Help!

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:29 am

I have just finished building my computer and the thing won't fire up.
I press the on/off swith and the power supply fans fire up. The CPU fan tries to spin but doesn't (As if it isn't getting enough power - but PSU is 550w so should be OK), then it shuts down. Two seconds later it restarts itself and goes through the same thing. If I leave it it would start, shut down, start shut down etc.
I have reseated the CPU, checked all of the connections etc and everything seems as it should. The motherboard seems to be getting power because the case fan works OK.
If the CPU wasn't located properly the CPU fan should still work shouldn't it? (The fan spins freely by hand).
Any ideas?

Growler.

(If I get stuck is there anyone in Auckland I can take the case to for them to check that everything is as it should be?)

Riven · Post by **Riven** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:45 am

take a pic of your mobo and all the installed bits and post?

I'm suspecting a mobo power header that you have missed

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 10:35 am

I hope this is a good enough pic. Let me know what you need if it isn't detailed enough.

Growler.

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:02 am

OK...I may have found it. There is a connection (Shown) that I didn't hook up because the manual says only to use if running two graphics cards. I'm only running one so never bothered. I hooked it up just now and the comp boots up etc.
Secondly the CPU fan doesn't spin straight away. It pulses for about 20 seconds and then fires up. Is this a feature of sorts?

Growler.

Riven · Post by **Riven** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:34 am

might wanna check that your XFX vid card power supply is pushed in firmly and fully seated.. this could cause weird voltage issues requiring the stability of the aditional power connector normally needed for SLI.

As for the cpu fan.. who knows.. my one does something kinda similar in that nothing starts on the mobo until the fans are all up to speed first.

Noon416 · Post by **Noon416** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:39 am

Re the CPU Fan, go into your BIOS and turn off any temperature-based fan-speed controls, as it's likely pulsing until the CPU comes up to a temp where it stays on. Had the same thing on an AMD board until I turned the feature off.

BAZZIL · Post by **BAZZIL** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 2:18 pm

aye the CPU fan won't spin unless the cpu is hot enough =]
but as Noon says, you can go into the bios and turn off the q-fan control or something arather - the bit that dynamicaly controls fan speed - it should leave the fan going all the time. the idea of the dymanic fan speed thingy is that it is supposed to be quieter and it preserves the fans life a tad more (though I found the faint whine of the fan slowing down and speeding up more annoying than a constant noise that was slightly louder)

Noon416 · Post by **Noon416** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 2:46 pm

he he, what got me worried was turning on my PC and not hearing the CPU fan wind up (it took a good minute before the CPU got hot enough). Never got used to it, so turned it on again.

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 3:40 pm

OK...I think I found the problem...It will boot up on 2Gb ram but won't boot up on 4Gb ram
Any ideas?

Growler.

Bold · Post by **Bold** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 3:58 pm

Growler wrote:OK...I think I found the problem...It will boot up on 2Gb ram but won't boot up on 4Gb ram
Any ideas?

Growler.

Did you buy a 'Dual channel' Ram kit?

If not it may not run in dual channel mode. to rectify this put the two sticks in slots right next to each other and see if it helps.

Happy · Post by **Happy** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 4:14 pm

It should work if all the memory is the same, are your other two sticks the same as the two which are working

?

Also, it is possible but unlikely that the current bios version doesn't support that much memory and there could be an update for the bios.

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 4:51 pm

Memory is all the same. Its the Corsair DDR2 XMS2. I haven't tried different slots but will try that as well.
Maybe I get the machine going on 2Gb and look at adding the extra later.
I am still using XP so 2Gb should be plenty but may switch to Vista at a later date hence the 4Gb.

Growler.

Happy · Post by **Happy** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:03 pm

What happens when it won't boot - do you get error beeps, does it bluescreen

? can you get to bios?

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:36 pm

Not really...no and no.
I push the start button, it powers up then shuts down....powesr up then shuts down etc etc...

Growler.

Happy · Post by **Happy** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:57 pm

What is ze power supply?

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:51 pm

Happy wrote:What is ze power supply?

Enermax 550w

Happy · Post by **Happy** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:04 pm

have you tried the memory in just the red slots?
have you mixed and matched the memory (tested that all bits work)?

Growler · Post by **Growler** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 9:22 pm

No...I haven't tried to swap the memory around...but it is all new memory.
I have tried 2 sticks in the red slots and yellow slots and it works. When I put 4 sticks in it doesn't.
I'm in the process of installing XP on just two sticks now. Once I have installed everything etc I will try it then.

Growler.

Typhoon · Post by **Typhoon** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:32 pm

We have found some of the gigabyte motherboards have issues with some ram amounts. see if there is a firmware update.