PC Fails to Boot POST

[Twisted4000]

So I upgraded my desktop, I got a new motherboard, power supply and processor. For some reason though it simply will not POST when I turn it on.

For one thing, my case's power switch apparently no longer works, so I have to do the whole thing with the screwdriver on the power switch pins to get it to turn on. I don't know if this is somehow causing the problem, but...

I have tried changing out the RAM, only putting in one module, reseating the heatsink, trying a new heatsink, reseating the CPU, reseating the GPU and trying it without the GPU altogether, disconnecting the PCI wifi card along with all the SATA devices, reseating all of the power supply cables, taking out the coin battery... I don't really think there's anything I haven't tried yet, but it simply will not beep. All the fans and LEDs turn on along with the hard drives, and it sounds like the computer is functioning, but I don't hear the POST beep and the monitor does not get any signal, the mouse and keyboard do not turn on either.

This is the system:

CPU - AMD Athlon X4 750K Trinity 3.4GHz
RAM - 4x 4GB G.Skill Ripjaw 1333MHz
Motherboard - MSI A88X-G43
GPU - EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
PSU - Thermaltake SMART Series SP-650PCBUS 650W
Storage - 1x 128GB SSD, 1x 1TB HDD, 1x 750GB HDD

What could be going on here? Another piece of information is that one time I accidentally did not plug in the 8-pin CPU connector into the motherboard and tried turning on the computer, and it functioned exactly the same as it did when I did have the 8-pin connector connected, like it wasn't doing anything.

The processor should be compatible, right? It fit in just fine, but I'm not really used to AMD... (not to mention the hell I go through every time I try to reseat the stupid clip-on heatsink to it)

 

[TheIceman5]

check the bottom of motherboard, nothing shorting out the back like a stand off in wrong place??

 

[Twisted4000]

No, it's nothing like that. The case even comes with built-in risers, and I double checked them, they're all perfectly aligned into the screwholes of the motherboard.

 

[Mandrake4565]

Is the power supply working? Have you tried jump starting it, to see if it works at all.

 

[Twisted4000]

Is the power supply working? Have you tried jump starting it, to see if it works at all.

Yes, the power supply is working just fine, it's brand new as well.

 

[Twisted4000]

Another thing to note, I don't THINK it's the motherboard's fault, because when I take the RAM out, it beeps. I think the mobo (I hope) is working fine. I also replaced the RAM with a different brand but that still didn't boot up either.

It COULD be the PSU or the CPU perhaps, I will test them out some more later...

 

[Twisted4000]

Alright, so I tested the CPU by taking off the heatsink and touching it for the first few seconds of turning the computer on, and I can feel it heating up. This leaves me to believe that the CPU is working, but what about the PSU? It seems as if it's working fine, I tried jumpstarting it and that went well, the mobo seems to be fine, I don't really know what to do here.

 

[Mandrake4565]

I re read your posts and it sounds as if the motherboard may be the issue. I'm going to just write what you have tried.
Removed Gpu=No Post
Removed Ram= beeps
Tried different Ram= No post
Cpu gets hot without heasink on.=sounds like it working but it still could be the issue?!
Psu tried jump starting and it works.

The only thing I can think of is pulling everything out of the case and trying to get it running. Silly question but you're sure you're jumping the correct pins to get the motherboard to turn on?

 

[Twisted4000]

I re read your posts and it sounds as if the motherboard may be the issue. I'm going to just write what you have tried.
Removed Gpu=No Post
Removed Ram= beeps
Tried different Ram= No post
Cpu gets hot without heasink on.=sounds like it working but it still could be the issue?!
Psu tried jump starting and it works.

The only thing I can think of is pulling everything out of the case and trying to get it running. Silly question but you're sure you're jumping the correct pins to get the motherboard to turn on?

Hang on a second... I tried the test again, and now I realized that the CPU fan is not moving. All the other fans and LEDs are working, but the CPU heatsink is not. Does this mean that the PSU is the culprit? If so that's a relief, because I did NOT want to replace the mobo...

When I connect the 24-pin connector INTO the mobo, everything seems to spin up and work fine, but with the paperclip test the heatsink does not move.

 

[Twisted4000]

Hang on a second... I tried the test again, and now I realized that the CPU fan is not moving. All the other fans and LEDs are working, but the CPU heatsink is not. Does this mean that the PSU is the culprit? If so that's a relief, because I did NOT want to replace the mobo...

When I connect the 24-pin connector INTO the mobo, everything seems to spin up and work fine, but with the paperclip test the heatsink does not move.

Wait, never mind. I just realized that the heatsink fan is obviously plugged into the motherboard, not the PSU directly. So obviously it didn't spin with the paperclip test.

I guess I still have to conclude that the PSU is probably fine, and the problem is something else...

 

[Mandrake4565]

It sounds as if the Psu is fine, you could always test it with a multimeter

 

[Twisted4000]

It sounds as if the Psu is fine, you could always test it with a multimeter

Well I don't have a multimeter at the moment, and at this point I really doubt it's the PSU. Could it be the CPU? I tested it and it warms up when the computer is turned on, but I'm not sure if that's enough to tell if it's functional or not. Could it be the motherboard, even though it beeps when no RAM is in it?

 

[Mandrake4565]

From what you haver posted it sure sounds like it's either the Cpu or the Motherboard, though only way to truly tell would be if you had another machine to test it on. Have you tried building it outside the case? It is possible that it is shorting out on something.

 

[Twisted4000]

From what you haver posted it sure sounds like it's either the Cpu or the Motherboard, though only way to truly tell would be if you had another machine to test it on. Have you tried building it outside the case? It is possible that it is shorting out on something.

Just took it out of the case and on to a wood desk... still no beep, still no signal for the monitor.

One thing I will note is that though the board has onboard video, the CPU I have apparently says it does NOT have onboard video, so would this mean if I put a graphics card in it and plug the monitor into that it should automatically detect it, right? Because that's what I did.

So at this point, how do I know if it's the motherboard or CPU? I don't have other motherboards with this socket type or other CPUs lying around. Or are they just not compatible or something? The CPU fit in the socket just fine, but...

 

[Mr.Scott]

The 750K has no on die GPU. The mobo has no onboard video. You NEED a vid card.

This is the system:

CPU - AMD Athlon X4 750K Trinity 3.4GHz
RAM - 4x 4GB G.Skill Ripjaw 1333MHz
Motherboard - MSI A88X-G43
GPU - EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450
PSU - Thermaltake SMART Series SP-650PCBUS 650W
Storage - 1x 128GB SSD, 1x 1TB HDD, 1x 750GB HDD

What happened to the 450? You have to plug your monitor into it.

 

[Twisted4000]

The 750K has no on die GPU. The mobo has no onboard video. You NEED a vid card.



What happened to the 450?

The 450 was in the system. I was just wondering if the fact that the motherboard had its own onboard video would affect anything.

Also, is the AMD Athlon X4 even compatible with this board? On the website it says Athlon processors work with it. I'm new to AMD. It also says it takes FM2 and FM2+ processors, and apparently the one I have here is an FM2. It SHOULD be compatible with this board, right?

And another question, the fact that I have to "jump start" the motherboard with a screwdriver in the power switch pins, that shouldn't be affecting the fact that the motherboard can't POST, right?

 

[Mr.Scott]

The CPU is compatible from the first bios.
Having to start the board with a screwdriver tells me that your case switch is shot. It will not affect posting at all.
The mobo does NOT have on board vid.

 

[Twisted4000]

The CPU is compatible from the first bios.
Having to start the board with a screwdriver tells me that your case switch is shot. It will not affect posting at all.
The mobo does NOT have on board vid.

Alright, at this point I am trying to RMA the motherboard, as I feel that after all this testing, that is what the issue is. We'll see what happens from here.

 

[Twisted4000]

Alright, so last couple of questions, is it possible it could actually be the processor, or does it sound like it is the motherboard?

 

[Mr.Scott]

To me, it sounds like user error. Sorry. If you have a DOA item it'll be the board more so than the processor.