Won't power up/boot

Built an amd system a few months ago. today it wouldn't come out of sleep mode so i had to unplug it. now it won't even start up. thought it may be a bad power switch so I shorted the power pins. When I short the pins the fans just barely start to spin and stop. I then have to unplug and then try and short again and it does the same thing of just barely starting and immediately stopping. Could it be a power supply problem? (ocz500 wattt)

Possibly could be the PSU. I'd say it could likely over-current protection (OCP) kicking in first. Try disconnecting the PSU from everything, inspect all the connectors for any obvious damage, then do the paper clip test. If the fans don't stop, then you most definitely have a short someplace on your system. Plug in a connector to each device one at a time and do the paper clip test until you get the same results of the first paper clip test.

If the fans do stop even with everything plugged in, then it's more than likely a faulty PSU (the PSU contains the shorting circuit).

I had 3 PSU go out on me last year and thats what they did. Just enough power to make the fans move but not power up. What unit are you using?

ok it wasn't the PSU.I tried a new psu and it did the same thing. I now have gotten a new motherboard and installed it. Now it gets power but will not post. I have pulled the RAM, pulled out the video card and tried the onboard video and still nothing. When it starts, the HD does start to spin but nothing shows on the monitor. I'm stumped..... Any thoughts?

Could it be the CPU? its a phenom II black edition 555.

Fightingpiper said:

ok it wasn't the PSU.I tried a new psu and it did the same thing. I now have gotten a new motherboard and installed it. Now it gets power but will not post. I have pulled the RAM, pulled out the video card and tried the onboard video and still nothing. When it starts, the HD does start to spin but nothing shows on the monitor. I'm stumped..... Any thoughts?

Could it be the CPU? its a phenom II black edition 555.

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TempliNocturnus said:

Possibly could be the PSU. I'd say it could likely over-current protection (OCP) kicking in first. Try disconnecting the PSU from everything, inspect all the connectors for any obvious damage, then do the paper clip test. If the fans don't stop, then you most definitely have a short someplace on your system. Plug in a connector to each device one at a time and do the paper clip test until you get the same results of the first paper clip test.

If the fans do stop even with everything plugged in, then it's more than likely a faulty PSU (the PSU contains the shorting circuit).

Click to expand...

like I said is not the PSU. New PSU is working fine. yes all connections were checked. New motherboard. Have removed and reseated Ram, CPU, and tried the onboard video, also tried video card. Also have removed each article. have also taken the board out of the case and tried it on thetable top with only RAM and HD and it still wont POST. Also have removed the battery to reset the CMOS. the only thing I cant think of is bad CPU?

Fightingpiper said:

like I said is not the PSU. New PSU is working fine. yes all connections were checked. New motherboard. Have removed and reseated Ram, CPU, and tried the onboard video, also tried video card. Also have removed each article. have also taken the board out of the case and tried it on thetable top with only RAM and HD and it still wont POST. Also have removed the battery to reset the CMOS. the only thing I cant think of is bad CPU?

Click to expand...

I never really was telling you how to test the PSU, rather test the devices connected to it. Like I said, it sounds a lot like you have a device that's causing a short.

Remove the hard drive and optical drive. Also too, remove any USB device you have and your unplug your chassis USB ports from the boards headers.

Also too, the case may be causing a short on the motherboard. If you still can't get to the bottom of it, run the system with everything outside of the chassis. You should have only the main power connector (and the 4 pin 12v), your RAM, CPU/heatsink, and a monitor hooked up to the video output. I'd suggest doing this with the old board too, as it might not have been the problem.