Computer Not Starting Up, Mobo The Issue?

[xlivewire7x]

Hey everyone! I recently took my computer apart so I could install my water cooling system. The thing is, I went to put it back together and now it won't startp up. All of the lights and fans and components turn on, however the computer doesn't POST or beep or anything. The video card (see sig for model) has three lights that stay solid red and the fan on it stays at 100% power. The motherboard has switches on it that light up when the computer is connected to the power supply (not sure if this means the mobo is working fine). Tried reseating everything but that didn't work. I really hope that the mobo isn't broken because I can't afford to replace it right now.
Kinda late so I may have left out some details. Anyway, I'll check back later tomorrow but if has any suggestions, please let me know.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

You're not gonna like this, a real good chance that you crunched your processor (chipped under the IHS) from the pressure of installing the cooling. Your bleepless no-POST sounds like your processor is a goner!

That happened to me when moving a processor to another motherboard and rushed the heatsink installation.
There was little fragments, IIRC.

Even though I heard that processors with an IHS are virtually indestructible.

With some cooler mounts, looks like it's possible to fracture the chip under the IHS.

And the good news, there's a good chance that the motherboard is fine.

 

[xlivewire7x]

You're not gonna like this, a real good chance that you crunched your processor (chipped under the IHS) from the pressure of installing the cooling. Your bleepless no-POST sounds like your processor is a goner!

That happened to me when moving a processor to another motherboard and rushed the heatsink installation.
There was little fragments, IIRC.

Even though I heard that processors with an IHS are virtually indestructible.

With some cooler mounts, looks like it's possible to fracture the chip under the IHS.

And the good news, there's a good chance that the motherboard is fine.

Alright, I was hoping to avoid taking everything out again to check the mount job but I guess I have to. I really hope that's not the problem but I'll post back when I get the chance to take it apart.
BTW, before anybody else says to do this, I cleared the CMOS and replaced the battery in the motherboard but neither worked.

 

[xlivewire7x]

Okay, just took everything apart again in my computer and the good news is that the CPU looks okay visually. Didn't see any cracking or chipping, and there was no rattling when I jiggled it around. Going to put it back together and hope that it magically works so I'll post back in an hour or so. Please, if anybody else has suggestions I'd love to hear them.

 

[xlivewire7x]

Deleted Message - Double Post

 

[xlivewire7x]

Okay everything's back together and still not working. Same symptoms. I really need help, don't know what the problem is! Tried using my brother's PSU and same thing happened so I can rule that out. Can't use his processor or motherboard though because he's running Intel. No idea what to do!

 

[JimOkc]

Possible short somewhere.
You might try as bare of a boot as possible.
CPU w/air cooler/1 stick of memory/PSU outside of the case. See if it boots that way then start adding things.

Good luck.

 

[donuts]

Like was mentioned above. Take everything out, try to boot the board outside the case. (throw the case in the corner for now)
Does the mobo have a speaker so you can hear a post beep? Can you borrow a stick of memory from your brothers rig and see if it'll post with that? On an MSI board I had to borrow memory from another machine just to get into the BIOS and re-set my memory voltage. (re-set the CMOS kicked the mem voltage to 1.8 and the sticks I had didn't like it)

 

[xlivewire7x]

Like was mentioned above. Take everything out, try to boot the board outside the case. (throw the case in the corner for now)
Does the mobo have a speaker so you can hear a post beep? Can you borrow a stick of memory from your brothers rig and see if it'll post with that? On an MSI board I had to borrow memory from another machine just to get into the BIOS and re-set my memory voltage. (re-set the CMOS kicked the mem voltage to 1.8 and the sticks I had didn't like it)

I'll have to try this stuff tomorrow. I think I have a speaker on my board as there is a little etched design on the board that says buzzer. Also I think I recall the buzzer working when I first built the computer (about a year ago).
Ha I feel like every time I take my computer apart for some reason theres a problem putting it back, never that way with my bro's computer although his is nowhere near as high end as mine.

 

[JimOkc]

Ha I feel like every time I take my computer apart for some reason theres a problem putting it back, never that way with my bro's computer although his is nowhere near as high end as mine.

I understand what you mean.

 

[Outofcontrol]

Hi Livewire !

I googled a bit on sapphire cards involving red coloured lights.
All my searches ended up on a power fault.
This can be two things then either you "forgot" to connect some cables (maybe also not fitted correctly) or youre PSU isnt living up to the systems power consumption any more.

So try to double (maybe triple even) check all power cables or connectors and otherwise see what happens with a different PSU.

Good luck !

 

[Outofcontrol]

Also found this info for you on vgaforum :

HD4870 LEDs

D1601 - Red LED On, shows critical temperature fault

D1602 - Red LED On, shows External power connector A was removed

D1603 - Red LED On, shows External power connector B was removed

D601 - Red LED On, shows critical Core power fault


At BOOT/POST, the card's fan will spin @ 100% for a short while and 3 of the 4 LEDs will light up for a brief period and then go out ( D601 should remain unlit ). This is NORMAL behaviour as the card is performing it's own type of POST test.



HD4870X2 LEDs


D14 (R753) 6 Pin power unplugged

D13 (R724) 8 Pin power unplugged

D15 (R819) Overheating (Thermal issue)

D5 (R323) GPU-1 (Master) No power

D7 (R570) GPU-2 (Slave) No power


At BOOT/POST, the card's fan will spin @ 100% for a short while, the LEDs will light up for a brief period and then go out. This is NORMAL behaviour as the card is performing it's own type of POST test.

 

[xlivewire7x]

Hi Livewire !

I googled a bit on sapphire cards involving red coloured lights.
All my searches ended up on a power fault.
This can be two things then either you "forgot" to connect some cables (maybe also not fitted correctly) or youre PSU isnt living up to the systems power consumption any more.

So try to double (maybe triple even) check all power cables or connectors and otherwise see what happens with a different PSU.

Good luck !

Yea I thought about it being the powersupply so I tried using my brother's (which is actually my old one). It's a 750tx from Corsair which was still workin on his computer but when I put it in my, it gave me the same results. Also, I tried putting in his graphics card as well (which doesn't require any extra power connections) and nothing changed.

Also found this info for you on vgaforum :

HD4870 LEDs

D1601 - Red LED On, shows critical temperature fault

D1602 - Red LED On, shows External power connector A was removed

D1603 - Red LED On, shows External power connector B was removed

D601 - Red LED On, shows critical Core power fault


At BOOT/POST, the card's fan will spin @ 100% for a short while and 3 of the 4 LEDs will light up for a brief period and then go out ( D601 should remain unlit ). This is NORMAL behaviour as the card is performing it's own type of POST test.

Yea I when I was searching around I found the same info. I don't think the video card is broken because I tried my brother's card and it didn't change anything. The other thing is that I don't think it's actually posting because if I remove the RAM or video card the motherboard should beep but it never does.

Thanks for the suggestions and info, really appreciate it.

 

[Nebulous]

Did you test your pc parts in your brother's pc? Test ram, video card, power supply. Is it possible to test your AM2+ cpu as well?

I suspect you may have damaged the board by over-tightening the wb's screws.

If your parts work in your brother's rig, then my suspicions are correct

 

[QuietIce]

The best thing to do in a situation like that is start from scratch. You've tried all the easy things, now it's time to remove the board from the case. Any time you install a board you take a chance on something loose getting behind it or some small piece of something wedged in a slot - it doesn't take much. Things like that won't show up on any test, the system just won't start. So, take the board out of the case, check all the slots and cracks/crevices for foreign objects, set it on a non-conductive surface (it's shipping box is good), install the minimum needed for it to run (heatsink, one RAM stick, VC, PSU), then crank it up. If everything is working then chances are you had a short somewhere - and you may never figure out where or what it was ...

 

[xlivewire7x]

I'm gonna have my dad take a look at it tomorrow. I've had almost no time to try and fix it myself recently with school, homework, and clubs. I wouldn't mind having this problem if I actually had time to fix it . I'll be sure to show my dad the posts so he knows everything that he should be trying.
I have a feeling that the motherboard is shot though. I tried taking the motherboard out of the case and putting it on a non-conductive surface and booting with just the essentials but it still isn't working. Still haven't tried putting the air cooler back on but my dad's gonna try that tomorrow.

 

[TheQuadFather]

weve had a similar problem with a old socket a machine, in the end it turned out the northbridge was shot after years of overheating everything works: fans, lights etc, but the cpu doesnt boot up after having no connection with any memory or ht link, i know im a little late to helping in this post but the problem was so similar...

 

[xlivewire7x]

Great news everyone: my computer is now WORKING!
Me and my brother were checking out the motherboard when he noticed the backplate for the cooler; it had no plastic wrap on it. Then I realize that I took it off a few days ago because I thought it was trash, turns out it was the insulator and my motherboard was shorting . So we take the cooler off, put some electrical tape on it, and BAM! Working computer!
Thanks so much for all of the help guys,really appreciate it! I love these forums for all of the support!
BTW, I'll try to post pics and temps of my new system within the next couple days so keep an eye out in the water cooling section.

 

[QuietIce]

Happy you got it fixed ...!