This was wierd

[PIlot3729]

I assembled my new A7N8X Deluxe motherboard with a 1.4 GHZ Athlon. Worked fine in a brand new case.

After buying an XP3000+ CPU an PC2700 mem it wouldn't start. It would turn on and shut off without any warning. I thought Power Supply right. Bought a 450 Watt...gotta go for the high power with the new Radeon 9800 Pro right and 6 fans. Still no luck.

Got a new CPU...maybe the prob....Got a new Motherboard.....Got a new batch of Dimms....**** nothing. I was ticked.

So I moved the whole system into a heavy metal ATX case and wammo...it worked.

Turns out the new 100 dollar lightweight case was made of some wierd metal. It wouldn't ground enough to operate all that power and hardware I'm guessing.

Morale of the story is keep that heavy vintage case around!

Just thought I would help save frustration from anybody encountering similar things!

[DaveLeclerc]

Possibly you could have had something (dust, screw, etc ) behind the mobo and was shorting during POST. And swaping would have relieved that problem. Or cleaning. The grounding I thought was done through the PS but I am not sure.

[PIlot3729]

Yeah it could've but once I got it working I didn't want to even try to put it back in if you know what I mean....sigh

I don't wan't to build another for at least a year!

[DaveLeclerc]

I you are like us here, you'll go maybe a month before planning out a new one. Hell it all starts with one good deal on a: CPU, mobo, case, memory, or game. Then the rest is late nights reading reviews, and an ebay or two.

[Someone Stupid]

It came with brass spacers, right? If so, get some electrical tape, cut the tape to fit the screw holes (and punch a hole in them so you don't mesh the tape btw the threads) and apply on both sides and try again. Sounds like bad grounding on the board. The case was made of aluminum. Who made it though so I know to avoid it. If it was a Lian-Li or Chenming (Antec and Chieftech) I'd be surprised.

[PIlot3729]

Cool. I will have to try that...I remember when I was aligning the motherboard onto the brass spacers I had to keep checking to make sure the motherboard power light located between the PCI slots would illuminate. Several times I had to kinda move it back and forth to get that light to come on while holding it and screwing it in. That electrical tape idea sounds pretty good though. I can't remember the name, but it was a really wierd metal...very light weight...very flexible too...I sent it back to the shop and got my money back. It was grey with little holes in the front shaped into a big "V" It's ok, there's nothing like finishing your freshly built monster and having to break a sweat lifting it into your computer desk and crankin it up!

That other post was right about finding deals and getting drawn into building a new one. For me it's always some new game with a new 3D engine they make. If my computer can't handle it I just build a new one. ****, I think I'm out of rooms in my house to put my old computers in. I might need to buy a new networking hub too. Maybe I'll just put one in the laudry room!

[DaveLeclerc]

Are these spacers even nessecary? Do they make plactic or other than metal??