Need help with new build

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1

So this is my first time building a computer, and long story short I put it all together and it won't turn on. Wall of text below.

What im looking for is some suggestions on how to trouble shoot and find out exactly where the problem is. Or just advice in general on how to get this working. Is there a way to test each piece individually?

Was really on a budget here so some of the stuff might be cheap/old.

Specs:

Mobo = Asus M5A 78L-M LXplus

CPU= AMD FX 6350

Video Card = Radeon HD 7770

Ram = Cheap Micro center ram (4 gb)

Hard Drive = Refurbished one from Microcenter

Optical brive = Refurbished from microcenter

PSU= Inland ATX ILS- 600R2 600W Power Supply

I checked online and the biggest fix was "make sure everything is plugged in and seating correctly." I did this, checked and double checked, so im confident that everything is plugged in correctly, and it still won't turn on. My mobo didn't come with a speaker so i can't checking any beeping. I have a very old 2 pin speaker but my mobo only takes 4 pin. Right now im taking off everything non-essential just trying to get the mobo to start up and nothing is working. I know there is power to the mother board because there's an led that lights up on the mobo when i turn on the power. The switch on the psu is on 116, which i think is correct but i've tried both. When I placed the cpu in the socket everything went well, no force, I am like 90% sure that the triangles were lined up because i was concious of that when i was putting it in. I was 100% but since it won't start up im getting all these nervous doubts. I'd imagine if i hadn't put it in right it i wouldn't have been able to close the socket so smoothly. One thing i screwed up on was when i put the cpu heat sink on. It was the kind with the metal band that attaches to both sides and then you tighten it down. Well i got the first side on, but the second side was really tight. Had to use some force to get it on there. Like an idiot I tried using a screw drive and of course it slipped and scartched the mother board. Hit a couple of those copper wires that run through out the mobo. But i dont think it damaged anything, just scratched the clear coating a bit. I dont know, maybe im wrong.

 

 

2

Well having been a technician for over 30 years I have learned the old addage of start easy and work hard. This is going to sound stupid unless I am right but is your PSU switch turned on? the markings are 0 is off and / is on. If your power is on insure your RAM is properly seated in the correct dim slots. Use a multi-metre and check the power out put from your 24 pin and 6/8 pin connectors to insure your PSU is good. Referb HDDs are not my favorite but if you can get your hands on a HDD that you know is good swap it out to see if that is your problem. Check your case connections are attached to the proper pins on the motherboard as well. Let us know how it goes from there so we can try to help further if none of this works. Best of luck.

3

Switch is on, n oproblems there. Re-seated the RAM a couple times and thats not working. Still can't get the thing to turn on. I have a multi-meter and am checking the PSU as this

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolsofthetrade/ht/power-supply-test-multimeter.htm

instructs . It describes shorting pin 15 to pin 16 to see if the psu will turn on. Is this a good idea? As i said in my intro the LED on the mother board lights up when i flip the switch, so i wonder what that means for the functionality of the PSU?

 

 

4

The best way would be to put each component one by one in a computer you know they are compatible with to see if they are not broken. You may need to give more information than "I scratched the board and I think that's why, but I might be wrong." Do the fan(s) on the graphics card spin up? Does the system actually post on your monitor? Can you enter the BIOS? You need to make sure all the fans are spinning up on everything and that nothing is dead.

5

If you have lights on your motherboard it could be the board itself.