New build, no post, no beeps

[LABachlr]

I just want to confirm my diagnosis. The system that I just built isn't posting.

Biostar M7VIG 400
AMD Sempron 2400+
Crucial 512MB DDR333
WD 80GB 7200RPM 8MB

I tried changing the frequency jumper (even though I know that it was the correct setting (just built a system with the same mobo with an AMD Semptron 2200+ with no problems). The funny thing is, when I changed the frequency jumper settings so that all frequencies would be open (100/133/166), it started up for 2 seconds and then shut down (started up meaning the fans started to spin; nothing else). When that same setting (which is the default out-of-the-box setting) was used with the first build, it just read it as 900MHz instead of its real speed of 1.5GHz.

Another thing that was weird was that when I booted it up with no RAM, there were no beeps. Actually there have not been any beeps yet with this system.

Do all mobos beep nowadays? Even this one? If no beeps, is it 100% a dead mobo?

Now I have the mobo outside of the case with just the CPU (+HSF) and RAM. Video is onboard. And it won't post now either. Took out the RAM again, still no beeps.

When do you know you have a bad CPU? Is it really rare to get a CPU DOA? What would be the symptoms?

In any case, I'm going to say a DOA mobo. Confirm?

[LABachlr]

With some advice, I reset the CMOS, then put it back to the default setting and VOILA! It posted! I went in to see if I could change the frequency setting in the BIOS, and I could. However, it only allowed me to change it to 132....??

I found out that I might need the latest BIOS. So I downloaded it and flashed it. It flashed successfully, but it did not fix the problem. Still can only set the frequency to 132. Reset CMOS.
Didn't fix it.

The thing is, I just built another system yesterday with the same exact mobo, and had no issues at all. Was able to set the frequency to 166 without any problem via the jumper setting on the mobo.

Anyway, I set the frequency to 100MHz so I could at least install WinXP. Well, when I tried to install WinXP, it froze at 2% when it was formatting the C drive into the NTFS format. I tried rebooting and tried a different installation CD. Same deal. Tried a different CD-ROM drive. Same deal.

Then, I thought it may be a HD problem, even though it is brand new as well. So, I did a low-level format with killdisk. Still, did not fix the problem. It now freezes at 0% when formatting.

Any ideas? Never had any problems close to this before. Could a bad mobo be causing ALL of this?

Just in case anyone thinks there might be some standoffs under the board. There aren't.

[Midknyte]

just start swapping out known good parts. start with the ram, then cpu. athlon cpus are easy to damage, so make sure you didn't chip the core. it could very well be a bad motherboard, but eliminate the easy stuff before you go and install a whole new board.

[ukulele]

Just in case anyone thinks there might be some standoffs under the board. There aren't.

What's holding the board away from the case? There should be a standoff for every screw and a screw for every screw hole. Make sure you are using the right size screws and fiber or plastic washers if supplied too and don't tighten any of them until you make sure the PCI slots are lined up right. I recently had a ton of trouble installing a video card with symptoms like yours due to poor alighnment of the MB which someone else installed. The MB was working one minute then off the next. I think the AGP slot just wouldn't seat right because of the misalignment.

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by Midknyte
just start swapping out known good parts. start with the ram, then cpu. athlon cpus are easy to damage, so make sure you didn't chip the core. it could very well be a bad motherboard, but eliminate the easy stuff before you go and install a whole new board.

OK. Thanks, Mid. Will do.

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by ukulele
What's holding the board away from the case? There should be a standoff for every screw and a screw for every screw hole. Make sure you are using the right size screws and fiber or plastic washers if supplied too and don't tighten any of them until you make sure the PCI slots are lined up right. I recently had a ton of trouble installing a video card with symptoms like yours due to poor alighnment of the MB which someone else installed. The MB was working one minute then off the next. I think the AGP slot just wouldn't seat right because of the misalignment.

LOL. I guess I should have said that there aren't any standoffs under the board that are not under a screw hole, meaning there aren't any that are touching the circuitry part of the board. Thanks for the tip on the alignment of the mobo.

[LABachlr]

I put the RAM in another system that I just built that has the same mobo, and it worked perfectly and registered at the correct speed. And that mobo is jumpered to 166MHz.

Btw, the system I am having trouble with only recognizes the RAM as 266MHz, not 333MHz (jumpered to have all 3 frequencies open). And when I set the jumper to 166MHz, it doesn't even boot. Could the CPU still be a possible culprit, or is it most likely the mobo? If so, I'll switch it out to test it. Just trying to save time.

[LABachlr]

I just swapped out the CPU with the CPU from the good build, and it still would not post when jumpered at 166MHz. I even cleared the CMOS before I booted her up with the new jumper setting. It's got to be the mobo.

[ukulele]

Have you tried a bench test with the MB outside of the case?

[LABachlr]

When I swapped out the CPU and booted it up with the CPU from the good build, that was out of the case.

And I just put the CPU from the troubled build in the mobo from the good build out of the case and it booted up fine jumpered at 166.

It's definitely the mobo. Off to RMA it.

Thanks.