Brand new computer problem

[whtddusy516]

My friend has a new custom built computer with a KN8-Sli mobo, 3200+ 2.0Ghz Venice, 1Gb Corsair Valueram and a Aspire turbocase 520W powersupply. His computer doesn't start at all, when you turn on the power [on the power supply] all you get is a red light, which I have found no records of on abit or the manual. I'm guessing the problem is something either the Power Supplu [my guess] or the mobo. All of this was gotten at once so we don't know what has worked or what doesn't work and we don't have another computer to test it on so any ideas on this one? haha


Thanks,
Aj

 

[mailpup]

I wouldn't be surprised if the power supply that came the Aspire case was the culprit. The wattage isn't the issue, it's the quality (or lack thereof) of the unit.

That said, I might be confused by the wording of your post but are you trying to turn on the PC using the switch on the back of the power supply instead of the switch on the front panel or did you just mention it because you were testing it? I'm just trying to eliminate the possibility that the front panel switch was hooked up incorrectly and isn't working.

 

[whtddusy516]

Ha yea I know, all of the reveiws on Newegg about this power supply are very discouraging, but he bought it off of the amount of Watts and didnt pay attention to the rest. It actually has 38A on the 12v..so its not terrible, but the quality or lifespan of it might just suck in general. And what I meant was that when i turned on the power supply, the lights turned on, on the motherboard. The diagnostics LED went on with a red, but theres no documentation I could even find on it. And the front switches don't work at all, I took them all out, and put them in again just to make sure he wired it incorrect or something, then I checked the connections to the case themselves and they were fine.

 

[Teaser261]

I'm not familiar with AMD mobo's, but I was looking at this one and my question is, does it require a second power plug for the processor? I see the 20 pin plug, but I also see a 4 pin in the corner and was thinking this could be an easily overlooked problem. Or maybe the front button plugs aren't on the correct pins , as the silk screening on the boards are always so small. Just a thought.

 

[whtddusy516]

Yeah, when he had asked me to help fix his computer those were the first things I asked him, I checked myself and he had the 24 pin connected and the 4 thats kind of just off to the side, and I looked into the manual to check which pins were which.

He has a case with LED in the front, and the weird thing is is that theres two power buttons [one visible and one under the cover that has the Headphone/MIC/USB/Firewire ports under it. For the LED to light up there was a connector that basically you plug the 24pin into it, and it converts to a 20 pin. I was looking to see why exactly it went to 20 but no luck. I was pressing the power switch that was under the LED screen, and I had taken that plug out just because it was a 20 and he had a 24 pin mobo. So maybe it goes through that? Who knows.

This is why having on board power and reset buttons come in handy on my DFI
xD

 

[bradthegreat]

sometimes there is a little voltage switch on the back of the PSUs that is set at 220 and needs to be at 115

 

[whtddusy516]

yep checked that to haha, I think I checked everything possible, cleared the CMOS, took out the battery, removed the graphics card just to see what would happen, unplugged every device and only had the mobo plugged in, removed the processor, checked all the pins.


Found NO problem at all, I'm guessing something is DOA but im just not sure what it is haha

 

[whtddusy516]

Hmm..so we fixed the problem. Or at least got further, but it turned out the light had nothing to do with the problem. I guess my thought on the case was right, he did the old cardboard and screwdriver trick and it started up fine.


Goes to show, buy cheap get cheap haha.

 

[whtddusy516]

Ugh, seems like he left out a small detail.
So we got the case working, and the mobo working.

Now, his video card [XFX 6800XT PCI-E] won't work, or so were guessing.
He said he checked if it was in single card mode [I think I had mentioned he removed all of his jumpers because he thought they were "caps", this is why I don't trust this kid with a new computer lol] and it was, he cleared his CMOS just in case, and nothing.

He DOES get a signal, but thats about the extent of it. And no beeps.


Suggestions?
Thanks