A few seconds and then nothing

[TKemmerly]

I recently tried to build my first computer and I'm already having quite some difficulty. My specs are pretty much right off this website:

Case: Antec Sonata II with 450-Watt power supply
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ AM2 with Fan
Mobo: Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
Video: eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB DDR3
RAM: 2x Crucial Ballistix 1024MB PC2-8500 DDR2

I followed the assembly guide from the website and I'm pretty sure I did everything correctly but when I flip the switch on the power supply everything looks like it's running well for about two seconds then it just dies off with no beeps. I'm pretty sure I got the PN1 and PN2 indicators right because the lights on the case turn on when I hit the power button.

It seems to die just as the fan on the video card starts turning so I checked out the box and saw it requires a +12 volt running at 26amps and mine only runs at 17 so I went and picked up a new power supply (700 watts, +12 @ 40A) and still the same problem. I tried removing everything from the case and running it outside of it to see if that would help but the same problem. Tried using just one stick of RAM (used both one at a time). Lastly I removed everything but the cpu and fan and again it's the same problem. It starts up and then just dies down.

Also I noticed if I hook everything up but neglect to put power in the video card (something I accidentally overlooked during many dis/reassemblies) it gives one long beep that dies off as the processor fan stops spinning. I took out the processor and it looks fine to me on inspection. None of the pins are bent or damaged. This has got me completely stumped. I tried removing the battery and resetting the CMOS but that didn't help either. Any help would be appreciated.

At this point my suspicion is that it's something wrong with the cpu and/or the fan. Does that sound logical given all the problems I've had?

[Rob]

Yes, you're symptons are consistent with the system shutting down because the computer is overheating, so I suspect something with the processor and/or CPU cooler. First make sure the fan for the CPU cooler is plugged into the right header on the motherboard.

[TKemmerly]

I"ll look into it tomorrow and I'll let you know what happens. My fan is plugged into the right spot so I may get a new one or at least some new thermal compound. I know I accidentally took some off when I was trying to set it on the mounting brackets I kept lifting it up and putting it back down so I guess that's responsible for the overheating. I just didn't think it would crash THAT fast.

Thank you for your help and this awesome site!

[TKemmerly]

It still doesn't work :( should i return the cpu?

If the LED on the motherboard is green for as long as I have power on from the PSU is there any reason to suspect it may be faulty?

[Rob]

If you're sure that you have the CPU cooler installed properly and the CPU cooler fan connected properly then I don't have any better suggestion.

Also, if you have too little thermal compound then that could be the problem. You could try putting the appropriate amount of thermal compound and trying again. In this situation it could be that the processor is not damaged.

[TKemmerly]

I've double and triple checked where the fan gets plugged in and I'm sure it's the right spot. I've tried moving it around and still nothing. This is very frustrating and demoralizing for an eager first timer! :mad:

[TKemmerly]

I got it up and running! I don't know what I did differently this time but I'm very happy now! Time to finish the rest tomorrow :)

[Rob]

Oh, sweet! Way to stick with it!

[Cirndle]

Could of been PSU messing up, or a connector.

Or the voltage switch on PSU. Computers are crazy man, the green light on mobo means that your mobo is getting some power.

I have a flippost card that cost about 85-90 bucks from pc-diag and it diagnosis stuff just like that using bios postcodes.

Pretty handy, but instructions are a mofo.

Laters,
crindle