A new spin on an old problem

[Chromeo]

Okay so first I'll start out with the problem and then let everyone know what I have in my computer. I recently purchased a new motherboard (MSI P6N SLI Platinum) and when installing everything seemed to go fine. When all was installed and I decided to power on all the fans in my case came on, including my CPU fan, and GPU fan >> so I was thinking all was well. But no picture on the monitor. The video card isn't new and it worked on my previous motherboard. So I decide to call MSI support and have them walk me through the steps of identifying the problem and they come to the conclusion that that single product was damaged. So I call new egg, arrange the refund, package everything up and set up my computer with the old motherboard... same problem. I was like WTF! So I have no idea whats going on except that it there probably isn't an issue with the new motherboard.

So I set up the computer with everything again, including the new motherboard. Powered on, Turned off and on the LCD to prompt it to search for a connection. And voila! Eureka... It worked... I saw the Bios! and then the freaking thing turned off. My computer will turn on and then turn off about 5-10 seconds later. I don't get it. I really doubt it's the power button. Something else I noticed was that my pretty new PSU's fan wasn't going although it was plugged into the sysfan1 slot on the mobo. huh. I'm stumped help me out before I spend 200 dollars for the idoits down the street to find a problem that takes 2 min and a screwdriver.

Here's a thread I found the was kinda like my problem Computer Turns On, Then Off!!

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Sys Stats

Intel Pentium D 805 Smithfield
OCZ 512mb x2 Dual Channel 533Mhz
Visiontek ATI Radeon x1950 pro
Antec TruePower Trio 550watt
MSI P6N SLI Platinum
Antec Nine Hundred Case

-Sean

[RicheemxX]

Quote:

My computer will turn on and then turn off about 5-10 seconds later

What you've got there sounds like an overheating issue to me! When you put the cpu on the new board did you apply new thermal paste? are you sure you've got the heat sink on correctly?

Quote:

Something else I noticed was that my pretty new PSU's fan wasn't going although it was plugged into the sysfan1 slot on the mobo

[Chromeo]

I did a little more reading and found out that what I thought was PSU fan power was just a fan controller cable so wasn't really neccesary. Nevertheless the fan on the PSU isn't spinning so for now I'm going to assume that's the problem but I'm still getting the computer to power on initially. What I'm wondering is do PSU's have fale safe devices that detect if the fan is or isn't running to shut off depending? I'm going to go check the heatsink.

-sean

[Chromeo]

Alright... so it was the heatsink pins that weren't in properly and so now the computer actually powers on but no signal to the moniter. How am I able to tell if things are actually booting... I really can't tell.. I can hear the hard drive initialize which makes me think that the CPU and everything else is working fine... but still no picture on the screen. hmm

Help?

-sean

[ShyguyXPC]

most I know of, don't, but that fan controller cable if plugged in, would show up in the PC's Bios under the sysfan1 heading in the options somewhere & should be showing some life (voltage or RPM's or something), although it might be set to turn the fan on when the temps get too hot, is the PSU on long enough to get warm? could be the thing isn't kicking in yet.

I agree with rich on the CPU thing.

do you get any beeps with the boot up of the PC also? if so how many, not sure of the specifics myself, but others here can decipher how many beeps mean what.

other than that, its a good Motherboard, feature wise (assuming your not going for any hardcore overclocking), got the same exact board for my rig


but it could also be that your PSU is DOA or close to it, not to get you all worried, but just don't want you to be surprised if it is that too.

But does sound like the CPU is overheating, or not enough contact with heatsink or thermal paste or something.






Ahhhh, I see you figured it out... yeah those Socket 775 heatsinks can be a pain in the ass, need to make sure all 4 legs are secured tight... was right about not enough contact with the heatsink then

as to your video problem, I too sometimes have to turn my monitor on & off, to get a video signal or sometime reboot the PC from a cold boot (turn it completely off, wait a moment or two then flip it on again), though I still use a 17 inch CRT display, the same thing happens to me sometimes, but as I almost never shut my display or PC off, its not often.

see if that works, reset the display, if it doesn't do anything reboot/reset the PC, if still nothing, do a cold boot, with the display turned on first. see if any of that works?

also you should be getting some beeps or A beep when the PC boots. if none, problem somewhere then? (well actually none or several beeps, then theres a problem)

[Chromeo]

I am getting two beeps.. pretty close together ... from my understanding that's my hard drive initializing but I'm not entirely sure. As for the pins... yeah I've always had problems with them but now that's fixed. I've tried various configurations during boot with my monitor and still nothing. Is there any way the PSU isn't powerfull enough for my PC. I have a DVD, single HD, Dual Core, power intensive GPU, 3 120mm fans and 1 200 mm fan. The thing is I doubt it's that. I wish I had the resources to swap vid cards and see if that helped

- Edit in :

is there anyway this could be a memory issue?

Also ... from what I've read about my PSU it's a Variable Fan Speed based on temperature so on boot there's no fan movement and only starts spinning when needed or under full load

[RicheemxX]

Well 2 quick beeps is usually a video or memory error, but you could very easily have just wiggled something loose when you where reattaching the heatsink or you might have something grounding in the case..that causes a no video issue on boot! Thats why I always try things out outside the case first off.

So short of pulling it all out of the case and trying it on a book, you can check to make sure the memory and video card are seated correctly and in there nice and tight.

Not sure on the fans for the power supply, but it could be that that thing is or was dying...

[Chromeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RicheemxX

Well 2 quick beeps is usually a video or memory error, but you could very easily have just wiggled something loose when you where reattaching the heatsink or you might have something grounding in the case..that causes a no video issue on boot! Thats why I always try things out outside the case first off.

So short of pulling it all out of the case and trying it on a book, you can check to make sure the memory and video card are seated correctly and in there nice and tight.

Not sure on the fans for the power supply, but it could be that that thing is or was dying...

1. I've always heard the same beeps even when my computer didn't work

2. I've also tried just barebone parts ... only what I need ... outside of the case and got teh same issue

3. They're seated correctly. Maybe I just broke something upon installation. Hmm... I'll have to head to a friends house, jack his computer and test his parts lol!

Any other ideas are welcome because the cheapest place I can find to get this looked at charges $80 just to open the case and then by the hour after that... it's pretty crazy

-Sean