New Computer Build Not Working

[FingerzAndKeyz]

I'm not sure I understood your last post, but I hope so. If not, disregard my attempts within this post...

I'm not sure of your expertise in such things, but LEDs have a + and -. If one is coming on when you think it should be off, it might be that the polls are reversed. I'm not saying this is true, but just double check. I know manuals with motherboards are very cryptic, mostly because they are usually translated into English from Chinese, or Taiwanese (is that the same thing?). Many motherboards have the + and - etched where you plug these LEDs in. Sadly, sometimes it's just trial and error to get some of these lights to work. + wires are suppose to be the ones with a line on the insulation, if you're lucky. One test would be the HD activity LED. Of course, it should light when the drive is accessed. And the power LED should be on when the computer is on. If you get the opposite, you then know how + and - are suppose to be labeled.

As for those LEDs that show if the power on tests are OK, I've never seen a motherboard that didn't give you a beep code when something was good or bad with the power on test. But, I guess things do change. Why include an on board speaker or tone generator for those beeps, when you can do the same thing with some cheaper LEDs. The good thing about the beep code is you can hear it, when the case is on. Ah, progress!

But, as for those LEDs on the motherboard...they are hard wired, so they can't have the + and - reversed. I'd check the manual to see if you can figure out if it's good when they are on or good when they are off.

 

[BroKen_H]

This is probably not a case of a CPU burning up. It was never really on long enough to do so. The open case test (for most people at least) is usually never more than about 20 seconds. Never heard of a CPU toasting in that short time (especially if the fans are coming on). OTOH, it was probably a mfg defect that fused something vital to the boot, but not to running operation (there are literally hundreds of thousands of circuits in a modern CPU). Therefore subsequent boots couldn't get past...

 

[dachay2tnr]

I'm not sure I understood your last post, but I hope so. If not, disregard my attempts within this post...

I'm not sure of your expertise in such things, but LEDs have a + and -. If one is coming on when you think it should be off, it might be that the polls are reversed. I'm not saying this is true, but just double check. I know manuals with motherboards are very cryptic, mostly because they are usually translated into English from Chinese, or Taiwanese (is that the same thing?). Many motherboards have the + and - etched where you plug these LEDs in. Sadly, sometimes it's just trial and error to get some of these lights to work. + wires are suppose to be the ones with a line on the insulation, if you're lucky. One test would be the HD activity LED. Of course, it should light when the drive is accessed. And the power LED should be on when the computer is on. If you get the opposite, you then know how + and - are suppose to be labeled.

As for those LEDs that show if the power on tests are OK, I've never seen a motherboard that didn't give you a beep code when something was good or bad with the power on test. But, I guess things do change. Why include an on board speaker or tone generator for those beeps, when you can do the same thing with some cheaper LEDs. The good thing about the beep code is you can hear it, when the case is on. Ah, progress!

But, as for those LEDs on the motherboard...they are hard wired, so they can't have the + and - reversed. I'd check the manual to see if you can figure out if it's good when they are on or good when they are off.

This horse won't die.

The manual says if there is a problem the led's will come on and STAY on. It appears to me that these lights are signaling a test being performed. First the DRAM light comes on, lasts like a second or less and goes out. So it appears the DRAM was checked and passed the test (light went out). After that light goes out, the CPU led comes on, again for a second or less, and then goes out. Same thing, CPU was checked and passed. This continues until all 4 led's have come on and gone out. Once that cycle completes, the computer boots as normal.

What is a little disconcerting is the CPU fan will kick in when initially powered up, but then stops while the computer cycles through these 4 tests. I'm guessing this is all normal, and the computer isn't being allowed to boot until all the tests have been completed and passed. If any of these tests fail (which they haven't) I suspect that specific led will come on and remain lit and the computer will not boot.

In essence it's the same as the beep codes, but easier to understand (or maybe not, given this discussion, lol).

When I was having the initial problem with this computer, all I got was the initial spin of the cpu fan, and that's in. None of the led's came on at all. Something was preventing it from even getting to the POST tests. I have to assume it was a bad CPU, since once it was replaced, it started working ok.

The puzzle, to me though, is IF there is a CPU test on the mobo, why wasn't that working to tell me the CPU was bad in the first place. Would have saved a lot of trouble. OTOH, perhaps it's just a themal test to protect the CPU from overheating, and in my case it was a doa CPU. CPU no workie, no overheating.

Any of this make sense?

 

[Tadpui]

Your BIOS might have an option for a "quick boot" kind of thing, where it bypasses those tests and speeds up the boot process. After it passed the tests the first time, you probably don't care about them unless something dies. It might save a few seconds every boot.

I agree it's weird that there was no indicator for "CPU crapped out". Seems that'd be one of the main things those LEDs are designed to indicate!

 

[FingerzAndKeyz]

This horse won't die.

The manual says if there is a problem the led's will come on and STAY on. It appears to me that these lights are signaling a test being performed. First the DRAM light comes on, lasts like a second or less and goes out. So it appears the DRAM was checked and passed the test (light went out). After that light goes out, the CPU led comes on, again for a second or less, and then goes out. Same thing, CPU was checked and passed. This continues until all 4 led's have come on and gone out. Once that cycle completes, the computer boots as normal.

What is a little disconcerting is the CPU fan will kick in when initially powered up, but then stops while the computer cycles through these 4 tests. I'm guessing this is all normal, and the computer isn't being allowed to boot until all the tests have been completed and passed. If any of these tests fail (which they haven't) I suspect that specific led will come on and remain lit and the computer will not boot.

In essence it's the same as the beep codes, but easier to understand (or maybe not, given this discussion, lol).

When I was having the initial problem with this computer, all I got was the initial spin of the cpu fan, and that's in. None of the led's came on at all. Something was preventing it from even getting to the POST tests. I have to assume it was a bad CPU, since once it was replaced, it started working ok.

The puzzle, to me though, is IF there is a CPU test on the mobo, why wasn't that working to tell me the CPU was bad in the first place. Would have saved a lot of trouble. OTOH, perhaps it's just a themal test to protect the CPU from overheating, and in my case it was a doa CPU. CPU no workie, no overheating.

Any of this make sense?

So, maybe you didn't feed enough oats at first and the horse protested?
I understand your LED system now, but while it's easier for this kind of thing, the beep code is a lot more involved than four lights. I think you might have had a beep code come in when your CPU didn't come on...if you had a beep code.

The beep code system is suppose to be very low in RAM usage so it can tell you when something is wrong...even when a major part of the computer isn't working. But, this is technology we're talking about so things can go wrong. I'd assume that because the CPU was the problem before, it was probably damaged in a circuit that was so early in the boot test process that it wasn't capable of even starting with the lights. See this web site that tells more about beep codes, if I'm allowed to post links...

Computer POST and beep codes

As for the fan turning off during the post, that's probably normal, just as you have said. And, if you have an advanced motherboard, you might have a way to set the fan/fans to come on when the CPU temperature gets to a certain temp, then cooling it to a safe temperature. Some motherboards can actually tell you how fast your fan is turning. Mine will shut the computer down when the CPU gets to a certain temp that I decide on. You might need to get an additional program for some of this, though. If you got a CD with your motherboard, you might have a loadable program on it that assists you with this. There are also generic programs you can get (google "free cpu temperature monitoring" or something similar) that you can load, telling you how hot your CPU is, how fast the fans are blowing and other things like that (google "free CPU fan speed monitoring, or similar).

But, if the fan comes on when the CPU gets hot, I'd guess it is working fine. Even if it comes on and stays on 24/7 like in the old days, that's better than not coming on at all. That would be panic time and maybe time to feed more oats!

If the computer seems to be working fine, I'd guess it is. If it was overheating, you'd know by now. If you are concerned or just want to know what's going on, you might look for a CPU temperature program. They are free and usually come with other cool things to let you know how things are doing. Just download from a reputable source, because you don't need any virus or malware, now that your computer is working.

NOTE: One thing that can cause a CPU to overheat rather quickly is common dirt and carpet fuzz. Check the fans periodically, to make sure there is proper air flow. This won't be an issue right now, but down the road, dust tends to accumulate, no matter how much oats you provide.

 

[FingerzAndKeyz]

This is probably not a case of a CPU burning up. It was never really on long enough to do so. The open case test (for most people at least) is usually never more than about 20 seconds. Never heard of a CPU toasting in that short time (especially if the fans are coming on). OTOH, it was probably a mfg defect that fused something vital to the boot, but not to running operation (there are literally hundreds of thousands of circuits in a modern CPU). Therefore subsequent boots couldn't get past...

I agree completely. Something was there in the beginning and when power was applied, it just fused something it shouldn't have. You just happened to get that particular CPU and the stress and sweat that came with it. Lucky you!

 

[ecc83]

Ah! Something I DO understand!
LEDs do indeed have a polarity, an anode and a cathode (NB NOT a fekkin PLATE!) but this is because they are diodes, nothing to do with the logic of their operation.

IF the diodes were stuffed the wrong way around they simply would never light but this is most unlikely since they would be bandolier fed and inserted by a robot.

Fish, red one, of the Herring species.

Dave.

 

[dachay2tnr]

As for the fan turning off during the post, that's probably normal, just as you have said. And, if you have an advanced motherboard, you might have a way to set the fan/fans to come on when the CPU temperature gets to a certain temp, then cooling it to a safe temperature. Some motherboards can actually tell you how fast your fan is turning. Mine will shut the computer down when the CPU gets to a certain temp that I decide on. You might need to get an additional program for some of this, though. If you got a CD with your motherboard, you might have a loadable program on it that assists you with this. There are also generic programs you can get (google "free cpu temperature monitoring" or something similar) that you can load, telling you how hot your CPU is, how fast the fans are blowing and other things like that (google "free CPU fan speed monitoring, or similar).
.

The bios has all that info. Even neat little graphics of each of the fans spinning.

There's also a utility that runs under Windows that can access the same data. CPU fan speed. Case fans speed. CPU temp. Case temp. Etc. Etc.

Like most of that stuff, you look at it when you first finish the build, and never again until there's a problem.

I agree with all of you that the first CPU crapped out before much of anything could occur. Rare, but it happens. Lucky me.

 

[dachay2tnr]

Your BIOS might have an option for a "quick boot" kind of thing, where it bypasses those tests and speeds up the boot process. After it passed the tests the first time, you probably don't care about them unless something dies. It might save a few seconds every boot.

I agree it's weird that there was no indicator for "CPU crapped out". Seems that'd be one of the main things those LEDs are designed to indicate!

There is a fastboot option. Doesn't bypass the tests, but allows you to control some of what is checked. For ex., rather than have it test all SATA devices, you can set it to check just the boot drive. You can also have all usb ports and ps/2 keyboard support disabled during POST.

I might try some of this to see what happens. As I mentioned, once everything is working, some of it is overkill. Nice to have, but don't necessarily need it every boot.

 

[FingerzAndKeyz]

Ah! Something I DO understand!
LEDs do indeed have a polarity, an anode and a cathode (NB NOT a fekkin PLATE!) but this is because they are diodes, nothing to do with the logic of their operation.

IF the diodes were stuffed the wrong way around they simply would never light but this is most unlikely since they would be bandolier fed and inserted by a robot.

Fish, red one, of the Herring species.

Dave.

Sorry, this post confused me, but that's OK. The computer is working.

 

[FingerzAndKeyz]

The bios has all that info. Even neat little graphics of each of the fans spinning.

There's also a utility that runs under Windows that can access the same data. CPU fan speed. Case fans speed. CPU temp. Case temp. Etc. Etc.

Like most of that stuff, you look at it when you first finish the build, and never again until there's a problem.

I agree with all of you that the first CPU crapped out before much of anything could occur. Rare, but it happens. Lucky me.

I tend to agree that you might not ever need to look at that stuff, once you are up and running, but there might be a time down the road when that stuff will come in handy. Computers don't just start working and never break. That's another thing about technology. It sometimes doesn't work.

I have a program that I run from time to time on one of my computers. It's called Open Hardware Monitor. It's pretty handy in that it shows the temperature of every CPU core, if you have a multiple core CPU. It also shows clock speed of each core, multiple fan speeds, RAM speeds, video memory speeds, etc. I know, I know...it doesn't show anything about oats.

If the CPU temps look like they are getting warm, I know it might be dust that collects inside the case and sits on the motherboard. It's just something you get used to, after a while. Enough dust and temps get elevated. If you keep your computer on a carpeted floor, those fans pull that dust and debris into the case, as you walk past or when you vacuum. I have a handy set of attachments for my vacuum that I use to vacuum out the dust. Call me anal, it's just something I do. A cool computer is a happy computer.

 

[dachay2tnr]

Computers don't just start working and never break. That's another thing about technology. It sometimes doesn't work.
.

My experience has been they become obsolete well before they ever break.

About the most I can recall ever having to do to keep one running was to replace the PSU. Maybe I've just been lucky - until this build at least.

 

[FingerzAndKeyz]

My experience has been they become obsolete well before they ever break.

About the most I can recall ever having to do to keep one running was to replace the PSU. Maybe I've just been lucky - until this build at least.

One more post and I'm going to let this thread die away. Your original problem is fixed.

But, yes, I do think you've been lucky, or maybe I've been unlucky. I've had power supplies die, hard drives crash and memory sticks develop bad spots. I've also had 3rd party cards go bad, mostly high speed USB cards. I've had two hard drives crash and burn just past their year warranty period. Both were Western Digital drives. I know it had to be a bad run, as both drives were the same size and both died just after the warranty period. But, just the same, I don't buy Western Digital any more.

I've been in computers for a long time. I first learned computers on an Apple IIe, the one you had to flip the floppy over to read the other side. Then I got in to the IBM 80-88 XTs. I built maybe 500 286s and 386s, even before Windows 95 was introduced. They were mostly monochrome monitors until 16 color CGA then the first 256 color VGA monitors came out. Several orders were for 200 at a time. Yes, that means I knew all versions of DOS. I loved DOS, but it became very limited when graphics came onto the scene.

While I don't build them for a living any more, I've been into computers ever since. I always build my own, because you get a lot more for your buck without all of that extra crap software ready made computer sellers push at you, telling you you're getting it all for free. And the feeling of accomplishment you get, when you fire that sucker up for the first time (or maybe the second time, in some cases?). Doing it yourself is much better. Sure, you have to deal with some crap every once in a while, but not that often. The satisfaction of finding the issue and getting it fixed is all part of the fun. Have fun with your new computer.

 

[MagicMatt]

Obviously solved now... but I ran into those exact symptoms - power on, wait a few seconds, it powers back off.

Power button was getting stuck and not releasing properly when pressed... after 4 seconds, the system powers off if the power button is held.

I always check the silly things first now.

 

[dachay2tnr]

This horse won't die.

The manual says if there is a problem the led's will come on and STAY on. It appears to me that these lights are signaling a test being performed. First the DRAM light comes on, lasts like a second or less and goes out. So it appears the DRAM was checked and passed the test (light went out). After that light goes out, the CPU led comes on, again for a second or less, and then goes out. Same thing, CPU was checked and passed. This continues until all 4 led's have come on and gone out. Once that cycle completes, the computer boots as normal.

What is a little disconcerting is the CPU fan will kick in when initially powered up, but then stops while the computer cycles through these 4 tests. I'm guessing this is all normal, and the computer isn't being allowed to boot until all the tests have been completed and passed. If any of these tests fail (which they haven't) I suspect that specific led will come on and remain lit and the computer will not boot.

OK, sorry to resurrect this thread.

However, I have come to find that the cpu fan stopping and the power light going out during the POST tests, is NOT normal behavior. It did seem odd to me, but since everything appeared to be running OK, I assumed all was OK. But I couldn't find anyone to confirm that this was normal, so I wrote ASUS (mobo manufacturer). All that was needed was to clear the CMOS (remove and reinstall battery). Did that, and now it works like one would expect it to work. Push the power button, and everything comes on and STAYS on.

 

[Guitargodgt]

The battery.

Good lord what a dumb problem. Glad you figured it out though.

Your story has me a bit afriad as I'm about to build my first PC as well and I shelled $1200 for it so it better fucking work. LOL

 

[Tadpui]

The battery.

Good lord what a dumb problem. Glad you figured it out though.

Your story has me a bit afriad as I'm about to build my first PC as well and I shelled $1200 for it so it better fucking work. LOL

You'll be fine. Everything is pretty much plug-and-play any more. About the most fiddly part of plugging everything in is getting the chassis connectors plugged into the correct headers on the motherboard. It just takes a little patience and referencing the mobo manual to figure out where the HDD activity light, power switch, reset switch, chassis fans and all of that goes, and a couple of those connectors are friggin tiny.

The SATA connectors are pretty easy to deal with on SSD/HDD and optical drives, and the power connectors are pretty fool-proof.

Be sure to check in here if you have any issues, so we can all argue about it for 3 weeks after you've finished

OK, sorry to resurrect this thread.

However, I have come to find that the cpu fan stopping and the power light going out during the POST tests, is NOT normal behavior. It did seem odd to me, but since everything appeared to be running OK, I assumed all was OK. But I couldn't find anyone to confirm that this was normal, so I wrote ASUS (mobo manufacturer). All that was needed was to clear the CMOS (remove and reinstall battery). Did that, and now it works like one would expect it to work. Push the power button, and everything comes on and STAYS on.

Oh man, I woulda never thought of that. Glad to hear that you got it sorted out!

 

[Guitargodgt]

I built it Thursday. I tend to be over cautious on first time experiences and it tends to work in my favor. Fired up no problem the first time. I'm floored at how much quieter it is compared to my old mac pro. Honestly even with all the fans cranked I have to be right down next to it to hear them. The older mac has a loud wine, not even in the same ballpark for noise.

The build if interested:

Corsair 100R silent edition
Gigabyte Z170X-U5 (DDR4 intel)
Intel i7 6700K
16gb crucial ballistix DDR4 2400 RAM (I may add more, this was cheap)
Corsair RM650
Corsair H60 (liquid cooler for CPU)
Samsung 500gb SSD
EVGA GT470
Syba firwire 400/800 PCIe card
Samsung Sata optical drive

Things I'm adding that I already have:
2x 1TB drives, 1x 2TB drive.

This build held my hand pretty well. There were also a ton of builds on that MOBO online, different versions are not that different.

The one thing I KIND of wish I had done more homework on (because I didn't know they existed or what they were honestly) is M.2 drives. This mobo can house 2 of them and I think it would have been a better choice for the system drive IMO. I may add them down the road, I'm not sure. But a 500gig M.2 drive is just as much as a standard 500gb SSD so I wish I had done that, saved some space and gotten the extra speed.