Many problems with first build...

[imported_Tango]

Here we go, I am starting my first build and already facing problems due to my extreme noob-ness.

I have a DFI lanparty Ultra-D, Opteron 170 CPU, Zalman 9500 HS and Enermax 500 Liberty PSU.

I mounted two Dimm of Ram, mounted the CPU, applied Silver5 thermal paste and then mounted the CPU. Everything should be fine till here. I inserted the Motherboard in the Case (a TT Armor) and started to connect the power cables:

1st problem: I read the MB should be connected with 4 cables: the big 24 pin, the smaller 4 pin sitting on its right, a molex and an FDD one. The big bunch of sleeved cables coming out of my PSU provide the big 24 pin, and a another plug made of two 4-pins plugs. I have to use only half of this one. Also there's a small plug supposed to communicate to the MB the situation of the PSU fan speed for sacurity reasons. I cannot locate any slot for this thing on the Motherboard.

How do I connect the Molex and the FDD plugs? Should I use another PSU cable?


I connected the case front panel plugs (power, reset, LED etc) and also the IDE cables going to the DVD and DVD-RW. I installed the Karajan module on the motherboard.
At this point I was following a guide I found on DFI-Street and tried to boot to see if it works.

Result: the PSU turns on, the Heatsink fan spins and some leds on the motherboards turn red. After a few seconds those leds start turning off and then an alarm sounds and the system turns off. Is it normal? Is it because no video card is in the system? Is it because I should find a way to connect the Molex and FDD cables?

 

[ShadowBlade]

I thought all opterons were socket 940, where the lanparty is a socket 939 board

EDIT: I was wrong.

But the only power cables you connect to your motherboard is the 20/24 pin one, the 4 pin (2x2), and some chipset cooler fans require an additional 4 pin molex

FDD does not connect to the motherboard at all

Yes, the beep codes probably is from no video card. Get a cheap one for now if you dont have a spare lying around

 

[Wentelteefje]

Yep, only the 24-pin, the four-pin and a spare Molex connector...

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: ShadowBlade
I thought all opterons were socket 940, where the lanparty is a socket 939 board

EDIT: I was wrong.

But the only power cables you connect to your motherboard is the 20/24 pin one, the 4 pin (2x2), and some chipset cooler fans require an additional 4 pin molex

FDD does not connect to the motherboard at all

Yes, the beep codes probably is from no video card. Get a cheap one for now if you dont have a spare lying around

Thanks to the fastest AT expert to reply! I have a video card, I am just trying to do everything very slow because I am the ultimate noob.

Also, I see the case fasn have 2 molex connectors: male an female... do I need to connect both to the PSU or only one?

 

[WebDude]

To boot, you need mb, cpu, memory, keyboard and video card (and of course power supply). Without a video card the system will probably do what yours did, beep and shut down. You don't need an optical drive or hard drive just to get into the basic bios. But you'll need these pretty quick, unless all you want to do is navigate the bios (that gets boring real quick).

As for the power connections, all you really need is the main 24 pin and the 4 pin. If you read the UltraD manual, you'll see that the additional molex and FDD power connector on the mb are only needed if you have mega draw from a video card. With most cards you don't need them. Just plug in a video card (and keyboard if you haven't already) and you should be good to boot.

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: WebDude
To boot, you need mb, cpu, memory, keyboard and video card (and of course power supply). Without a video card the system will probably do what yours did, beep and shut down. You don't need an optical drive or hard drive just to get into the basic bios. But you'll need these pretty quick, unless all you want to do is navigate the bios (that gets boring real quick).

As for the power connections, all you really need is the main 24 pin and the 4 pin. If you read the UltraD manual, you'll see that the additional molex and FDD power connector on the mb are only needed if you have mega draw from a video card. With most cards you don't need them. Just plug in a video card (and keyboard if you haven't already) and you should be good to boot.

Guys, you don't know how much I love you all...

This is my first build and I am kinda scared to do some stupid thing... so many cables running around the case... lol

So.. what if the keyboard comes with drivers? Should it work anyway as far as enetering the bios?

 

[zagood]

Don't forget to plug the power supply into the video card (if your card requires that). Going good so far! Since you're putting it together for the first time, think about cable management. Once you plug in the video card and get it to boot to BIOS, shut it down and start hiding the cables you've already attached, and when you install new pieces hide those as well.

Here's a good beginner's guide to assembling a PC...also a good troubleshooting page at the end.

-z

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: zagood
Don't forget to plug the power supply into the video card (if your card requires that). Going good so far! Since you're putting it together for the first time, think about cable management. Once you plug in the video card and get it to boot to BIOS, shut it down and start hiding the cables you've already attached, and when you install new pieces hide those as well.

Here's a good beginner's guide to assembling a PC...also a good troubleshooting page at the end.

-z

Ok.. pu it the video card, connected it to the monitor via DVI, plugged in the PS/2 and tried to boot... and... nothing, same thing. after some seconds it goes BIP and then turns off...

 

[Wentelteefje]

Doesn't your manual have a troubleshooting section...? They might explain the beep code...

Always heard that DFI's are picky about the RAM... Yours maybe incompatible... Try one stick...

PS/2 keyboard will be fine, even if it needs drivers for Windows...

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje
Doesn't your manual have a troubleshooting section...? They might explain the beep code...

Always heard that DFI's are picky about the RAM... Yours maybe incompatible... Try one stick...

the motherboard has 4 LEDs.. right now it goes "system start up", then "CPU detected" then RAM detected, then VGA detected, then it goes OFF. The last LED would be "system boot up".

The ram is OCZ 3200 platinum that many people on the forum are using as well...

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje
Doesn't your manual have a troubleshooting section...? They might explain the beep code...

Always heard that DFI's are picky about the RAM... Yours maybe incompatible... Try one stick...

PS/2 keyboard will be fine, even if it needs drivers for Windows...

Or maybe a dead slot? Try each stick in each slot...

 

[Wentelteefje]

Hmm, it's starting to get difficult... The leds can tell, but what about the beep...? Long? Short? The usual beep of a comp booting? There may be some explanation based on the beep perhaps...

Are all the fans spinning?

Are all the cables well connected to your PSU? It's modular...

BTW nice RAM

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: potato28

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje
Doesn't your manual have a troubleshooting section...? They might explain the beep code...

Always heard that DFI's are picky about the RAM... Yours maybe incompatible... Try one stick...

PS/2 keyboard will be fine, even if it needs drivers for Windows...

Or maybe a dead slot? Try each stick in each slot...

Nope.. tries every possible combination of the Dimms in the two slots... and also single stick..
It actually turns off faster...

 

[Mogadon]

You did connect one of the PSU molex connectors to the video card right? (the molex connectors are the same ones you plug into the optical drives).

You're RAM should be fine for this board unless you have got some bad sticks, it happens sometimes.

Make sure you have the RAM in the two slots with the same colors.

First try using both sticks of RAM in the two RAM slots that you are NOT using now.

If that doesn't help try a single stick of RAM in each slot. If that doesn't work try the other stick of RAM in each slot.

For now you can just leave the side of the case off while you're getting setup so getting the case fans powered up is not totally important.


edit - just read your last post, i bolded the important part.

 

[Wentelteefje]

Aren't there any jumpers that have been set wrong...? Check them all...

EDIT: Doesn't know if that matters, but maybe your battery's empty...?

No broken capacitors...?

 

[Mogadon]

Just to check.

You applied the artic silver following these instructions right?

Your CPU fan is definitely spinning?

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje
Hmm, it's starting to get difficult... The leds can tell, but what about the beep...? Long? Short? The usual beep of a comp booting? There may be some explanation based on the beep perhaps...

Are all the fans spinning?

Are all the cables well connected to your PSU? It's modular...

BTW nice RAM

Ok. The PSU is connected to the Motherboard with the 24 pin and 4 pin cables. It's the large non deteacheble sleeved bunch of cables From the bunch of cables I am not using a 4 pin plug and a very small plug that is supposed to communicate the PSU fan speed to the motherboard. The fist plug is not to be used, the second one is unplugged because I can't find if my mobo has the right connection.

Also the PSU is connected to the motherboard with another cable (modular) that gosn into the molex connector near the heatsink. It is supposed to give more power to the Mobo, but the system should work anyway.

Finally, i have modular cable running from my PSU to the videocard. With my PSU the PCI-E cables are different from the others, so there should be no problem here.

I turn on the PSU and some yellow light turn on in the mobo. Then I turn on the system and four red leds turn on. After a couple of seconds I hear a short beeep and the system turns off. Actually the PSU fan is still spinning, but the heatsink fan and Motherboard fan stop working.

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje
Aren't there any jumpers that have been set wrong...? Check them all...

EDIT: Doesn't know if that matters, but maybe your battery's empty...?

No broken capacitors...?

For the jumpers... I only changed two: speaker ON, and S/PDIF out via NF4...

The battery could be empty? I mean.. the Mobo is brand new...

I don't know about the capacitators... I just took the Mobo out of the box and installed it.. so I haven't broken anything...

 

[Wentelteefje]

Suppose you don't have another PSU to test with...?

Don't know it it'd work, but try clearing the CMOS, or removing (replacing) the battery...

The battery could surely be empty... there was a time that ASUS mainboards had it... every one had to be replaced...

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: Mogadon
Just to check.

You applied the artic silver following these instructions right?

Your CPU fan is definitely spinning?

Yes, I followed the Artic5 instructions: just a drop in the middle of the CPU. The Zalman is spinning...

I have plugged the case front panel plugs, like power on, reset etc etc... should I try without them?

EDIT: Actually only my heatsink fan turns off, the mobo fan goes on spinning even after the beep, as does the PSU fan...

 

[Wentelteefje]

Bad grounded mobo...? If it's sitting in its case, try reseating it or get it out and try it on a table...

 

[Wentelteefje]

You did read good I see, there needs to be a floppy connector plugged in...

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: Wentelteefje
You did read good I see, there needs to be a floppy connector plugged in...

How so?

 

[Mogadon]

Have you unplugged the optical drive and hard drive?

The only things you should have installed are the CPU and heatsink, memory and video card with all power cables and front panel cables connected.

edit - with keyboard, monitor and power cables connected of course ...


According to Wentelteeje you may need to have a floppy drive connected as well though i don't see why this would be case.

 

[imported_Tango]

Originally posted by: Mogadon
Have you unplugged the optical drive and hard drive?

The only things you should have installed are the CPU and heatsink, memory and video card with all power cables and front panel cables connected.


According to Wentelteeje you may need to have a floppy drive connected as well though i don't see why this would be case.

Thanks.. this is my situation now... CPU, Heatsink, memory and video connected to the mobo. I tried with both the front panel cables connected and not connected.

After a few seconds the CPU fan is turned off and the mobo beeps... the PSU and motherboard fans are still on after this happens...