"no signal"...ugh

[michaelmyers054]

I hope someone can help. I purchased a "kit" from a reputable online computer retailer, Abit LG95z socket 775 mobo, intel celeron d 420 1.6g cpu, 450w ATX power supply, 2 gig DDR2 memory, case, and fan. I'm using a WD 80 gig HD, and a dvd rom, with a 19" Norcent flat screen. Everything is brand new except the dvd rom. When I put it all together, hooked all up, before I even hit the power button on the computer, the monitor says "no signal". That didn't look too good. When I try to turn it on, all lights up, hard drive starts to turn, dvd lights up, fan running, but still "no signal". I reset the cmos using the jumper, but still no signal. I checked the thermal paste, making sure that I put it on, and not too much, just enough, still no signal. I hooked up the monitor to another computer and got better results, so I can't believe thats the problem. Tried another monitor on the computer and still no signal. My gut instinct says I have a bad mobo...any other ideas?

Thanks

MichaelMyersLives (halloween fan)

 

[acacia666avenue]

The motherboard has onboard video im assuming? If you are, the mobo is most likely bad. I would purchase a mobo without onboard video and then just buy a video card that meets your needs.

 

[pdyckman@comcas]

Your monitor will say "no signal" every time that you turn it on. That's normal. Until it gets signal from the PC. Can you borrow a video card from someone that will fit in one of the slots that you have? Give that a try. Windows came pre-installed on the hardisk? You should also try one ram module @ a time, then other ram altogether. The cable from your hardisk is new?

 

[michaelmyers054]

Actually, I thought mobo also, but the guys at ABIT helped me out alot, since it was an ABIT board. The online retailer that I purchased the "kit" from has been known for selling parts that don't match. In my case, the processor that was sold to me in the kit wouldn't work with that mobo. Of course I didn't find this out until I wasted more time and shipping for a new mobo from them to replace what I thought was a bad one. Also, the power supply that came in this kit wasn't powerful enough for the system either. I returned all for credit, and am going back to my own building with purchasing my own separate parts. I have learned my lesson, not to buy a "kit" from them again.

 

[nickc]

well good for u and glad u learned something.

 

[acacia666avenue]

nice. at least you figured out what was wrong.

 

[almcneil]

Actually, I thought mobo also, but the guys at ABIT helped me out alot, since it was an ABIT board. The online retailer that I purchased the "kit" from has been known for selling parts that don't match. In my case, the processor that was sold to me in the kit wouldn't work with that mobo. Of course I didn't find this out until I wasted more time and shipping for a new mobo from them to replace what I thought was a bad one. Also, the power supply that came in this kit wasn't powerful enough for the system either. I returned all for credit, and am going back to my own building with purchasing my own separate parts. I have learned my lesson, not to buy a "kit" from them again.

As maddening as the experience has been, it's not all that unusual!

Although someone runs a business, that doens't mean they know what they're doing! It seems strange at first but it does happen. First, I'll give you my experience. After I worked for Dell but before I started my own PC servicing business, I did help friends and family with PC problems. My step-father's computer had some problem once and I performed an XP repair installation. But then it was seriously messed up and I then realized that his installation CD was for XP SP1 but he had upgraded to SP2. I called the local store where he bought the system and talked to the tech named Chris. I explained my mistake and asked if I could borrow an XP SP2 CD to do the repair again. He told me I didn't need to, just download/install SP2 and it'll work. Well, I'm a tech and that's incorrect. I did a REPAIR, not a re-installation. Chris insisted that installing SP2 would do it. I tried it and the installation failed. I then called him back, explained it failed and that I needed an XP SP2 installation CD to do another repair. He refused saying there was licensing issues. That's wrong! The Product Key ensure that the copy is legitimate. So I'm using another CD, it's still the same installation. I'm not making a copy. Chris said flat out no. I knew then he was an *****. I went to a friend' store, he loaned me a copy of XP SP2, did the repair installation and VOILA!! Everything worked just as I predicted! End of story is that guy Chris is an ***** for a computer tech. We had another bad experience with that guy so we stopped using that store. I then started my own business. Since then I have heard complaints from customers that Chris is an ***** and couldn't fix their problems. Makes you wonder how they stay in business.

In a more general sense, it doens't matter the line of work, there are good and bad in every one. You name it, doctors, cops, lawyers, teachers, ... A few are outstanding, a few awful and the rest are scattered somewhere in between. I used to be a high tech engineer and can attest to that! At one small startup company, I had 10 years experience and was hired as the senior embedded system engineer. Two months later we hired another senior engineer who had 12 years experience. Meanwhile, I had a coworker with one of those one year tech college diplomas (you see those ads on TV for them) Guess which came to me routinely complaining something wasn't working and wanted to know how to fix it? Then guess who came to me once in a long while with a really GOOD question and was obviously figuring out a lot on his own!! It proves that it's really the person that makes the difference, not the level of eduacation or years of experience or where they worked before or even what they do. The person is the biggest factor. Some just have natural knack for what they do, other are clueless. The rest are in between.