That new build you helped me put together... Won't BOOT!

[Zeze]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2407457&highlight=

Thanks for all your help so far. So I've finally assembled together and......... the system won't boot.

When I press the power button, the system literally stays on for 0.5 second. The CPU & chassis fan spin for 0.5 seconds then dies.

No signal to video, no POST sound (do they still make beep codes in 2014?), nothing.

So I started to subtract parts and kept trying. No luck. It was stripped down to bare essentials below:

* AC cable into powersupply
* Powersupply cable into the motherboard
* The mother board is taken OUTSIDE of the case and resting on a cardboard box to eliminate grounding as the issue.
* The case POWER_SW pin connected to the mobo.
* DDR RAM & CPU (and CPU fan)
* Nothing else, not even video is hooked up (well it's onboard anyway).

Still same symptom... no sound or even a noise... just the fans & power 'on' light perk up for 0.5 second then it's off.

What's the problem here?

 

[mikemcc]

You might try a CMOS clear. To do that, see your motherboard manual. There will either be a jumper or a button to press. Follow the instructions in the manual to do the CMOS clear and then try to power up. Let us know what happens.

 

[Blain]

Have you tried a known good PS?

Your parts picker links show you ordered 4 DIMMs, but the MB listed only has two slots... What's the deal?

 

[Zorander]

Have you plugged in both power and aux 12v cables to the motherboard?

Tried a different PSU?

Also try plugging your fans to different headers and don't daisy chain them to a single header.

Also, it's unlikely the culprit but worth checking that your bios accepts Haswell chips, which from reading has to be F7 minimum.

Let us know how you go.

 

[mfenn]

Have you plugged in both power and aux 12v cables to the motherboard?

Tried a different PSU?

Also try plugging your fans to different headers and don't daisy chain them to a single header.

Also, it's unlikely the culprit but worth checking that your bios accepts Haswell chips, which from reading has to be F7 minimum.

Let us know how you go.

All of these are good ideas, but I'm betting it's the first one based on the symptoms and the mention of "Powersupply cable [singular] into the motherboard".

 

[meeshu]

As suggested in previous posts, reset CMOS, and confirm all power cables are properly seated within the motherboard.

The PSU that comes with the case is most likely to be of relatively low quality compared to third party stand alone units. So it is possible that this PSU is faulty.

Again as suggested in previous posts swap out the case PSU with another known working PSU. That will either confirm or eliminate the case PSU as being faulty.

 

[Termie]

90% chance you have a RAM stick that isn't fully inserted.

 

[Essence_of_War]

All of these are good ideas, but I'm betting it's the first one based on the symptoms and the mention of "Powersupply cable [singular] into the motherboard".

My money is on this also.

I've had two friends in the last year do their first build, call me when it wouldn't post, only to find they forgot to plug in the aux CPU power connector.

 

[SKORPI0]

All of these are good ideas, but I'm betting it's the first one based on the symptoms and the mention of "Power supply cable [singular] into the motherboard".

Correct, don't forget to plug in 4-pin power to the ATX_12V located near the Keyboard/Mouse port.

 

[Ketchup]

It does sound like there is a power delivery/power short problem somewhere. If all power connectors are connected you may want to try a different power supply, if you can.

If you still don't get anywhere, look at the bottom LH corner of the board (near the PCIE slots) and tell us when revision the board is.

 

[Charlie98]

If you still don't get anywhere, look at the bottom LH corner of the board (near the PCIE slots) and tell us when revision the board is.

The H81M-H is still on Rev 1.0, I don't think they have an updated version.

Definitely check to make sure both the power plugs are fully seated... I had the same problem with an ASRock board last year, the 24-pin plug would not seat all the way into the socket.

OP, Once you get it up and running, check your BIOS version... you will need F8 if you want to OC the G3258. Understand, too, that board isn't probably going to OC that chip very well... just speaking from experience. I don't think it can deliver power across the board very well (in an OC situation, the Vrin is capped at 1.7v).... NM, I just saw you didn't get a G3258.

 

[Phaetos]

My money is on this also.

I've had two friends in the last year do their first build, call me when it wouldn't post, only to find they forgot to plug in the aux CPU power connector.

Same here. Had this issue when I put my 1st PC together a few months ago after having not built one in almost a decade. Figured out I was missing a 2nd power cable to the mobo.

 

[Zeze]

Update.

So I took the battery out and cleared CMOS.

I also put in the ATX_12 cable in...(yes I missed this, although my last system didn't require it). However, the powersupply only came with a 6-pin (not 4), it's the only one colored blue, rest are white. I just put it in anyway leaving the right 2 pins empty.

Now it won't even turn on. Absolutely nothing, just completely dead. Zero response to the power button.

It won't turn on at all with zero my initial config (prior to CMOS clear & without CPU ATX power).

W.T.F?

The PSU is Rosewill APS-450CCP

 

[Chapbass]

That doesn't sound right on the 6 pin there, zeze.

From newegg:
1 x Main connector (20+4Pin)
1 x 12V (P4) <---- This is the one you want right here
1 x 12V (8Pin)
2 x peripheral Quick release connectors
4 x SATA
1 x Floppy
1 x PCI-E <--- This could be 6 pin, its for a video card.


Looking at the pictures, I see the 20+4 pin (big connector with the attached green see-threw connector), then I see a 4 pin (should be black and yellow cables), I also see a 6 pin and an 8 pin. I'd double check that.

 

[Chapbass]

Should look kinda like this guy:

http://www.cpustuff.com/images/P/4_pin_molex_4.jpg

 

[Zorander]

Are you sure you did not plug in the 6-pin PCI-e power connector instead?

Looking at the PSU product spec, there should definitely be a 12V AUX connector you can plug into the motherboard.

p.s. I have never compared but I would assume you cannot plug in the PCI-e power connector in place of the 12V AUX one.

 

[Smoove910]

Update.

The PSU is Rosewill APS-450CCP

This could be the problem all by itself. I don't consider Rosewill anything special... just a cheap power supply.


Also, on a side thought, you may want to double check the orientation of the power/reset/hdd wires from your case that plug into the motherboard. If the power wire is 180 degrees out, it'll cause the same problem as you are experiencing.

 

[Chapbass]

This could be the problem all by itself. I don't consider Rosewill anything special... just a cheap power supply.


Also, on a side thought, you may want to double check the orientation of the power/reset/hdd wires from your case that plug into the motherboard. If the power wire is 180 degrees out, it'll cause the same problem as you are experiencing.

While Rosewill does in fact make some excellent power supplies, I'm not sure about this one specifically. (as an example, the capstone 750) http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=266

 

[MongGrel]

Redatch

 

[meeshu]

Rosewill make PSU's with a variety of quality. Some of them are of very good quality, and some are not so good quality.

There are seven retail 450W models of Rosewill PSU's. However, the Rosewill APS-450CCP PSU is believed to be for OEM only (for inclusion with cases). It is not available as a retail unit.

As it is an OEM unit, there is no specification publicly available, so it can't be confirmed as to what connectors are available with this unit.

A known working PSU with a 4 pin auxiliary connector for the CPU on the motherboard should be used.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Here's a screencap of the photo of the power supply on Newegg.

 

[Essence_of_War]

p.s. I have never compared but I would assume you cannot plug in the PCI-e power connector in place of the 12V AUX one.

You probably SHOULD NOT be able to, but it's curious that you mention this because in jonnyguru's latest reviews:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&file=print&reid=404

Next. Positives from Jan B, and Anonymous, but they look odd to me. Beware of the colors? Wrong labeling on the modular connectors? CPU cable can be plugged into the PCI-E connectors? Ok, that sounds like a big one. Let me just get the modular cables over here, and HOLY SMOKES THEY'RE RIGHT! You can plug the PCI-E cables into the CPU jack, and vice versa. And that is not good, because they are not electrically compatible. That's definitely a scrabble issue to me. Thanks for pointing that out, guys. And for being reasonable in not immediately assuming Thermaltake's out to get you. Always good to see logic and reason employed in online reviews of things.

Ok, one last review. Mark M. He's again finding the same issue with the modular cables, and saying Thermaltake's not communicating with him very well. In his case, he alleges he actually got one with the wrong color coding on the CPU and PCI-E cables. Well... they're listening now because I'm definitely scoring on that connector interchangeability issue. The color coding is a secondary problem... I mean, if you can read you can see on the modular panel itself which connector does what. I'm much more concerned about the electrical side of this.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Yeah, looking at the connectors, it definitely looks like it's possible to plug the PCIE power connector into the 4-pin ATX jack. But if I'm reading this diagram correctly, the 12V and ground would be on all the wrong pins.

 

[Essence_of_War]

If you're able to do that, I really don't think you're supposed to. Those two slots should be physically and (as you've pointed out) electrically incompatible. If you look at the socket diagrams, it looks like the catch to lock the cables in place shouldn't line up. Maybe if you do something REALLY wild like plug the middle 4 pins of the 8pin pcie connector into the ATX_12V slot...

 

[Charlie98]

Uh, oh....