Problem with newly built PC

[EeelEeet]

I've just assembled a new PC with a

• ASUS P5B-VM DO Motherboard
• Samsung SATA2 HDD - HD501LJ
• OCZ 2GB RAM DDR2 800
• Intel Core 2 Duo E6550
• Liteon LH-20A1P-487C 20X DVDRW
• nVidia BFG 8800 GT
• and a 900W PSU

All of this is compatible and I've plugged everything into where it needs to be but when I turn the PC on, it powers up fine but nothing is displayed to the screen. I've tried plugging it into the VGA output on the motherboard and onto the graphics card using a DVI to VGA converter but no success. I'm using the same monitor on this computer right now so it works fine, is there anything more I need to do other than plug everything in a switch the new PC on?

[TAKTAK]

have you made sure to connect the 6pin/8pin power connector on the GFX Card?
it is easily overlooked

[EeelEeet]

have you made sure to connect the 6pin/8pin power connector on the GFX Card?
it is easily overlooked

Yes I had that in and tried the mobo and the card outputs, then I removed the card and the 6pin and tried the mobo one on its own and no success.

[Cov]

On my eVGA 8800 GT it did make an incredible loud high pitch noise because I had forgotten to plug in the 8pin connector. Switched the system off, plugged it in & switched it on ... all was good then.

Have you tried using the onboard graphics only yet ?

[EeelEeet]

On my eVGA 8800 GT it did make an incredible loud high pitch noise because I had forgotten to plug in the 8pin connector. Switched the system off, plugged it in & switched it on ... all was good then.

Have you tried using the onboard graphics only yet ?

Yes, as I stated I tried the mobo's graphics to no avail.

[TAKTAK]

Try booting with only one stick of RAM

[EeelEeet]

Try booting with only one stick of RAM

Will do, what will this mean? I have one faulty stick?

[TAKTAK]

it is possible that one of the sticks is dodgeyfied or also, because RAM takes varying voltages, it may not be supported by the motherboard but if you only use 1 stick then it allows it to be used at the stock of 1.8v.

also try booting with the bare minimum in the computer i.e. disconnect all pci cards and cd drives etc

does the computer have a case speaker?
if yes does it beep when you turn it on


have you managed to install an Operating system?

so in short:

remove all but the RAM (so you are left with the mobo, cpu, cpu cooler,PSU,and RAM), and see if you get any POST beeps (you should get some if there is a case speaker)

If you do, then replace the graphics card and see if it boots and posts - if so you should then get a video output.

Unfortunately in cases like this it comes down to methodical fault finding, which isn't very glamourous


also, what make is the PSU??

also if you could try the Graphics card in a different PCI-e Slot if another is available to ensure there is nothing wrong with it.

[YOYOtech - Ben]

Hi EeelEeet,

I'm afraid that the E6550 is not shown on the compatibility list on the ASUS website for the ASUS P5B-VM DO, as it does not support FSB 1333 CPU's.

You can check this on the compatibility chart for the motherboard at the CPU Support page

Ben

[EeelEeet]

it is possible that one of the sticks is dodgeyfied or also, because RAM takes varying voltages, it may not be supported by the motherboard but if you only use 1 stick then it allows it to be used at the stock of 1.8v.

I'll try this, couldn't last night, was busy.

also try booting with the bare minimum in the computer i.e. disconnect all pci cards and cd drives etc

I don't really have much in it, Hard Drive, DVDRW, is really about it.

does the computer have a case speaker?
if yes does it beep when you turn it on

Not a case speaker, but I'll plug some headphones into the motherboard, see if I can hear any beeps that way.

have you managed to install an Operating system?

Nope, since I can't get anything on the screen, I can't see if anything is loaded or not, so I put the Windows disk in and nothing.

so in short:

remove all but the RAM (so you are left with the mobo, cpu, cpu cooler,PSU,and RAM), and see if you get any POST beeps (you should get some if there is a case speaker)

If you do, then replace the graphics card and see if it boots and posts - if so you should then get a video output.

Unfortunately in cases like this it comes down to methodical fault finding, which isn't very glamourous


also, what make is the PSU??

An EZCOOL one, and its 700w not 900w as I stated earlier.

also if you could try the Graphics card in a different PCI-e Slot if another is available to ensure there is nothing wrong with it.

Not an option, only 1 PCI-e x16 slot.

[EeelEeet]

Hi EeelEeet,

I'm afraid that the E6550 is not shown on the compatibility list on the ASUS website for the ASUS P5B-VM DO, as it does not support FSB 1333 CPU's.

You can check this on the compatibility chart for the motherboard at the CPU Support page

Ben

Sucks to be me =[

Thanks anyway Ben, thats a real help, I'll make sure I buy the new mobo from Yoyotech

Sigh.

Thanks anyway, least I don't have to go fiddling around and breaking anything.

PS.

Would it be better to buy a new mobo, or buy a processor with the right FSB speed. The book I got with the mobo is a bit vague but I think it supports 1066 FBS and there's a few 775 processors with that speed around and even above the one I had, would I be right in thinking its easier just to get a new processor with the right FSB? Also, can I return the old processor? It's in near perfect condition.

[YOYOtech - Ben]

Unfortunately its a common mistake

If you want then feel free to give us a call or pop in to our store to explore your options.

Kind Regards

Ben

[TAKTAK]

Well it looks like Ben has found your problem.
my last point of call was going to be that the mobo was knackered but it sounds like it's just unsupported

and if i were you i would change the PSU as EZcool's are known to be cheaply made and have been known to implode and take out your whole machine, most people nowadays stick within a few main brands which are: Corsair/Seasonic/Enermax you can't really go wrong with any from them, so something like the Corsair HX520w would be perfect for your system, if you have any more questions on PSU's then just make a new thread as that way more people will notice it.

[YOYOtech - Ben]

I would like to add Coolermaster to the popular brands.

Their PSU's are very well designed, offering quietness with excellent efficiency and are also very reliable.

[EeelEeet]

I only picked that PSU since it was cheap and recommended by PC Gamer in an article regarding cheap custom gaming PC's.

Will my Motherboard support this CPU?
Intel Xeon Core Quad X3210 2.13Ghz 8MB Cache Kentsfield Core CPU - Retail

[YOYOtech - Ben]

As you can see from the CPU compatibility chart that I linked to (Post #9 above), unfortunately the only Quad cores that are offically supported by your motherboard are:

Q6600
Q6700
QX6700

The P5B VM DO's Quad Core compatibility is very limited

Kind Regards

B