDR.
Wait.... it would not fit if it was wrong. Hmmm. Perhaps the wrong speed. Try the other RAM.

~Lordbob

 

[mach1219]

I followed troubleshooting on asus web site and came down to this below, however, my ram should be compatible, its the right type, and compatible frequency.

Please refer to POST beep code below for reference on how to resolve this issue:
(1) One long two Short: No RAM modules are detected. If you are hearing this Beep code when all RAM modules are removed, while system no longer beep or POST after RAM modules are installed, then it simply means the RAM modules installed are not compatible with each other, or not compatible with the motherboard. Please replace your RAM modules if possible.

 

[mach1219]

I swapped it out for soem older ram i had, same thing. No POST.

the CPU speed does not have to be the same as the ram speed, correct?

 

[mach1219]

oh, its DDR2 ram