Z77 Pro4-M Issue

[natrlhy]

So this is my first ASRock Motherboard...

I'm waiting for my RAM to show up but I wanted to see if the motherboard would power up with no CPU or memory just to ensure it functions.

I'm positive I have the main panel pinned out right but when I press the power button on the front of the chassis I get nada.

On the Pro4-M I don't see any LED or light to show that the motherboard see's power.

I do have the main 24 PIN power and 4 pin ATX power plugged in as well.

Do I have to have the CPU and RAM installed in order to do a basic power-up/test?

Also I have the plate where the CPU would go and didn't remove that.

Hoping my new board isn't DOA...

Thanks in advance!

[parsec]

Re: Z77 Pro4-M Issue

A mother board is brain dead without a CPU and memory, it can't do anything.

Everything a computer does is based on a set of instructions (a program), a device that can execute instructions (CPU), and a place to store and read those instructions (memory.) Some code like the BIOS is stored on a special chip that does not need power to store it for use, but without something to "run" it, it can do nothing.

Usually a mother board that has power applied to it for the first time, even when fully assembled with CPU and memory, will not light up the power LED. If that one LED was on, what would that tell you about the functioning of all the other devices on the board?

You are in no position to conclude your board is DOA.

[natrlhy]

Re: Z77 Pro4-M Issue

A mother board is brain dead without a CPU and memory, it can't do anything.

Everything a computer does is based on a set of instructions (a program), a device that can execute instructions (CPU), and a place to store and read those instructions (memory.) Some code like the BIOS is stored on a special chip that does not need power to store it for use, but without something to "run" it, it can do nothing.

Usually a mother board that has power applied to it for the first time, even when fully assembled with CPU and memory, will not light up the power LED. If that one LED was on, what would that tell you about the functioning of all the other devices on the board?

You are in no position to conclude your board is DOA.

I've done motherboard tests like this with Asus motherboards so that's my only basis. Granted this was on a board from 7 years ago so... a bit older technology for sure.

I was at least expecting the chassis fans to spin up and same thing with the power supply fan, and at least some POST beep errors, but I got non of that.
Just waiting for my 16GB of memory to arrive then to fully test.

Thanks!

[profJim]

Re: Z77 Pro4-M Issue

Did you connect a case speaker to your motherboard?

You really need a cpu, one memory module, and possibly a keyboard and/or graphics card graphics card and connected monitor for anything useful to happen. Some newer high end power supply fans don't even twitch or start rotating until the psu is delivering ~ 30% of its rated power.

Call it overkill, but I like to run a new psu for about one hour with it powering several fans and nothing else, just to make sure that the psu is okie-dokie and if something should go wrong with a new psu, it won't nuke the rest of my hardware. To run the psu without it being connected to the motherboard, you need to jumper the light green PG (Power Good) wire and an adjacent black ground wire on the 24-pin connector. A web search using: power supply paperclip test will provide more information and a diagram of the connector so that you don't accidentally jumper the wrong wires.

I always build and test a new system with the motherboard on a USPS box sitting beside the computer case where the case wires can reach the motherboard. I don't install the motherboard into the case until I've installed the o/s and performed several extended stress tests.

Keep all little critters away from the work area; cats, dogs, little kids, etc.
Have fun with your build.

[natrlhy]

Re: Z77 Pro4-M Issue

So as others stated my Z77 Pro4-M booted up just fine after getting the CPU and memory installed. :)