For the computer geeks........

[Shovelhead]

I was all excited like a child on Christmas when my package from tigerdirect.com came with the parts for my new computer.
After an hour or so of assembly everything powered up, all the bells and whistles were chirping....alas.........no display!!!!:
I checked all of the usaul stuff.........RAM, video and chip seatings.
I guess I don't understand the BIOS...of course there is little if no directions...just a 2' x 3' poster with pictures to follow along for the Mobo.
Theres a little fitting with 3 prongs for the BIOS config and a cap the fits over 2 of the prongs....I don't get it.
:

 

[JMDigital]

That 3 prong set of pins sound like its the CMOS CLEAR/RUN jumper set. Back in the day when I was building PC's new motherboards used to get shipped with the CMOS CLEAR/RUN jumper set in the CLEAR mode. We had to move that jumper to the other position so the board would boot up. It usually is close to the battery. They ship it in the CLEAR mode because of testing before it goes to retail stores. Give it a try. If there was NO jumper on those pins when you got the board RE-VERIFY that is is the CLEAR/RUN jumper set. You dont want to short out the board by putting a jumper where one does not belong.... Can you scan and post a pic of that sheet that came with the board.. or post the name and model of it.

Questions..

1. Did you have to put the processor on?
2. What hardware did you get? A complete system?
3. Did you use your old case?

If you cant identify the CMOS CLEAR jumper DO NOT start moveing jumpers arround. There are not that many on boards anymore however some may change processor settings , so be carefull.. Look in the book for the one I am talking about.

Good Luck.... from 1 computer geek to another...

 

[njsigns]

I build a lot of computers myself. I have had things not work on machines from time to time as well, sometimes a real PITA to figure out.

With the particualr problem you are having I have found that I tightened the screws too hard into the motherboard on occassion, or I didn't use those little round gaskets on a post or two mounting the board into the case. You'd be surprised how many issues this can cause!

Another quick fix might be if you have onboard video and also have an aftermarket video card to disble the onboard video in the BIOS. I have also racked my brain for this exact same problem, only to discover (after walking away) that when I had both onboard video and an aftermarket video card that I was simply plugging the monitor into the wrong video output!

I'd start with the later and maybe work backwards. Good Luck!

Gene

 

[Shovelhead]

Thanks..............

1. Did you have to put the processor on?

YES: I set the processor myself...socket 775....heat greased it
and set the CPU fan.....pretty standard.


2. What hardware did you get? A complete system?

Mobo: Intel D945PSN

I got a barebones system....case / CPU / Mobo / CPU fan / 1 gig RAM / 500 watt power supply....I added DVD / 160 Mb Maxtor HD / XFX GeForce 512Mb graphics card
They card was a challenge to get in....i pre-installed it on the Mobo and the Mobo was impossible to mount

 

[Shovelhead]

Also...although minor...............

I can't figure out where to connect the case speaker wire and the DVD/HD
4-pronged female audio).................................
and the SATA cables that came with the HD and DVD (L-shaped female plug)
don't look like they fit onto the DVD and hard drive.
Thanks again guys.

 

[dennis j]

The case speaker wire will plug in to the mother board usually in the lower right hand corner there will be a bunch of small pins all to gather. You will have to look either on the mother board or in documentation for the proper pins.

The 4-pronged audio will plug in to either the sound card or if the sound card is built in to the mother board there will be a plug on the mother board.

 

[dennis j]

Is your hard drive a SATA or IDE?

 

[Shovelhead]

I ordered SATA...........

it came with SATA plugs.............but they don't fit the HD..........
I'm assuming that IDE is the ribbons????
I have it connected with ribbons.
I guess I better buy a sound card. It's a work machine so I had ne need for sound....thought I coulg just go to the motherboard....still learning.

 

[JMDigital]

ok.. If you did not get a book with that board you can get a PDF of it here.. ftp://download.intel.com/design/motherbd/sn/D1407301US.pdf

As for the SERIAL ATA connectors - you are saying you cant get them in your CD ROM or HARD DRIVE. As far as I know there are not alot of SERIAL ATA CD ROMS out there, Did you purchase a new CD Rom and hard drive? If not your old drives are most likely not SERIAL ATA. you will have to use the 1 paralell ATA hard drive interface for the older drives.

 

[Shovelhead]

Here's what I've got..................

:

 

[Shovelhead]

Also...

I have a RAM stick in DIMM 1 and DIMM 2....should they be on the same DIMM??? :Oops:

 

[dennis j]

Some mother boards come with built in sound cards.

 

[jayhawksigns]

My suggestion is to take out everything but the processor, video card, and 1 stick of ram. Try booting it then, because you should at least get the bios load screen with all of that hooked up, if that doesn't work, try swapping out the ram sticks.

 

[Shovelhead]

Prior to my ADD meds.................

this thing would have a bullet hole in it by now.
But it's coming along..........I've deciphered that it has a built in sound card
and all of my extraneous cables and power wires are for other drives etc.
I will try the one stick of RAM advice and post my results.
I really do appreciate all of the assistance.

 

[dennis j]

The Ram should be the same size and if there are 4 slots for Ram the Mother Board documentation should tell you which slots to use.

 

[jayhawksigns]

This will not effect the booting of the computer into bios, but I would highly recommend putting the CD and hard drive on different ide ribbons, as well as seperate power cables if there are enough.

One more question, was the motherboard mounted in the case when you received it??

 

[Shovelhead]

I had to..............

This will not effect the booting of the computer into bios, but I would highly recommend putting the CD and hard drive on different ide ribbons, as well as seperate power cables if there are enough.

One more question, was the motherboard mounted in the case when you received it??

put everything together myself..................
I'm not getting a BEEP at boot-up....I think that's half om my problem.

 

[Shovelhead]

DVD/HD power.............................

"but I would highly recommend putting the CD and hard drive on different ide ribbons, as well as seperate power cables if there are enough."

What is the advantage to that????

 

[jayhawksigns]

Can you take a picture showing the motherboard in the case, maybe you missed a connection that someone can see.

Any question I ask is because I don't know how much you know about computers, but did you get all of the standoffs properly placed for mounting the motherboard??

I like putting hard drives seperate of other devices, especially fans, so that they are not directly effected by the other devices. It was something I was thought long ago, and I don't know if it really makes a difference, but it doesn't hurt. The idea is that with fans for instance, the are not built to the same standards has hard drives and may cause fluctuations in the power supplied through that cable. If a fluctuation would occur for some reason, it could be enough to cause the hard drive to write a file improperly, and it would probably end up being the file you just first hours finishing.

 

[Shovelhead]

I'll take a pic of the MOBO.................

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