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Built Computer - won't startup

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Wachter

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Aug 16, 2005
Built Computer - won't post (have tried everything...)

I looked through the sticky and did as suggested, but im still having the following problem:

My PC starts up fine, fans, HD, HSF, etc. all going fine, but nothing shows up on the monitor, and I here a very quite beep about one second long that plays once ever 3 seconds.

According to the beep thread:

"This should mean everything is working fine. All the hardware is probably working. If you still don't get anything on the screen verify that the monitor is plugged in and turned on."

My monitor is plugged in and turned on...but nothing. Its going from VGA to my vid card in the adapter that came with the vid card.

AMD 3700+
Soltek SL - K8AN2-GR nFORCE3 250Gb Mainboard
WD 80GB SATA HD
1GB Corsair VS
XFX 128mb Geforce 6600GT

Thanks for any help you can give!
 
Last edited:
If everything is fine it should beep short once and be done and video should show up. I am unsure what that beep means so keep looking around or maybe someone else can help you. Try removing all but the 3 most important parts. CPU, Memory and Video. If you still have problems try different memory first then a different video card.

JT
 
ok its a single, looping beep on the award bios so it means a memory error. I have tried taking the RAM out and putting them in every combination, 1 and 2 at a time, and they are free from fingerprints and grime. They are the proper RAM for my mainboard as well. Electrostatic damage isnt a possibility either. Everything is seated properly, wires secured. The caselights are mocking me....and IT DOESNT WORK.

My first build so I'm a litte disappointed :(. Not that I was expecting it to work...at least it didn't blow up in my face.
 
go find yourself some known good ram from another machine. Install just one dimm and see if you can get the machine to post.


don't worry, you're not that far from getting the machine going.

also do you have the videocard extra power molex plugged in? the gforce 6 cards need loads of power. What power supply are you running?? watts ?
 
Only other ram I got is SD-RAM so I can't really test to see if its the RAM. I dunno how it could be the RAM, as both sticks and both slots would have to be bad.

My PSU is a 400watt, its stock but it still should be able to run it fine.

and I do got the molex connector plugged into my video card.
 
Well if it is a memory problem you are in luck. Corsair has a GREAT customer service team. Go to the corsair forum here and post your problem. http://www.houseofhelp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=128 Since it is a friday you might have to wait till monday to get a responce from the ram guy.

Any problems I had in the past were promptly responded to and solved. In all cases it was the memory messing up in one form or another. Most times it was a timing or voltage issue. Their RMA department is pretty good as well in case you need to send it back to them.

JT
 
Wachter said:
I looked through the sticky and did as suggested, but im still having the following problem:

My PC starts up fine, fans, HD, HSF, etc. all going fine, but nothing shows up on the monitor, and I here a very quite beep about one second long that plays once ever 3 seconds.

According to the beep thread:

"This should mean everything is working fine. All the hardware is probably working. If you still don't get anything on the screen verify that the monitor is plugged in and turned on."

My monitor is plugged in and turned on...but nothing. Its going from VGA to my vid card in the adapter that came with the vid card.

AMD 3700+
Soltek SL - K8AN2-GR nFORCE3 250Gb Mainboard
WD 80GB SATA HD
1GB Corsair VS
XFX 128mb Geforce 6600GT

Thanks for any help you can give!
Click to expand...

I wrote that sticky...ummm...beep codes are not always as helpful as we would like, so we need to try other methods here. Same thing happened to me on my first rig, but all it was is that I forgot thermal grease on the cpu. Usually these types of problems are simple things that one might just overlook when troubleshooting. Also, try what was suggested, try just the cpu, memory and video card, see how that works. If that doesn't work, try removing the motherboard from the case and once again try the cpu, memory and video card. Sometimes parts of the case can be contacting the motherboard and causing it to short and not turn on properly. Fact is, if none of what I suggested works, there is a good chance you have a broken component some where along the line. Best of luck!
:)

Matt
 
ok get this:

I was taking RAM out, took out the bottom stick. Then for kicks I turned it on and to my surprise it worked! Thought I had solved it, so I went about seeing if it was the other stick that was bad, or the other slot. Moved the good RAM down, and it didn't work, so I figured I had a bad slot. But when I moved the stick back to the slot it did work it...IT DIDNT WORK! How can it just choose to work one time but not another under the same exact circumstances?!

This thing is making my head spin.

Im thinking about taking it into the local computer shop. Although I dont know what they can do that I havent tried. At least they will be able to find out for sure which part is bad (something I cant do for lack of parts to test).
 
ive come to the conclusion that building your own computer SUCKS. No one can fix it, and im left with a 650lb paperweight that lights up and beeps. At least I can use it as a heater in the winter...
 
Maybe if you go over to BB or something and pick up the cheapest stick of ram they have that works with your rig, come home and test it? If it works then you could go return that and get an RMA on the ram you originally bought.

If that doesn't work, it could be the mobo.
 
Ohhhh this happened to me!

Put it in a slot that works. Go into the bios. Loosen the timings and up the voltage to 2.75-2.8. Save and add the other sticks. My dads bios didnt like the ram until I upped the voltage and lossened the timings. The default timings read from the sticks was too low for it to function correctly. His computer only posted half the time until I did those things.

JT
 
problem is no slot works...the one time it did work was a fluke after about 15tries, so I cant get into the BIOS.
 
looks like a motherboard problem.test it outside the case
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
P4 [email protected]
2x36gig raptors(raid0)
2x256mg PC3500C2 bh5(2-2-2-5)
BFG6800ultra@450/1150
OCZ powerstream 520w
OCZ ddr [email protected]
 
techtro said:
looks like a motherboard problem.test it outside the case
Click to expand...

Precisely, good call techtro. I did suggest that earlier. Have you tried it yet?
:)

Matt
 
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