New machine, with UD7 won't start :(

[slackguy]

Hey guys,

Just finished building my mate's new machine, and it won't start. The Seasonic 750W puts a green light on the Gigabyte UD7 mobo, and one of the DDR "overvoltage LEDs" flashes quickly, then a few seconds later, one of those overvoltage LEDs goes green, and another next to it goes yellow.

The RAM is OCZ DDR3 1600, 3 x 2gb sticks, and it's an i950. I know the power switch works because it does the exact same thing as the "power" button ON the motherboard. Nothing spins or turns on, just those two lights, which makes me wonder if it's the RAM?

I tried taking 2 of the 3 sticks out, but it made no change...the memory is where it should be, and the CPU and GFX cards are all powered correctly, etc. No fans spin, no HDDs move. I can't for the life of me work it out :(

[PrairieDawg]

Re: New machine, with UD7 won't start :(

Have you double checked all electrical connections? Do you have another power supply unit to test with just in case you have a faulty one ? Are you positive all standoffs under the motherboard are in the correct spots and there are no short circuits?

[Ezz1r]

Re: New machine, with UD7 won't start :(

slackguy : Here is a checklist i found on the net and helped me with my troubleshooting.


"New build won't boot" checklist

This checklist is a compilation of troubleshooting ideas from many forum members. It's very important to actually perform every step in the checklist if you want to effectively troubleshoot your problem.


1. Did you carefully read the motherboard owners manual?

2. Did you plug in the 4/8-pin CPU power connector located near the CPU socket? If the motherboard has 8 pins and your PSU only has 4 pins, you can use the 4-pin connector. The 4-pin connector USUALLY goes on the 4 pins located closest to the CPU. If the motherboard has an 8-pin connector with a cover over 4 pins, you can remove the cover and use an 8-pin plug if your power supply has one. This power connector provides power to the CPU. Your system has no chance of posting without this connector plugged in! Check your motherboard owners manual for more information about the CPU power connector. This is easily the most common new-builder mistake.

3. Did you install the standoffs under the motherboard? Did you place them so they all align with the screw holes in the motherboard, with no extra standoffs touching the board in the wrong place? A standoff installed in the wrong place can cause a short and prevent the system from booting.

4. Did you verify that the video card is fully seated? (may require more force than a new builder expects.)

5. Did you attach all the required power connector(s) to the video card? (some need two, some need none, many need one.)

6. Have you tried booting with just one stick of RAM installed? (Try each stick of RAM individually in each RAM slot.) If you can get the system to boot with a single stick of RAM, you should manually set the RAM speed, timings, and voltage to the manufacturers specs in the BIOS before attempting to boot with all sticks of RAM installed.

7. Did you verify that all memory modules are fully inserted? (may require more force than a new builder expects.) It's a good idea to install the RAM on the motherboard before it's in the case.

8. Did you verify in the owners manual that you're using the correct RAM slots? Many i7 motherboards require RAM to be installed in the slots starting with the one further away from the CPU which is the opposite of many dual channel motherboards.

9. Did you remove the plastic guard over the CPU socket? (this actually comes up occasionally.)

10. Did you install the CPU correctly? There will be an arrow on the CPU that needs to line up with an arrow on the motherboard CPU socket. Be sure to pay special attention to that part of the manual!

11. If using an after market CPU cooler, did you get any thermal paste on the motherboard, CPU socket, or CPU pins? Did you use the smallest amount you could? Here's a couple links that may help:


12. Is the CPU fan plugged in?

13. If using a stock cooler, was the thermal material on the base of the cooler free of foreign material, and did you remove any protective covering? If the stock cooler has push-pins, did you ensure that all four pins snapped securely into place? (The easiest way to install the push-pins is outside the case sitting on a non-conductive surface like the motherboard box. Read the instructions! The push-pins should be turned the OPPOSITE direction as the arrows.)

14. Are any loose screws laying on the motherboard, or jammed against it? Are there any wires run directly under the motherboard? You should not run wires under the motherboard since the soldered wires on the underside of the motherboard can cut into the insulation on the wires and cause a short. Some cases have space to run wires on the back side of the motherboard tray.

15. Did you ensure you discharged all static electricity before touching any of your components?

16. Did you install the system speaker (if provided) so you can check beep-codes in the manual? A system speaker is NOT the same as normal speakers that plug into the back of the motherboard. A system speaker plugs into a header on the motherboard that's usually located near the front panel connectors. If you case or motherboard didn't come with a system speaker you can buy one here: http://www.cwc-group.com/casp.html

17. Did you read the instructions in the manual on how to properly connect the front panel plugs? (Power switch, power led, reset switch, HD activity led) Polarity does not matter with the power and reset switches. If power or drive activity LED's do not come on, reverse the connections. For troubleshooting purposes, disconnect the reset switch. If it is shorted, the machine either will not POST at all, or it will endlessly reboot.

18. Did you turn on the power supply switch located on the back of the PSU? Is the power plug on a switch? If it is, is the switch turned on? Is there a GFI circuit on the plug-in? If there is, make sure it isn't tripped.

19. Is your CPU supported by the BIOS revision installed on your motherboard? Most motherboards will post a CPU compatibility list on their website.

20. Have you tried resetting the CMOS? The motherboard manual will have instructions for your particular board.

21. If you have integrated video and a video card, try the integrated video port. Resetting the bios, can make it default back to the onboard video.


I also wanted to add some suggestions that user jsc often posts. This is a direct quote from him:

"Pull everything except the CPU and HSF. Boot. You should hear a series of long single beeps indicating memory problems. Silence here indicates, in probable order, a bad PSU, motherboard, or CPU - or a bad installation where something is shorting and shutting down the PSU.

To eliminate the possiblility of a bad installation where something is shorting and shutting down the PSU, you will need to pull the motherboard out of the case and reassemble the components on an insulated surface. This is called "breadboarding" - from the 1920's homebrew radio days. I always breadboard a new or recycled build. It lets me test components before I go through the trouble of installing them in a case.

If you get the long beeps, add a stick of RAM. Boot. The beep pattern should change to one long and two or three short beeps. Silence indicates that the RAM is shorting out the PSU (very rare). Long single beeps indicates that the BIOS does not recognize the presence of the RAM.

If you get the one long and two or three short beeps, test the rest of the RAM. If good, install the video card and any needed power cables and plug in the monitor. If the video card is good, the system should successfully POST (one short beep, usually) and you will see the boot screen and messages.

Note - an inadequate PSU will cause a failure here or any step later.
Note - you do not need drives or a keyboard to successfully POST (generally a single short beep).

If you successfully POST, start plugging in the rest of the components, one at a time. "

[warren300]

Re: New machine, with UD7 won't start :(

if no fans are spinning up i would suspect psu incompatability,try with another if you can,also what code is it giving you on mb clock at the bottom??? c1?? ifso it points to ram..try loosening cpu heatsink screws a few turns if it has a backplate,it should boot with one stick of ram in any or all white slots if all is well