# New Build Won't Boot - Help! Fed up!



## MikeE36 (Jan 31, 2010)

Built a new computer today... and I'm about fed up with it so I figured I would ask people who know more than me..

Biostar T5X3 CFX-SLI motherboard
Intel I5 750 Processor
NVidia GeForce 9800 GT ecoIntelligence graphics card
El Cheapo Coolmax 600W power supply
750 GB HDD 
4 GB DDR3


Now... first thing that threw me off is this harddrive does not have a typical 40 pin IDE connection, it only has space for an ATA (?) connection which i've never used before. I plugged it in to "SATA_1"

I have 2 fans in the back of the case, but they just have typical power connections and not the 3 pin connections that would connect to the motherboard for "Sys Fan1" or "Sys Fan2." These fans come on when I power on the computer, but I have nothing plugged into Sys Fan1 or 2. Not sure if this is relevant, just giving all information.

When I hit power, all the fans turn on, it sounds like its booting, but I get no beeps and nothing comes up on the monitor. Another weird thing is this graphics card does not have a power connection because it apparently is a "low power" unit. (At first I couldn't find the connection so I thought I had screwed up and just not plugged it in somewhere.)

Now... I have tried a different harddrive with the typical 40 pin connector, and still nothing.

I have the RAM in slots 1 and 3, I tried removing slot 3 and just booting with one stick and still the same. I tried taking off the CPU cooler and re-seating, and still the same. The monitor constantly says "In Power save mode, Press any key on keyboard or move mouse" so it's just not getting a video signal at all from the computer.

I also saw in someone's troubleshooting guide about bench testing to power on without any RAM or HDD, so I disconnected the HDD and removed the RAM, but still no beeps. I have lights on the motherboard..

When I hear the harddrive start spinning.. Maybe It's just me, but it doesn't seem to fully spin up to speed. It sounds a bit funny to me when it starts doing anything. Like it's not spinning at a very high RPM, and I think it's supposed a 7200 RPM drive. Again, this could just be me throwing useless stuff out there. Would a bad HDD connection cause this anyway? Like I said, the other drive did the same thing so I'm not sure..

Help!! Any ideas guys? What should I try to troubleshoot?

I do have lights on the motherboard and did ground myself so I pray nothing is shorted or anything like that..

My build for my girlfriend went so smoothly 2 weeks ago... frustrating that this one wasn't more of the same..

Thanks guys,

Mike


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## segalaw19800 (Jan 31, 2010)

reseat  graphics card in other slot to see if it post and ck all of jumper pin on mother board if they are in place


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## MT Alex (Jan 31, 2010)

Also, try removing the video card and use the onboard video from your motherboard.  When ever my rig won't post that is the first thing I try.  Even bad RAM or HDD will let you see your MB boot screen.  Hopefully it's not a hard drive issue, I wouldn't worry yet.  Maybe borrow your GF's HDD and give it a shot.


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## Jetster (Jan 31, 2010)

Its T5XE CFX-SLI 5.x


Get the model # and check the CPU support list

http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/t-series/cpu_support.php?S_ID=445


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## segalaw19800 (Jan 31, 2010)

no wonder I can't find his board model


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## Jetster (Jan 31, 2010)

BFG NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 1GB PCIe 2.0 with EcoIntelligence Low Power Design.."No longer requires a power connector"  WTF 

Your overthinking it. CPU with HS, Video card with power, one stick mem, and if it don't post. RMA the board.  Biostar is not that strong of a board..And like what was mentioned read the manual and check the jumpers


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## MikeE36 (Jan 31, 2010)

Seems like its the power supply...

I read the manual on the motherboard and located the diagnostic red lights near the CPU. There are 6 of them that are power status lights. I noticed that only 4 would light up when the computer initially came on, then 2 more would turn on when the HDD "starting making some noise" like it was going to do something..

Well, 10-15 seconds later those 2 flicker out..

And the other 2 diagnostic lights indicate "memory problem," and since there is no specific error for "disk problem" I am going to assume that the memory problem is the HDD not getting power. It seems it wasn't spinning up fully after all, my ears weren't deceiving me! 

I'll be returning the power supply tomorrow for a good Antec or something, and probably upgrade the graphics card further while I'm at it. I should've done so in the first place.

Thanks guys,

Mike


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## MikeE36 (Jan 31, 2010)

MT Alex said:


> Also, try removing the video card and use the onboard video from your motherboard.  When ever my rig won't post that is the first thing I try.  Even bad RAM or HDD will let you see your MB boot screen.  Hopefully it's not a hard drive issue, I wouldn't worry yet.  Maybe borrow your GF's HDD and give it a shot.



Thanks. I already tried with a different HDD earlier and it made no difference. It seems the power is insufficient or poor quality.

I'll get a better quality power supply tomorrow, along with another graphics card for the hell of it, and report back.

Mike


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## Jetster (Jan 31, 2010)

It should still post without a HD. Do you have the 8/4 pin pluged in?


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## segalaw19800 (Jan 31, 2010)

it for the cpu power.....     what psu you have install


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## segalaw19800 (Jan 31, 2010)

Please refer to the tables below for specific messages:
LED1 LED2 Message
ON ON Normal
ON OFF Memory Error
OFF ON VGA Error
OFF OFF Abnormal: CPU / Chipset error.


PH1_D1 ~ PH4_D4
VTT_D1 ~ VTT_D2 Phase Indicator
ON Phase Active
OFF Phase Inactive


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## MikeE36 (Jan 31, 2010)

Jetster said:


> It should still post without a HD. Do you have the 8/4 pin pluged in?



I'm not sure what this "8/4 pin" is? I'm not exactly a computer genius..



segalaw19800 said:


> it for the cpu power.....     what psu you have install



If it is CPU power, yes CPU power is plugged in. It's a 4 pin on this board.



segalaw19800 said:


> Please refer to the tables below for specific messages:
> LED1 LED2 Message
> ON ON Normal
> ON OFF Memory Error
> ...



This is what I found in the manual. I get Memory Error, and the Phase/Power indicators flicker, dim, and then go out when the HDD comes on. Going to try another power supply today.


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## MikeE36 (Jan 31, 2010)

Got an Antec 750W power supply, and changed the Graphics card to an XFX Radeon HD5770

Still the same problem. No beeps, and "memory error" according to the 2 diagnostic lights on the board. Light 1 = ON, Light 2 = OFF, per the Board manual.

Going to try known good RAM now instead and see if that changes anything..

Any thoughts/ideas are greatly appreciated. I guess if the RAM change doesn't work.. I'll pull everything back apart and put humpty dumpty back together again..

Thanks,

Mike


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## MikeE36 (Jan 31, 2010)

Problem is fixed..

RAM was in the wrong spots! D'oh! I should really read the manual first huh?

Thanks guys, 

Mike


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## Jetster (Feb 3, 2010)

Glad you got it going

How do you but the ram in the wrong spot?


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## MikeE36 (Feb 3, 2010)

Jetster said:


> Glad you got it going
> 
> How do you but the ram in the wrong spot?



There are 4 spots for RAM. I thought the motherboard counted with #1 next to the CPU, so I used "#1 and #3" which gave me "memory error." Using slots "2 and 4" did the trick. Computer is fast and works great.

Mike


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