No POST no Display. 1

[TopHat2]

CPU= Athlon 1GB
Motherboard=Gigabyte GA-71IXE4
RAM=128MB PC133 SDRAM
Display card=nVIDIA Geforce2 MX (AGP)
PSU=300W Power Master KC300 ATX

I have just assembled the above new system.

The PC fails to boot, no POST beep, and no display. There is power to the M/B because the CPU fan works.

What I have tried:
1.Checked jumper and dip switch settings (buss frequency 100MHz, clear CMOS disabled, flash Rom write protect disabled).
2. Disconnected all external devices except display card (e.g. HDD, FDD).
3. Changed RAM for a stick of known working128 PC100.
4. Changed display card for a known working PCI card.
5. Checked for possible short under M/B (number of standoff’s = screws in m/b).
6 Checked that M/B power connecter is seated and locked.
7. Cleared CMOS.
8. Changed the PSU (145W was the only spare one I had).

Q: any suggestions, is there anything else I can try apart from changing the CPU?

I don’t want to take the CPU out if I can help it, as that would wreck the heat compound pad on the cooler, and I would have to borrow a CPU from somewhere.

 

[RedHairedHat]

It's the memory, you must have PC100 SD-ram!

 

[TopHat2]

I have tried two different PC100 DIMM’s (I assume they are SDRAM, but don’t know how to check this). The PC still won’t POST.

 

[ChrisBurch]

If the PSU fan is spinning you can remove shorts as a reason, and it also means that you are getting a valid 'power good' signal back from the M/B. I had the same symptoms on a machine, that turned out to be display card not seating properly (AGP). I suggest that you remove all other PCI cards, and try video card in each socket. Chris

It worked yesterday.
It doesn't work today.
That's Windows!

 

[TopHat2]

I have checked the AGP seating + tried a known working PCI display card (on it's own), at the moment the AGP card is the only device atached, and I have one strip of PC100 RAM in the board.

 

[TopHat2]

UPDATE:
I have changed the 1GHz Athlon for a 850 Duron CPU, the machine now works.

This would seem to suggest either;
1. The 1GHz CPU is stuffed.
2. The motherboard does not support 1GHz CPU.
3. The BIOS flash version does not support 1GHz CPU.

The Gigabyte support pages say that the board is 1GHz “ready”, as apposed to “OK” for 950MHz and below. I am not sure what the distinction is between “ready” and “OK”, and the only explanation on the page is “OK: Test OK! / Ready: BIOS ready!” which makes things as clear as mud.

Does anyone have experience of running an Athlon 1GHz on a Gigatyte GA-7IEX4 board? Does anyone know if it should work?

 

[JohnS9051]

The reference to 1GHz: Ready - means that the BIOS supports a 1GHz processor which was not yet available when the information was published.
Try reseating the processor. If it still does not make any attempt to power on, then I suspect the processor is bad.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

John

 

[Guest_imported]

The GA-7IXE4 does support 1GHz and above. A 145W PSU is insufficient to correctly drive this board. You might also need a BIOS upgrade, or maybe the CPU is just plain duff. PC133 memory is just fine on this board.

ROGER - GØAOZ.

 

[TopHat2]

Thanks JohnS and GOAOZ, that just about answers all my questions.

 

[TopHat2]

PROBLEM RESOLVED!

It turned out to be a bad CPU. This is the first time I have ever experienced the total failure of a new CPU, (I've seen a couple of them fried for want of a cooler).

Thanks to everyone fore the help and advice.