# No beeps, no POST, no BIOS.... no fun :(



## waykanbake (Nov 21, 2011)

Hello all, 
This is a mostly new build - the GPU, PSU and HSF are from another system; Motherboard, CPU, HDD and RAM are box-fresh.
I have tried a bare-bones build outside of the case.
When the system is powered on there is no LOGO screen, no POST screen, no BEEP CODES and no BIOS.
All parts receive power and all fans are spinning.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what could be causing this? 
I have tried 'forcing' beep codes by taking out all of the RAM, as well as trying the RAM sticks one at a time. I also have a speaker (tested) plugged into the motherboard, to listen for beeps. I have swapped-out the GPU for another - no change.
Unfortunately I don't have access to another AM3+ motherboard or another AM3+ CPU.
I'm totally stuck and would really appreciate some help. Thanks

Gigabyte GA-990XA-UD3
AMD FX-6100 Black Edition 3.3GHz
12GB (3 X 4GB) DDR3 1866MHZ
Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB SATA 6 Gb/s
Tagan BZ800 800W PSU


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

what video card

tagan is not a recommended brand

set it up out of the case on a piece of cardboard with
cpu
video
ram
speaker
and see if you get post
check you have the correct amount of standoffs no more no less
that they line up with the holes in the m/board
usually 9


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## waykanbake (Nov 21, 2011)

Nvidia GeForce 460 GTX (works in another system).
I have tried an out-of-the-case build - no POST.
What are standoffs btw?


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## loda117 (Aug 6, 2010)

If you are not getting any Beep codes, no POST, and no video 

motherboard not getting enough power 
CPU is not getting enough power 

Remove the Video card , RAM and anything else that is taking power 
boot the system see what you get 

AS dai stated above the power supply you are using is very cheap brand and might not be producing clean power for your system


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

waykanbake said:


> Nvidia GeForce 460 GTX (works in another system).
> I have tried an out-of-the-case build - no POST.
> What are standoffs btw?


When you did the out-of-box, was it sitting on cardboard? Don't use the plastic bag it came in as that is conductive. Also, don't use the foam sheet that some of them come with either as that too is conductive.

The standoffs are metal usually but can be plastic: Standoffs

They support the mobo off the metal case and provide a grounding method that prevents static buildup. You need to use no more and no less then recommended by the mobo manufacturer.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Standoffs are the spacers that thread into the case and support the Mobo to prevent it shorting to the case.
Did you perform the bench test as described below?

Remove EVERYTHING from the case.
Set the motherboard on a non conductive surface. The motherboard box is perfect for this. DO NOT PLACE THE MOTHERBOARD ON THE STATIC BAG! It can actually conduct electricity! 
Install the CPU and heat sink. 
Install 1 stick of RAM.
Install the video card and attach the power supply connection(s) to the card if your card needs it.
Connect the monitor to the video card.
Connect the power supply to the motherboard with both the 24pin main ATX Power connection and the separate 4 or 8 pin power connection.
Connect power to the power supply.
Do NOT connect ANYTHING else. Make sure you have the power connector on the CPU fan connected.
Use a small screwdriver to momentarily short the power switch connector on the motherboard. Consult your motherboard manual to find which two pins connect to your case's power switch. Then touch both pins with a screwdriver to complete the circuit and boot the system.

If all is well, it should power up and you should get a display. Then assemble the parts into the case and try again. If the system now fails to boot, you have a short in the case and need to recheck your motherboard standoffs.

If the system does not boot after this process, then you most likely have a faulty component. You'll need to swap parts, start with the power supply, until you determine what is defective. 

Note: Your Mobo is Dual Channel so using 3 RAM sticks will put you in Single Channel Mode and performance will be degraded. 2x4GB of RAM is more than sufficient.


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## waykanbake (Nov 21, 2011)

I never knew those wee brass spacers were called standoffs! Well, you learn something...

My out-of-case experience was fully non-conductive and I tried it with less and less components - first 1 stick RAM (btw thanks for mentioning the dual/single channel RAM), then no RAM then no GPU either. Still no beep codes.
Would you suggest this would be indicative of a mobo or cpu problem.
Also, there's nothing wrong with my PSU, unless you have a solid theory as to why.


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## [email protected] (Nov 16, 2004)

Your symptom is _generally_ related to power in some way. Like a short to case, a faulting PSU or GPU or to more subtle causes like an underpowered PSU or a HDD or similar piece of equipment with an internal short. 

Those of us in the industry try to eliminate the most obvious cause first and move up the line as each possibility is investigated. In your case that would be running the mobo out of the case (you've done that), then changing the PSU (even brand new and reliable brands can be DOA), swapping out the GPU (you've done that) or using the internal VGA port (if you have that port, do that), swapping or removing the RAM (you've done that), checking that the battery is not installed incorrectly (if upside down it can cause problems), checking that the CMOS jumper is on pins 1-2, not 2-3, and so on.

After that, then we would likely suggest removing the CPU and checking the pins and sockets.


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