System Won't Power-Up When ATX12V1 is Connected

[GeekBros]

Forgive me Gurus for I have sinned. It's been quite a while since my last post and for this transgression, I am most remorseful! :>D

I have a problem with a system I'm building that has me baffled. When the ATX12V1 is connected, the system will not power-up. When I disconnect it, the system will power-up but not post. No beep, nothing on screen, but the drives spin up, the cpu fan starts spinning and obviously the PSU fan starts spinning. I have had situations with some mobo's where just the opposite is true (no ATX12V1 connected, no power-up) but not this situation. I've tried 3 diff. PSU's and the problem is consistent. I have attempted to power-up the board naked with nothing but the CPU fan connected as well as with varying hardware configurations to no avail. Any insight into this will be most appreciated.
System:
ECS 945GCT-M/1333 Mobo
3.4 GHz P4 Core2-Duo
1GB DDR2 SDRAM
500W PSU
On-board everything
WD 300GB 7200 Hard Drive

Steve McLean
Co-owner &
Director of Tech. Svcs.
Geek Bros. Computers
Chandler & Yuma, AZ USA

 

[goombawaho]

Did you try doing it with the motherboard OUT of the case?? I've seen instances where something is touching and this would just serve to confirm that that is not the case here.

 

[BadBigBen]

and if you have tried it out of the case and still the same situation, then you may have a bad motherboard...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[wahnula]

Agreed BBB. ECS is not known for making a very robust board.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[GeekBros]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies!

Yeah, I should've included the fact that I had indeed tried it with the mofo oops, I mean mobo out of the case. Agreed about ECS. Their name is not synonymous with quality! The thing that pisses me off with them is that, like it or not they own a good sized chunk of the DIY market, yet trying to get any kind of response from them is impossible. They won't deal with end users for RMA's, yet if more than 30 days have passed since purhasing the product you can't take it back to the retailer for an exchange. So in a nutshell, the wrnty for ECS/PCCHIPS products is 30 days. Thanks again for your replies!

Steve

Steve McLean
Co-owner &
Director of Tech. Svcs.
Geek Bros. Computers
Chandler & Yuma, AZ USA

 

[BadBigBen]

Sorry to hear that Steve,

I guess I am at a lucky area in the world, here in Germany the shop has to take it back within a two year period, except when they can prove that you messed the motherboard up...

I try to steer clear away from ECS, and tend to go rather with Asus, MSI, or Gigabyte...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[wahnula]

here in Germany the shop has to take it back within a two year period

WOW! Sounds like you have a real consumer advocacy program in Germany...maybe that's why German products are so much more sturdy and well-made???

I did not know PCChips was a relative of ECS, that was my only office build that gave me any problems at all. For low-budget systems, like my office, I like BioStar, they seem to be relatively reliable.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[paparazi]

Forgive me....I've slightly confused
A 3.4GHZ Core2 Duo? or P4?
I cannot see support for Core2 with this frequency.
What CPU are you using.
Martin

On wings like angels whispers sweet
my heart it feels a broken beat
Touched soul and hurt lay wounded deep
Brown eyes are lost afar and sleep

 

[BadBigBen]

Paparazi - could eye there, even I did not notice that one...

Sounds like you have a real consumer advocacy program in Germany...

It's been that way for quite some time, within the first six months and up to three times a shop has the right to repair the item, if it is not fixed within a certain amount of time, you either get your money back or a new replacement... usually they will just go ahead and change out the board... (that is just a cut down version - LOL - if I wrote the paragraphs (law) it would fill this thread up)... unfortunately this does not apply between businesses, just consumer and business...

PS: most of the EU have the same laws now...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[GeekBros]

Sorry guys, my fingers just kept typing and didn't let the brain know what they were doing! LOL! The CPU is a 3.2 GHz P4.

Steve McLean
Co-owner &
Director of Tech. Svcs.
Geek Bros. Computers
Chandler & Yuma, AZ USA

 

[BadBigBen]

Steve - don't worry, we all do that, see:

could eye there

should have been good eye there

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[tf1]

3.2GHz P4: so that rules out the MoBo not recognising a recent processor (like an E8500). I'm suspicious about the processor, even so.

Try disconnecting everything other than the CPU and power up. You should at least get a BIOS bleep indicating no memory. If not, then take the MoBo out of the case and repeat the same test. If it is the same then it has to be the processor or motherboard.


Regards: tf1

 

[firewolfrl]

last time I saw the type problem you are having I RMA'ed the MB and got a new one...it was a bad MB

 

[jekagan]

I'm not sure if this is in any way related, but thought I'd share it.

I just got one of these ECS 945GCT-M/1333 boards from Fry's last week and it is indeed a wonky little beast.

I noticed on several occasions that the board fails to power on and POST. One thing that tipped me off was that whenever that happened, the power light on the front of the case was usually still **ON**, even with the power cord disconnected. For some weird reason, when the machine had shut down previously, it appeared to have some residual capacitance (or so I thought), even with the power supply completely disconnected.

If I pulled the power cord, then disconnected all USB hubs (which have an external power supply that might leak onto the board) and my ethernet cable (which is also connected to a powered switch), the light almost instantly went off. At that point I could plug the power back in and the board fired up again right away.