Hey everyone, haven't posted here in forever... mostly due to being overseas and all in the Marines. Anwyays I recently decided to put together a PC for a friend, and while it's not my first PC by ANY means, It has been over two years since I built one. (some new mistakes like accidentally ordering a pci-express vid card instead of AGP... lol) my problem is: I installed the mobo, CPU, memory, vid card, sound card, HD, DVD-RW, and PSU and all, the front panel connectors, and turn on the PC for the first time, and all the fans spin up, the lights come on, but it lasts only a second and everything turns off. literally a second or less.

Here's the specs:

DFI lanboy mobo
P4 3.0E
2x512mb DDR in slots 1 & 3
Ati 9600xt
Audigy 2 XT or whatever the latest name is
WD raptor 10,000 rpm 74 gb


My first thought was I had something plugged in wrong, or some accessory was messed up... so I unplugged all case fans, lights, etc, and took ALL the plugs off the mobo from the front, like the power on lights, the reset switch, hd light etc except for power button, and it still happens.

My current thoughts are

a) (probable) I'm an idiot and am missing something simple
b) CPU or memory is wrong? I don't think so, they both went in correctly, and matched the specs but who knows?


BTW: The HD is connnected via serial ATA, and I'm using the legacy/molex power connector, not the Serial power connector. (i know better than to use both) could this have something to do with it? (doubt it but thought I'd ask)

thanks for any and all help you guys have! Jeez in two years I went from geek to n00b... I feel like poop!

Semper Fidelis!

Quote: Originally Posted by ruger_11mcrdpi Hey everyone, haven't posted here in forever... mostly due to being overseas and all in the Marines. Anwyays I recently decided to put together a PC for a friend, and while it's not my first PC by ANY means, It has been over two years since I built one. (some new mistakes like accidentally ordering a pci-express vid card instead of AGP... lol) my problem is: I installed the mobo, CPU, memory, vid card, sound card, HD, DVD-RW, and PSU and all, the front panel connectors, and turn on the PC for the first time, and all the fans spin up, the lights come on, but it lasts only a second and everything turns off. literally a second or less. Here's the specs: DFI lanboy mobo P4 3.0E 2x512mb DDR in slots 1 & 3 Ati 9600xt Audigy 2 XT or whatever the latest name is WD raptor 10,000 rpm 74 gb My first thought was I had something plugged in wrong, or some accessory was messed up... so I unplugged all case fans, lights, etc, and took ALL the plugs off the mobo from the front, like the power on lights, the reset switch, hd light etc except for power button, and it still happens. My current thoughts are a) (probable) I'm an idiot and am missing something simple b) CPU or memory is wrong? I don't think so, they both went in correctly, and matched the specs but who knows? BTW: The HD is connnected via serial ATA, and I'm using the legacy/molex power connector, not the Serial power connector. (i know better than to use both) could this have something to do with it? (doubt it but thought I'd ask) thanks for any and all help you guys have! Jeez in two years I went from geek to n00b... I feel like poop! Semper Fidelis!

K, usually this can be a problem with the CPU fan connector. I would make sure it is connected. Second what type of powersupply are you using.
~Yeoman

thanks for the reply... I'm gonna run down to his room and check the CPU fan connector. The PSU unit is a very popular brand, jeez I have a brain fart, it's like 450 or 500 watt, it's a good one, I'll get the name for you ina minute.

My first thought was the same as Yeoman's. Is the HSF pluged into the CPU fan header on the mobo?

ok I checked, the CPU HSF is plugged into the "cpu fan" outlet on mobo. However there is a second outlet on mobo "chip fan" and no fan there.

The PSU is an aspire 500W, very nice PSU.

two things: I tried switching over to Serial ATA power intead of legacy/molex, no change in situation

second thing: The HD sits in a cooler master HD enclosure (the one with a fan and fan controller) when I attempt to turn on the PC the Coolermaster unit beeps (sounds like a warning beep). Wether it's plugged in and beeping or unpluggged and not beeping the PC does the same thing. just thought I'd mention this.

thanks.

try plugging in a fan on the chip fan slot see if that helps. And check the motherboard manufacturer's forums. It could be a problem not only you are facing. Sorry i can't provide any additional info.

~Yeoman

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this.

What kind of memory are you using?

pcXXXX?

Little more info pleasee.

I tried a fan on the "chip fan" port and the other one, both and then neither, and no go. here's what else I have done:

rechecked all connections, removed EVERYTHING but the HD, Video card, CDROM, MEmory and CPU.

Also, I even took out one stick of the 512mb, incase that was a problem.

As far as what type of memory, I'm not sure off the top of my head, I
'll check and get back on that in a minute. Any more ideas guys? thanks for the mobo forum idea, I'm headed there right now.

I'm such a freaking moron... here's a quesiton... if I ordered the 875P-T motherboard, and the 3.0E (<-note the E)...processor.... see where I'm goin with this.... I think the E is a new core from intel, the northwood or something... if the board only supports prescott cores... would it give me the problem I'm having now?

Quote: Originally Posted by ruger_11mcrdpi Coolermaster unit beeps (sounds like a warning beep). Wether it's plugged in and beeping or unpluggged and not beeping the PC does the same thing.

I've got a cooldrive 4, instructions for that prob are on back of manuel. mine started whining when I unplugged the thermal probes. It says to press "channel 1 (CPU)" and "color" simultaneously to (hopefully) shut the damn thing up.

Edit: and about your CPU.
"E" is the designation for 478 Prescott P4's.
The CPU you bought is a Pentium 4 Prescott 478 , for this mobo (the DFI you have) you need a Pentium 4 Prescott 530 (LGA 775). So you have a CPU with pins and a mobo with pins, please tell me you didn't "make" the cpu and mobo go together.

No, lol Wrote the wrong mobo number down in the forum above... I doublke checked this onlin and the manual, the one I got (don't have number here) supports the processor I have... LOL I wouldn't MAKE anything fit.

oddly enough, i had a similar problem with the lanparty mobo. I had rev. b, i don't know about you, but for some reason, after about a month, the next time i started up after some really really minor bios changes, it did exactly what you are describing. i cut the power on the power source, took out the battery, started it without the battery, and it started, so i turned it off, put the battery back in and all is cheerful. Until today. Where i started getting display corruption, checked everything else, and its the motherboard AGAIN, and its now reached the point where the it turns on, fans spin, and it loads nothing. I'm working on this one, hopefully you won't run into this particular roadblock.

Hmmm, have you downloaded the latest BIOS for your board by chance?

Quote: Originally Posted by godfoot Hmmm, have you downloaded the latest BIOS for your board by chance?

if that was to me, now i hadn't yet, but now i need to reset it before i can get it on again and do so.

Quote: Originally Posted by hewhowalksalone if that was to me, now i hadn't yet, but now i need to reset it before i can get it on again and do so.

It MAY help both of you actually, not guaranteed though.