New PC

[Wedge]

Hi -

I have just built a new PC - AMD3000XP mobo.

Put all the bits in and connected it all up. When I switch on the power the PC comes on but I am getting nothing on the monitor.

The monitor is plugged into the video card - nvidia gforce MX.

The case I ordered has a 300W power supply - which I thought was standard but looking at the other thread about booting up it seems 300W is a bit low. However - doing the power wattage calculator which was linked by Richard (thanks) - it looks like 300W should be just about OK. If not, why do the vast majority of cases come with a 300W PSU?

Anyway - any suggestions on the next move on how to get into BIOS much appreciated.

Thanks in advance. :)

[adx]

One possibility, can you hear the disk drive starting up ? If the IDE cable is reversed at either end the motherboard just locks and nothing happens. Most IDE connectors, socket & plug are keyed, but some are not.
Adx.

[amanoffewwords]

...or you may have an on-board VGA adaptor that needs disabling with a jumper change. Can't tell you for sure I cannot find a reference to the motherboard model you're quoting (not on Google as least).

amofw

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Could you give us greater details on your new system. Please list all the hardware, OS, and Power Supply.

I really need the list of hardware (including - Mobo, RAM, CPU, Vid Card, PCI Cards, HDs, Optical Drives.) and the amps on the 3.3v, 5v, 12v RAILs and the Max Combined Wattage for the 3.3v + 5v RAILs. It should be on the sticker on the side of the power supply.

That would give us a complete picture of your system.

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

Thanks for the replies guys:

...or you may have an on-board VGA adaptor that needs disabling with a jumper change. Can't tell you for sure I cannot find a reference to the motherboard model you're quoting (not on Google as least).

Sounds interesting - there is an onboard VGA adaptor, so this could be the problem. Don't know how I would change the jumper settings though? Could I just remove my video card, is the onboard one better than what I have? (see below for spec)

Mobo/CPU: Gigabyte 7N400-L1, XP 3000+ Bundle
RAM: 2x(6506)512 MB PC 2700 DDR 333 DIMM
HD: Western Digital WD153AA 15GB (from my old system)
Sound: SBLive 5.1 digital
Video: Gforce4 MMX440 64MB
DVD/CD ROM
CD writer


Now the wattage stuff you asked for Richard:

300W PSU
VOLT
115V/230V
3.3v/16A, 5v 20A, 12v/10A

CURRENT
6A/3A
-5V/1A, -12V/1A, +5VSB/2A


Here is the sales blurb for the mobo/CPU bundle:

Product Description -
Bundle Includes - Gigabyte 7N400-L1, AMD XP 3000+ 333FSB Barton (OEM) & 785CU Akasa Cooler. GA-7N400-L1 is the excellent platform for latest AMD Athlon XP 400MHz FSB processor. Powered by the revolutionary NVIDIA nForce™2 Ultra 400 platform processors, this platform delivers new levels of performance and functionality for today¡¦s most demanded tasks. The nForce™2 platform processors not only carries the new generation architecture consisting of dual channel DDR controller and AGP8X graphics interface, but also integrates the innovative Dynamic adaptive speculative pre-processor (DASP) and Hyper-Transport Technology to boost the overall system performance. The nForce™2 media and communications processor (MCP) provides full communication suite of Ethernet LAN connection and USB2.0 interface for wide range of connectivity. The 6-channel audio is also furnished to provide a superior audio experience during gaming and movie watching. GA-7N400-L1 delivers an ideal platform with outstanding performance for home and office environment. AMD ATHLON 3000+, Supporting a 333MHz FSB (front-side bus) and 512K cache memory, the 0.13-micron Barton-based Athlon XP, Cache Size: L1 - 128KB and L2 - 512KB = 640KB Total Cache, Die Size: 101mm^2, OEM ITEM


Thanks again.

The OS is Windows XP - once the PC boots up hopefully the OS should fire up as on my previous system as I have taken the old hard drive out.

Once I get this sorted I will probably upgrade the HD.

[goates]

It looks like your computer is trying to use the motherboard video adapter. You can disable it in the BIOS (usually you hit 'del' when booting, before the Windows start up screen comes up). As to whether your video card is better or not, you'll have to give us the details of the video card you are using, but Geforce 4MX cards are not very powerful.

goates

[Wedge]

Thanks,

But the problem is I can't disable it in BIOS because I can't see anything on the screen!

Presumably I will have to change a jumper setting on the motherboard?

I will try to get a better spec for the video card, it's about a year old though.

[ORAC]

That motherboard doesn't have any integrated graphics.

The present card may be the problem. Have a look at page 1 of the manual (http://europe.giga-byte.com/MotherBoard/FileList/Manual/manual_7nnxpv_e.pdf) (10 Meg download!).

Due to it's age, I'm presuming your video card is an AGP 2x or 2x/4x card.

The AGP slot has 3 notches, 2x, 4x and 8x, but only supports 4x/8x (1.5V) cards as powered by the 4x connectors.

Some 2x/4x cards run on a 5V supply provided by the 2x connector and, if used, will stop the motherboard from working. Others, such as the Diamond Viper, have a jumper on the video card allowing it to be switched between 2x (5V) and 4x (1.5V).

Can you confirm the AGP rating of your video card, does the manual state the voltage, are there any jumpers on it?

(If it's a Gainward, from what I can find of their manuals, they require 5V.)

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Your power supply is weak, but lets try a few things first. (You should look for a better power supply with at least 28a in the 3.3v RAIL and a Max Combined Wattage of at least 200W for the future.)

The nForce2 Chipset with integrated graphics has only one AGP Bus that auto senses an AGP Video Card. There is no option in the BIOS for turning off onboard graphics since it happens automatically. (You cannot have two video cards on one bus.) But that is not the case here since that motherboard does not have onboard graphics. (None of the Ultra 400s do.)

http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/13-128-194-04.JPG

RAM: 2x(6506)512 MB PC 2700 DDR 333 DIMM

I am going to start with the RAM being the possible problem. If your RAM is not nForce Approved there is a good change you will just hear the Hard Drives Spin up but it does not boot.

Try removing all Drives, PCI Cards, and one stick of RAM. Try to see if you can get to the BIOS with one stick of RAM. If not try with just the other stick of RAM. (It would really help knowing the brand of RAM you are using.)

That board will support all GeForce Cards. If you have a TnT2 or older, it will not be supported.

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

Thanks Richard, I will try that next.

The RAM sticks, despite being ordered from the same place within a week of each other, seem to be different manufacturers:

A-data & TwinMOS

Is that a problem?

Also, looking at PSUs, will this one do the job? -


Mercury PSU 400 Watt AMD/Intel P4

Product Description -
High quality 400 Watt PFC power supply manufactured by Mercury. Intel P4 & AMD Approved, Complies with ATX Rev 2.03, 12v Fan Fitted, Low Noise, over-voltage protection, CE , FCC, TUV, UL Approved, Dimensions 150L x 86W x 140H mm.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

nForce is very picky about RAM. You should always run Matched Sticks and they need to be nForce Approved.

Only the TwinMOS RAM with the WinBond Chips is nForce Approved. Lets try one stick of RAM at a time and see if we can at least get you to the BIOS.

As for the Power Supply, I was looking for the amps on the 3.3v, 5v, and 12v RAILs and the Max Combined Wattage of the 3.3v + 5v RAILs. There should be a sticker on the Power Supply that looks like:

http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/17-103-912-06.JPG

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

Ordering a PSU online that data is not available unfortunately. Would you think a 400W supply would be likely to meet the specifications?

If not, do you know where I could order one in the UK that does?

Thanks.

Right - here is your next clue computer sleuths:

I did as you suggested Richard and disconnected all the disk drives and removed the A-data RAM (the suppliers are going to swap it for another TwinMOS stick).

Still nothing on the screen - but - I noticed that when I disconnected the CD writer/DVD cable from the mobo IDE port, they both started firing up which they were not doing before (ie by virtue of the fact they are both connected to the power supply).

Thanks again for your help Richard, I will owe you a few pints when this is sorted!

btw the fan on the video card is also spinning (I assume it was before but didn't check) - which I assume is a good sign!

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

I am sure this is a RAM issue. Did you try with just the stick of A-Data? I am not convinced that the TwinMOS is a good stick of RAM. If you are going to swp out the RAM, have them give you a matched pair of Crucial RAM that is on the nForce Approved List:

nForceTM Memory Compatibility (http://www.nvidia.com/content/nForceMemoryCompatability/lstnForceMemoryCompatibility.asp)

As for the power supply, not all Power Supplies are created equal. You will need to look inside the case to find the sticker on the power supply for the information I am looking for. (Since you have an older GeForce card, power is not as critical as someone running a new GeForceFX card pulling 75W for the Vid Card alone.)

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

OK.

I will try the A-data RAM (was just about to send it back!)

The info relating to this power supply I posted above, ie:

3.3v/16A, 5v 20A, 12v/10A


16 amps on the 3.3 RAIL etc.

.......I have tried the A-data RAM on its own and still no joy I'm afraid.

Crucial technology RAM does not appear to be on the list that you have linked?

I am going to swap out the RAM for two matching sets. I have another supplier that does crucial technology.

Thanks again for your time.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Your power supply is weak. The 400W Antec Power Supply I listed above has these numbers:

3.3v - 28a
5v - 38a
12v - 18a

Max Combined Wattage 3.3v + 5v = 240W

For the future, it would be a good idea to look at getting a new power supply.

Right now, lets see if we can get the motherboard to boot.

Once we can get to the computer to boot I would like you to configure the computer like this:

Motherboard
CPU
RAM
AGP Video Card
1 Hard Drive on Primary Master
1 Optical Drive on Secondary Master
Keyboard
Mouse
Monitor

That should be enough to get your computer to install Windows without having Power Supply Issues.

Crucial is owned by Micron. It is their RAM. (You will find Micron on the list.)

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

After talking to the supplier, I have tried the motherboard again with one stick of RAM, checked the heat sink is attached properly, checked the CPU is not damaged etc etc etc.

Then I tested it again with a minimal setting outside the case to check the board was not shorting on the case.

No joy.

Also checked the graphics card to ensure it was not damaged in the changeover.

Looks like I have a duff motherboard, which would be unfortunate for a first attempt at a PC build!

So I have rebuilt my old system and the mobo is going back to the supplier!

Thanks for all your suggestions.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Sorry to hear it was a bad motherboard. (If the mobo is bad. Proper RAM with nForce is critical.)

Let us know what happens when you get the next motherboard.

Since you are sending the motherboard back, see if they will trade it in for an MSI K7N2 Delta-ILSR or an ASUS A7N8X-E Deluxe. (Both those mobos have Dolby Digital SoundStorm and SATA RAID. Good features for the future.)

nVidia's SoundStorm blows SB Live! away. ;)

Take Care,

Richard

[goates]

One thing you should be aware of if you want to use the SoundStorm audio on an nForce board is that it can only be used with digital speakers. If you use the analog speaker ports you only get audio from whatever cheap onboard audio system the motherboard manufacturer included which are worse than the SB Live! card. This is something that I never see mentioned when talking about SoundStorm audio, even on nVidia's site.

I've been using OCZ RAM with my Abit NF7-S nForce2 motherboard and haven't any troubles with it. It doesn't appear to be on the official nForce compatiblity list, but it was tested by Abit.

goates

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

goates,

I use the Logitech Z-680s for SoundStorm, MP3s and DVDs do sound fantastic on them.

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

'Twas, not surprisingly, my mistake in the setup.

I did not know that new PCs had two power connectors. And I had omitted to connected the 2nd.

Still it's worth posting it here for anyone who does not know!

It's working fine now, and thanks for your help.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

That is great news!

Let me guess, it was the 4 pin 12V Plug just behind the PS2 Plugs for the Keyboard and Mouse. (It supplies power directly to the CPU for added stability.)

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

it was the 4 pin 12V Plug just behind the PS2 Plugs for the Keyboard and Mouse

It was!!!

Cheers again for your expert advice. :ok:

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Always glad to help. Enjoy the Eye Candy from your new comp. ;)

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

This is an odd one -

Since trying to install a new CD writer, during which I had two drives set to 'Master' - which crashed the PC during BIOS:

The PC is now detecting the processor as a 1.3 GHz when it should be an AMD3000.

This I think means the processor is running 1Gh below it's capacity.

I have had a look in BIOS but can't see how to fix it. Any suggestions?

Thanks

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Your BIOS is booting in Safe Mode, you need to go in and change the FSB back to 166Mhz and you will be all set.

13 X 166 = 2.16Ghz

13 X 100 = 1.3Ghz

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

Done!!!

Cheers Richard you are a star!

So what happens if I set it to 200Mhz?

Is that what they call 'overclocking' - and can I do it without blowing the system!

Thanks

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

If you set it to 200Mhz you would be overclocking. I have my Athlon XP Barton 2500+ (1.83Ghz) running at 2.33Ghz, but I am running some extreme aftermarket cooling.

If you want to overclock your 3000+, I would first make sure you have at least PC-3200 (It should be high quality PC-3200 too.) and get a high performance heatsink and fan.

Take Care,

Richard

P.S. I am glad you are all set too. :ok:

[BahrainLad]

I think this thread serves to show how nice people are.

[Wedge]

I have recently formatted my C:/ drive and reinstalled windows (main reason to get rid of a trojan!)

Problem 1:

The same thing is happening again with the CPU registering at only 1.3Ghz; but this time when I went into BIOS it was already set at 166Mhz. I have tried it at 100/133/166 and 200 but it does the same every time.

Problem 2:

I had this PC networked to another previously through an Actiontec Wireless Gateway router. Although the internet is working, as you can see, I can't seem to get the LAN to work. I have tried running Windows network config on both PCs.

Any suggestions?

Many thanks

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Make sure you have the CPU to RAM Ratio set to 1:1

As for networking the two computers, make sure you have something shared on each machine, if not, there is nothing to see.

A little more detail on how you have setup the network protocols would help. (Otherwise we would need to go though every step on setting up a network.)

Take Care,

Richard

P.S. Here is an How To Setup a LAN (http://www.tweak3d.net/articles/network/) Guide.

[Wedge]

Thanks Richard.

I'm not sure how to set the CPU-RAM ratio. In BIOS (CMOS setup utility) I have the following options set:

System Performance Normal
FSB Frequency 166Mhz
Memory Frequency By SPD
Resulting Frequency 333 Mhz
AGP Frequency Normal

---------

Now I have a further problem, I tried installing some more drivers from the CD that came with the motherboard, and it has screwed the sound. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the SoundBlaster drivers but it is still not working. In fact every time I try to install the Sound I have always have terrible problems getting it to work. (Creative SB Live! Series).

Getting the LAN to work is the least of my worries, I will come to that when the above are fixed.

Please help, thanks.

Update - I have tried downloading the latest XP drivers fromt he Creative website and no joy.

I am wondering if this has anything to do with a conflict with integrated sound on the motherboard - I get a Windows message saying \'Multimedia Audio Controller\' detected when I reinstall the drivers.

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

It should be an option to set the:

FSB/DRAM Ratio 1:1

Then make sure the FSB is showing 166Mhz.

Lets take this one at a time. Pull out the Soundblaster and use the nVidia nForce Drivers (http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp) (This will add the motherboard, video, and sound drivers.

Then we will see where we are.

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

I have taken out the Soundblaster and installed Platform-nforce/unified driver/windows XP from that site.

I opted to install the IDE drivers as well when prompted.

Now what do I do? :confused:

Thanks

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

What is left to do? What is the status of your network connection and file sharing between the two computers?

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

Sorry I didn't make it clear -

I still have not fixed the problem with the processor.

I have installed the Nvidia drivers but have not reinstalled the sound card, so I still don't have any sound. I'm not sure if this motherboard does have any integrated sound, it does have the blue green and pink jacks in the back, and in device manager there is a crossed out device called:

Nvidia nforce audio codec interface

Do I need to reinstall the Soundblaster?

Thanks

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Unfortunately your motherboard does not have nVidia's SoundStorm Dolby Digital AC-3. You need to download the ALC-650 Codec from Realtek:

Realtek ALC-650 Driver (http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloads.aspx)

What is the CPU speed showing now?

Take Care,

Richard

[Wedge]

Am I going to be able to run the sound off the motherboard? If so where do I plug in the speakers?

Or do I need to install my SB Live again?

Sorry if these seem like silly questions!

Thanks a lot

[Wedge]

It was a switch on the motherboard that was wrongly set causing the CPU problem.

I am going to install Windows again and should have the drivers on a CD to run the sound off the motherboard.

Then I will try to set up the network again!

Thanks Richard -

One question - the support guy on the phone said you should never plug or unplug your keyboard with the power on as it carries a charge. For my and other's benefit, is this correct? Apart from USB is it safe to plug/unplug any cables with power on? eg sound cables?

Thanks again

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Do NOT use the Drivers on the CD. Download the latest Drivers from nVidia and Realtek and then burn them on to a CD so you have your drivers once you finish the install.

As for your Keyboard Question, it is not save to remove/plug in anything in the PS2 Ports. USB and Speakers are safe to hot plug.

Take Care,

Richard

[FJJP]

Wedge, we have just got to be related! You and computers = me and computers, bane of my life. At work, I'm IT manager as well as everything else, and they drive me nuts!

I hope you get your problems resolved soon. You just couldn't make all this up!

FJJP

[Wedge]

Thanks FJJP. I used to work in IT too but perhaps I left because computers just don't like me! I thought everyone had the same problems but perhaps computers dislike me more than others!

This started when my PC was infected with a trojan, which I could not get rid of so I did a C:/ drive format.

Thought we were getting somewhere yesterday, got the processor and the sound working, then when I tried to access the internet the USB ports were not working!!!! So I could not use my USB wireless internet receiver.

Anyway, I had already used the CD drivers, but since the system was not working anyway I am reinstalling Windows again and will use the drivers you suggest Richard. Hopefully it will work this time!

[Wedge]

......and at last it is almost done.

Everything working now except for the network, which I will fix at a later date!

Not without all kinds of problems - nearly lost all my backed up data on CD when the Roxio Retrieve utility went tits up!

Is it just me or does everyone have these problems!!

Thanks for the advice Richard, you were spot on about installing the latest drivers because when I originally did use the ones on the CD yesterday nothing worked, including the internet!

I did install my SoundBlaster again because the sound is digital and amazingly it worked first time! I think the problem was not disabling the onboard sound on the motherboard.

Thanks again for your help!!

Cheers

[Naples Air Center, Inc.]

Wedge,

Using SoundBlaster is fine, just use the latest drivers. ;)

Take Care,

Richard

P.S. If you need more help, let me know.