My comp sucks

[Allen]

Ok, as many of you know I got a new PSU and a lovely new XP-M 2500 yesterday... Got home, all excited, fitted the PSU in existing rig and got it up and running. PSU is fine.

Shutdown, disconnected power, removed HSF, removed old Athlon, installed new Athlon with Coolermaster thermal paste, installed HSF again and booted up... nothing... Fans spin, HSF spins, drives spin, GPU fans dies after a few seconds but it spins... ARGH!!!

I've checked everything, I've reset the CMOs, I've unplugged all non-essential drives... still nothing. I triedd my old chip again, nothing. I've killed it!

Well, I couldn't understand why my mobo wasn't telling me what was wrong as the A7N8X-E screams at you in a female american voice... so I removed the CPU and turned it on... "No CPU installed, no CPU installed"

What the heck is going on? All the connections are ok, power is fine, but insert my old or my new CPU and it refuses to POST.

Anyone have any ideas as I'm desperate to get this working, even at stock speeds, right now I don't care. I just want a working computer. :'(

[Russ]

not had much experience with asus. wip the mobo battery out,goto work put it back together when u get in.

[Lemming]

Agree with Russ. Have you reset the bios between attempts?

Does the motherboard need a new bios update before you can use and xp2500?

[Allen]

I wouldn't of thought so, it's a recently released board... And yes, I reset the CMOS every time by removing the battery, setting the CMOS clear jumper for 10+ seconds, then putting it back and putting the battery back in...

[Russ]

i had problem with nf7-s, took it out for a few hours and worked great.

[Allen]

Hmm, ok. I'll try it. Taking out now, and have to go to work anyway.

Hate work, wanna leave that craphole.

[Allen]

Oh, forgot to add, for those who don't have sigs turned on or need it, my specs at the moment are:

Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe
AMD Athlon XP-M 2500+
Akasa 824cu HSF
Coolermaster Thermal Compound made by Shin Etsu
2x256MB PNY PC3200
Asus 9600XT
CWT 450W PSU
2xCoolermaster 80mm Case Fans (dunno model, clear with bl00 LED's)
40GB WD HDD
40GB Samsung SpinPoint SP0411N
Pioneer DVD-120S
Sony CD-RW 52x32x52
Crappy steel case

Anything else you may need to know?

[andybasford]

sounds very much like BIOS corruption. It used to happen alot on the A7N8X deluxe(I RMAed 2 of them).
If it is that then the only thing you can do is hotflash the BIOS in another motherboard. Either that or RMA it.

[Allen]

It corrupted the BIOS just changing the chip?? Bum, bum, bum..... I don't wanna faff about doing that, I need my PC!

I don't even know where I'd stand doing that, I bought it from someone here so do I need to get the original receipt from them or something if they have it??

[andybasford]

hmm.. Used to corrupt after a BIOS save on mine so that doesn't sound quite right.
Best advice I can give is eliminate the possibility of it being anything else first (CPU RAM) by swapping components out then investigate returning it.
There are some good hotflashing guides out there. Good one on here as i remember forums.extremeoverclockers.com

[DR]

I would try and hotflash it - since you put a mobile CPU in, I believe you have voided the warranty.

[daniel_owen_uk]

Check the chip very carefully for "chips" (damn it cant think of better word), you might have cracked a corner off or something (its possible trust me )

[dgr]

i am fairly certain that its your heatsink not mounted correctly. i had EXACTLY this problem.

i mean EXACTLY that problem!

dgr

[Allen]

Well, I only have limited spares, but neither my new or old CPU will now post. I don't have any others to check with...

I've disconnected all drives but my one HDD with Windows and the floppy. I've got a spare graphics card which I could check but how would a faulty graphics card stop it POSTing?

Also, I found it very strange that without the CPU it tells me I don't have one (built in voice rather than beeps), but with one it doesn't POST and doesn't tell me anything is wrong.

[andybasford]

Well, I only have limited spares, but neither my new or old CPU will now post. I don't have any others to check with...

I've disconnected all drives but my one HDD with Windows and the floppy. I've got a spare graphics card which I could check but how would a faulty graphics card stop it POSTing?

Also, I found it very strange that without the CPU it tells me I don't have one (built in voice rather than beeps), but with one it doesn't POST and doesn't tell me anything is wrong.

I *think* the woman used to tell me that when mine got corrupted.
Get an NF7-S instead.

[Allen]

i am fairly certain that its your heatsink not mounted correctly. i had EXACTLY this problem.

i mean EXACTLY that problem!

dgr

Well, I did have difficulties getting the damn thing on properly, but would the chips overheat that quickly that it would stop it from booting?

Anyone have any decent guides to using my thermal paste with this heatsink and aligning it properly?

I hope I haven't damaged anything if I've seated it incorrectly.....