New System, Power Fault, Fast "ringing" beeps 1

[TinWeasle]

While I've scanned back in the forums and have seen a lot about a long, continuous beep on powerup, I can't find any suggestions about a series (lots more than 8 or 10) of short beeps, sounding like an electronic telephone ringer.
This is my problem: I just built a new system, but it will not power up, giving me the fast ringing beeps instead. THe fans spin up, the motherboard LEDs come on, but the case LED does not. Only way to unpower is to use the switch on the PSU. I brought it to a shop so it could be tested (I don't have swappable RAM or CPU or PSU)and they took it down to MB and PSU, swapped all components, and still got the error. I got a new MB through RMA, and rebuilt. Still does the same silly thing. Here is the hardware list:
CASE EMAX|CS-517AL-B BK ATX U2F
ANTEC TRUE480 ATX POWER SUPPLY
Gigabyte GA-8KNXP (INTEL) Motherboard
CPU P4/3.0CGHz 800M 478P/512K HT (with HeatSink/Fan)
Corsair XMS, DDR400(Twin Pack) 1GB(2x512MB), Model# TWINX1024...
HD 120GB|WD 7200 WD1200JD 8MB SATA (x2)
VGA XFX|GeForce FX5900 256MB DDR 8X VIVO
SOUND BLASTER|AUDIGY 2 ZS PLATINUM
LG|GSA-4040B DVD+/-/RAM/CDRW
FD 1.44MB|SONY MPF920 Black
USB CARD READER CR I500 BLACK 7IN1 (w/USB Port)

Any and all help would be welcome.

TinWeasle
Avoiding Responsibility since 1984.
Remember, my opinion is only worth the phosphorus it's printed on.

 

[SESaskDFC]

Howdy:

Award BIOS:

Repeating (endless loop):
Memory error:
Check for improperly seated or missing memory.

Murray

 

[TinWeasle]

Memory was one of the things I had the shop swap out with known good sticks. Good thought though. It sure would be easierif I could get to a BIOS error on the monitor, but it won't go that far.

TinWeasle
Avoiding Responsibility since 1960.
Remember, my opinion is only worth the phosphorus it's printed on.

 

[mainegeek]

Hello Tinweasle,
I would have suspected memory as well. Does that mobo require certain memory banks be populated together if paired. ie: banks 1 and 4.

Perhaps faulty video card???

 

[TinWeasle]

I agree, memory was my first suspect.

Yeah, the board has 6 (six) slots, in two banks of three. It wants 1 & 4 populated first, especially to take advantage of hyperthreading. That's where the sticks are. Nice thing is that they are color coded in paired banks, so a foulup is easy to avoid there.

TinWeasle
Avoiding Responsibility since 1960.
Remember, my opinion is only worth the phosphorus it's printed on.

 

[TinWeasle]

I should also have mentioned that we tested both with no vid card and with a different vid card. No joy.

TinWeasle
Avoiding Responsibility since 1960.
Remember, my opinion is only worth the phosphorus it's printed on.

 

[mainegeek]

Perhaps a faulty cpu fan or plugged into the wrong fan header??

Mobo not recieving power good signal?

Case LED wire chaffed/pinched grounding out on chassis?

Mobo grounding out on chassis or brass stand-off where it shouldn't be?

Maybe Raid controller alarm??

 

[Cindy1]

Did you double check the jumpers?
Maybe the cpu fan isn't spinning enough to cool the cpu? We know it's not the board because you've had 2 boards do the same thing. What do you mean by the case lead? Do you mean the hard drive lead? Strip everything down to the bare minimum. The power, cpu, memory, motherboard, and video card. Then try and boot just with that and if that works add devices one by one.
Keep in touch,
Cindy

 

[TinWeasle]

Great suggestions, everyone. You've gotten my brain going again where it was bumping the walls before.

The one thing I did not do was to test outside the case. I am beginning to believe that the board is either shorting somewhere, a brass standoff is carrying current to the aluminum case, or one of the front panel connectors (Power LED, HDD Activity LED, Soft Power, or Reset) is chaffed between the fontpanel and the cages.

I'm going to sleep on it tonight, but I think tomorrow I will rebuild the basic system on the table, and see if I can't get to POST or BIOS.

Thanks again, everyone! I'll let you know what I find out.

TinWeasle
Avoiding Responsibility since 1960.
Remember, my opinion is only worth the phosphorus it's printed on.

 

[1stITMAN]

Reset the bios to? Remove the battery for a while?



Zaheer Ahmed Iqbal
I.T Systems Support Engineer
Bsc. (Hons).

 

[ANFPS26]

Are you connecting that extra power supply connector that P4s require to the MB?
Also, some good info here: faq602-2731

Jim

 

[TinWeasle]

Yes, BIOS has been reset/cleared a number of times, and the little square aux power connector has been in place.

Jim, thanks for the point to the FAQ. I'd missed that one. It confirms what I want to do today: Tearing everything out and breadboarding it.

Again, thanks to everyone for your posts!

TinWeasle
Avoiding Responsibility since 1960.
Remember, my opinion is only worth the phosphorus it's printed on.

 

[TinWeasle]

I've rebuilt the system in the open, and with nothing other than motherboard, cpu and cpu fan (and the system speaker) the beeps continue. I pulled out the processor, and the fans spin up like nothing is wrong... No beeps, no POST, but no power fault error beeps.
It would seem that my local shop either didn't do like they said, which is to replace the cpu during testing the original mother board, or they had a bad cpu themselves.
I can't think of why else pulling the cpu would be the only thing that cures the fast short beeps.
Anyone have other ideas?

TinWeasle
Avoiding Responsibility since 1960.
Remember, my opinion is only worth the phosphorus it's printed on.

 

[micker377]

When you pull the CPU, you kill everything. What error do you get with CPU in - memory out?

 

[TinWeasle]

micker377:
No, no error (I haven't replaced the video card yet, but I don't think it's even getting to POST), just a long series of short fast beeps, almost like an electronic phone ringing. So far, pulling the cpu is all I have found that will stop the beeps. I have been through 2 motherboards, thinking that the first board was bad. With the cpu out, the fans still power up, and the LED indicating the RAM slots are empty lights. They all do that with the cpu in, as well, but the fast beeps are heard and there is no POST or BIOS video.



TinWeasle
Avoiding Responsibility since 1960.
Remember, my opinion is only worth the phosphorus it's printed on.

 

[1stITMAN]

You will need to try trial and error!

Zaheer Ahmed Iqbal
I.T Systems Support Engineer
Bsc. (Hons).

 

[Cindy1]

I wonder if it's the cpu? I had this same thing happen to a customer that had a Sony and they are known to have monitors on their hardware. Were you sure he tested that board with a good cpu?
Cindy

 

[TinWeasle]

Cindy1, I think you are right. In any event, I just RMA'ed the CPU, so in a couple of days I should have the new one and see if that does the trick.

If it does, my "local computer shop" and I are going to discuss the diagnostic charges I paid.

I'll post back here with the results.

Thanks, again, to everyone for their suggestions and insight!



TinWeasle
Avoiding Responsibility since 1960.
Remember, my opinion is only worth the phosphorus it's printed on.

 

[DaveLogsdon]

Did you ever find a solution to this problem? The setup I am putting together is doing the same thing with the continuous beeping. Won't make it to post. Also, the power led on the case just blinks continuously as well.

 

[Lemon13]

some boards are delivered with the clear cmos jp in clear position. check if thats the case.