# Custom Built Gaming PC: No Display - Help!



## DoubleIcaras (Jan 12, 2011)

*Components Used To Build -*
Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 Intel P55 (Socket 1156) DDR3 Motherboard
MSI GeForce GTS 450 Cyclone 1024MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
Samsung SpinPoint F4 EcoGreen 2TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD204UI)
OCZ ModXStream Pro 700w Silent SLI Certified Modular Power Supply
Coolermaster HAF 912 Plus Case - Black
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 CPU Cooler (Socket 939 / AM2 / AM3 / 775 / 1155/ 1156 / 1366)
LG GH22NS50 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - Retail
Intel Core i5 2.8Ghz
Dual Channel 4GB DDR3 Ram. (2x) (Overall 8GB)

*The Problem -*
After having built my computer, which took an annoyingly long time thanks to my houses lack of light and being clumsy with screws, I finally finished my lovely gaming PC that I had saved up for months to buy. However, much to my dismay, my first build it powered, however would stop and just keep restarting. I spoke to a friend, and he said to try only have one stick of RAM in there. Sure enough, it starts and stays on. However, I cannot get a display. I have my girlfriends set up right next to mine so I tried her monitor and cables, and they did not work either. I assumed I must just have made an error plugging it in, so I went back to work replacing the card, and plugging it in. - After relentless amounts of trying different things, parts, cables, monitors I still could not get it to work.

I've tried numerous cables, two different moniters, both PCI-e Slots, and another graphics card, just to see if mine was fried. Nothing.
All the parts were brand new, and I took antic static precautions with a mat and wrist strap.

I can post pictures of the set up if need be, and if no answers I will just try re-building the entire thing again to see if I made a mistake, but I'm pretty sure I have not. Any input would be amazing as other threads I have read just say "Your Mobo is dead" "Your graphics card is dead" which worries me.

Thank you in advance for any thoughts, I'll be refreshing this through the week to try and get this fixed. I can provide pictures, and more information if it helps.

Edit: I figured I should mention, I'm not sure if it's my case or my graphics card, but I am unable to screw it in place without alot of pulling and difficulty, so while I am testing I leave it free and make sure it is held in position, however screwing it in has no effect.


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## hhnq04 (Mar 19, 2008)

Give this a shot:
http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f255/how-to-bench-test-your-system-171424.html

If it works outside of the case, you likely have a short somewhere. If it doesn't work outside the case, there is a hardware issue and something is probably defective.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Edit: I made some suggestions but it looks like you covered them. It sounds like it may be a short circuit or other motherboard issue. The techs here really know their stuff -- the bench test is one of the best of their advice.


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## DoubleIcaras (Jan 12, 2011)

hhnq04 said:


> Give this a shot:
> http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f255/how-to-bench-test-your-system-171424.html
> 
> If it works outside of the case, you likely have a short somewhere. If it doesn't work outside the case, there is a hardware issue and something is probably defective.


I conducted this several times, with no result. Everything runs, however no display still. The CPU fan does not spin at start up, I have to tap it for it to start working, I don't know if this is normal. The Heat sink gets hot though, so I assume it's doing something. All other fans spin, the motherboard LED's light up.

What do I do? :4-dontkno


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

If you have to tap a DC fan to get it running it may be undervolted. Do you have a multimeter to check your power supply?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

please give us close up pictures of your motherboard on the bench test set-up / give pics of cpu power plug / video card power plug / cpu fan connector at motherboard / give close up pic of motherboard wiring for the F-Panel (see motherboard manual) 

F-panel is the row of connectors which the case power / hard drive led / reset switch etc etc etc connects at motherboard


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## DoubleIcaras (Jan 12, 2011)

Here are the pictures, they're inside the case again because I don't have the space to keep them out at the moment. (I can do if need be, but It's a pretty open case). If I've missed something angle wise, I'll take some more.

http://i56.tinypic.com/35871n5.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/apiaer.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/2dafznl.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/21l4vbq.jpg


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

DoubleIcaras said:


> I conducted this several times, with no result. Everything runs, however no display still. The CPU fan does not spin at start up, I have to tap it for it to start working, I don't know if this is normal. The Heat sink gets hot though, so I assume it's doing something. All other fans spin, the motherboard LED's light up.
> 
> What do I do? :4-dontkno



no this is not normal / are you sure you have the cpu fan plugged into the *cpu_fan header* on the motherboard (and did you look at the little notch on the cpu fan plug which must align with the notch on the motherboard's cpu fan header plug ?

the rest all looks good 

if your cpu fan is connected correctly / then RMA your motherboard

but before you do / remove the cpu from the cpu socket on the motherboard / look very closely with a magnifyuing glass >>>> are there any bent pins inside the cpu socket on the motherboard ?


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## DoubleIcaras (Jan 12, 2011)

The fan for the CPU is in it's correct place, and gets going as soon as I poke it, just not by its self for some reason. I'm annoyed this has gone wrong with brand new parts.

If need be, I have a spare i5 lying around. I don't have an magnifying glass to check for pins, so I could try another processor, however I do not have any thermal paste - only the stuff that came on my heatsink, would it still have enough left for a new processor?

Also, would not having a working processor cause these symptoms?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

DoubleIcaras said:


> The fan for the CPU is in it's correct place, and gets going as soon as I poke it, just not by its self for some reason. I'm annoyed this has gone wrong with brand new parts.
> 
> If need be, I have a spare i5 lying around. I don't have an magnifying glass to check for pins, so I could try another processor, however I do not have any thermal paste - only the stuff that came on my heatsink, would it still have enough left for a new processor?
> 
> Also, would not having a working processor cause these symptoms?





you will need some more thermal paste; once you remove a heat sink you must remove all the existing paste or thermal pad and start fresh or overheating will occur

when you change processors / inspect the pins in the cpu socket of the motherboard closely / what is causing the poor connection at that cpu fan ? is it a poor wire coming from the heatsink ? or is the motherboard cpu fan header to blame ?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

linderman said:


> you will need some more thermal paste; once you remove a heat sink you must remove all the existing paste or thermal pad and start fresh or overheating will occur
> 
> when you change processors / inspect the pins in the cpu socket of the motherboard closely / what is causing the poor connection at that cpu fan ? is it a poor wire coming from the heatsink ? or is the motherboard cpu fan header to blame ?




yes / a misfiring cpu would cause this problem and most motherboards will not start the cpu if a working cpu fan is not connected ?

so its kind-of important to try to determine if the cpu fan connector is at fault or the motherboard cpu fan connector >>>> why the need for poking?


bent cpu pins would also do this


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## DoubleIcaras (Jan 12, 2011)

The entire fan cable seems fine, I can't understand why it's doing it.
I cannot swap over the processors as of yet since I have no thermal paste, but I am pretty sure it's fine.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

All I could see (at that resolution that is) that might affect things as they now stand was that you had no RAM installed (I assume you tested with it installed though).

For future reference though, assuming that white is negative for your front panel connectors, your HDD LED connector appears to be upside down. This has nothing to do with the problem at hand, but you might note for future reference that since LEDs are diodes they won't work with reversed polarity.

Also your reset switch appears to be hooked up backward according to the manual, but with switches polarity doesn't really matter. Am I correct that you hooked your speakers up for the bench test so you could hear the beep codes?

Edit: Do you still have the stock heatsink and fan (if you bought a boxed processor)? Since the aftermarket fan seems not to be spinning up on its own you might try installing a stock heatsink if you install your other CPU for a test.


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## DoubleIcaras (Jan 12, 2011)

I cannot test anything new, as randomly my PSU blew. I'm starting to think something may of happened during delivery and somethings are faulty. I contacted overclockers and sending of the PSU for replacement. (Hopefuly) that will fix my issue. For now, my new gaming PC, Razer keyboard and mouse are useless -_-


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## DoubleIcaras (Jan 12, 2011)

My new powersupply comes in a few days. I've tested my graphics card in an already working system, and it works fine. If it isn't the PSU or the Card, must I assume my motherboard is faulty?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

dont jump the gun; get a new PSU and try that; if no joy, move on to the bench test!


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## DoubleIcaras (Jan 12, 2011)

I already bench tested, everything worked, bar the heatsink fan spinning untill poked, and getting a display. This is really quite annoying.


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