javaboju@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi Rod,
>
> I have the exact same symptons as Alex, with the exception of not
> having had the computer boot up at all.
> I tried removing the motherboard from the case, but I am still unable
> to power up.
> All I have in the board is the CPU and the RAM.
> It is the same ABIT NF8-v2 Motherboard, my second one, I RMA'ed the
> first one for the same problem.
> The power supply is an ANTEC SP500 model, brand new.

> The first board powered up but wouldn't display anything on my
> monitor, so, thinking it was the video card, I removed the card and
> reseated it, then it wouldn't power up at all.
>
> So I RMAed the board back to ABIT, but when I put the new one in it
> won't power up at all, with just the CPU and RAM.

> Comes on for about a second then powers down.

Thats usually a symptom of the heatsink and fan not properly installed on the cpu.

It stays on long enough to see the cpu overheating and then shuts down.

> Could this be an issue with the power supply?

Yes, its certainly possible to have a flakey brand new power supply.


> Rod Speed wrote:
>> AlexBohner <alexbohner@yahoo.com> wrote
>>
>>> I followed your steps exactly, and while I can't confirm
>>> the original problem, everything started working perfectly
>>> once I pulled the motherboard out of the case!
>>
>> If you didnt find a loose screw etc in the case after you
>> removed the motherboard, thats usually due to the use
>> of metal hex studs to mount the motherboard, with a
>> a motherboard that doesnt have proper solder lands
>> around the mounting holes. The top of the metal stud
>> can cut thru the solder mask and short at that point.
>>
>> The fix is to use plastic standoffs with the holes that dont
>> have a proper large solder land around the mounting hole.
>>
>>> Thanks for taking the time to write up such detailed
>>> troubleshooting steps. Not only did it help resolve this
>>> problem, but the general understanding it provided will
>>> undoubtledly assist in future troubleshooting as well.
>>
>> Thanks for the washup, too rare in my opinion.
>>
>>> This is a great thread to keep handy!
>>
>>> Many thanks!
>>> Alex
>>
>> You're welcome.
>>
>>
>>> Rod Speed wrote:
>>>> AlexBohner <alexbohner@yahoo.com> wrote
>>>>
>>>>> I have run into a problem which I just can't figure out,
>>>>> hopefully someone out there has an easy answer for me.
>>>>
>>>>> Several months ago I built an ABit/Sempron system, everything
>>>>> was working fine until last night when I pulled a 1394 PCI card
>>>>> from the last slot on the board, now it won't power on.
>>>>> Correction, when I attempt to power on the fans start spinning
>>>>> for a fraction of a second, then everything just shuts off.
>>>>
>>>> Such a short run of the fans usually means that the power
>>>> supply is seeing a load it doesnt like when it starts.
>>>>
>>>>> Immediately pressing the power button again does nothing,
>>>>
>>>> Because the power supply has decided that its seeing an
>>>> unacceptible load.
>>>>
>>>>> but resetting the power on the power supply allows me
>>>>> to press the front power again, but with the same results.
>>>>
>>>>> I have reseated everything in the box, cleared the CMOS,
>>>>> even tried reinserting the 1394 card, all to no avail. Does
>>>>> anyone have any idea what may be happening here?
>>>>
>>>> The three main possibilitys are that you have removed something
>>>> in the process of getting the 1394 card out and didnt replace it
>>>> where it was originally, you've got a short to case now that was
>>>> produced by the process of removing the 1394 card, and that the
>>>> power supply or motherboard has just chosen to fail now and that
>>>> the 1394 card removal is a coincidence.
>>>>
>>>> If you didnt do anything except remove the 1394 card, didnt
>>>> unplug anything so you could remove it, a short is most likely.
>>>> You sure you didnt drop a screw from the 1394 card bracket
>>>> and didnt bother to try to get it out etc ? If you cant easily try
>>>> a different power supply, it would be worth running the
>>>> motherboard loose on the desktop. Thats the best test of a short
>>>> to case and you might find a loose screw in the process that has
>>>> been there all this time and got moved by the 1394 card removal
>>>> etc.
>>>>
>>>> If running it loose on the desktop doesnt help, try unplugging
>>>> everything you can from the motherboard excep the cpu.
>>>> See if it will power up in that state and beep complaining
>>>> about the lack of ram etc.
>>>>
>>>> If that doesnt help, it would be best to try another power supply
>>>> even if you have to buy one if there is no evidence of bad caps
>>>> on the motherboard. The caps are the usually blue or black
>>>> plastic covered post like things that stick up vertically from
>>>> the motherboard surface. The tops should be flat and if any have
>>>> bulged or have leaked, thats a bad cap and likely the problem.
>>>>
>>>> Its very unlikely to be a dead cpu if you havent overclocked it
>>>> and even then, that usually doesnt produce those symptoms.
>>>>
>>>>> Any thoughts or suggestions to point me in
>>>>> the right direction will be greatly appreciated.
>>>>
>>>>> Machine Specs:
>>>>> ABIT NF8-v2 Motherboard
>>>>> AMD Sempron 64 3400+ Palermo 2.0GHz
>>>>> 2x 1GB OCZ PC3200 Platinum Edition RAM (2 GB total)
>>>>> Radeon 9800 SE 128MB Video Card
>>>>> 100GB Seagate 7200rpm PATA Hard Disk
>>>>> Thermaltake TR2-430W Power Supply