Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L can't get it to post or boot up. Can you help me please?

[soarwitheagles]

Ok, this system worked literally flawless for 18 months, since the day I first built it. I gave this system to friend yesterday after I removed a MSI 9600 GSO 512mb. I also gave him a EVGA GeForce GTS 250 to install once he got the rig to his house.

He called me this morning to say, after he installed the new GPU, the system will not boot.

I went to his house this evening. Sure enough, when I hit the power button, the computer turns on, the CPU fan spins, the GPU fan spins. The lights on the MB turn on [light up] but no post, nothing on the screen. Also, when I installed the speaker button to listen to beep messages, nada. No beeps at all. Yet, all four phase LED's light up.

Here is the system:

Q6600 CPU
Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L
EVGA GeForce GTS 250
Sunbeam 120 CPU Cooler
Ator Super Charge 700 Watt SC PSU
OCZ PC2 6400 RAM 800MHz 2x2GB=4GB
Thermaltake M-9 Case
LG Super Multi DVD burner
WD 320 HD
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

Can someone help me troubleshoot this. I am at a complete loss of what to do.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Soar

[Dark Mantis]

Hello again soar
Another day, another problem eh?
It would sound like a power problem. Have you checked all the connections, especially the EATX 12v and the extra ones to the graphics card?

[soarwitheagles]

Hello again soar
Another day, another problem eh?
It would sound like a power problem. Have you checked all the connections, especially the EATX 12v and the extra ones to the graphics card?

Hi again DM.  Top of the morning to you there!  Thanks for replying to my post.

Ok, yes I did check the PSU and all connections.  I even switched out the GPU connectors to another connector from the 700w PSU.

Is there anything else I could try?

Soar

PS BTW, I sent back the p55A-ud3 this morning after receiving a RMA number from Gigabyte!

[Dark Mantis]

I dont suppose that you have the original graphics card with you now?

[Fatman]

Try Re-seating the GPU and ram.

[soarwitheagles]

I dont suppose that you have the original graphics card with you now?

DM, I actually do have the original MSI 9600 GSO.  Yes, I did carefully remove the EVGA 250 GTS and reinstall the original MSI 9600 GSO as soon as I got home.  Still no change.

Just now I unplugged the ATX 12 volt plug, then tried to boot without it.  The same exact symptoms:

[the computer turns on, the CPU fan spins, the GPU fan spins. The lights on the MB turn on [light up] but no post, nothing on the screen. Also, when I installed the speaker button to listen to beep messages, nada. No beeps at all. Yet, all four phase LED's light up.]

Next, I plugged in the second ATX 12 volt plug from the PSU, still the same exact symptoms.  Any suggestions:

I was thinking about throwing a volt meter on the ATX 12v plug, but I want to be careful...my hair is very straight and I have no need to unintentionally straighten it out with a big shock!

Soar

[soarwitheagles]

Try Re-seating the GPU and ram.

Fatman,

Thanks for the suggestion.  Yes, I already tried that 3 times.  I also tried putting the RAM in 1+3 slots, then 2+4 slots.  Still no go.

Is it possible my nice friend accidently damaged something when he installed the new GPU?

What else can I check or test?

Soar

[Dark Mantis]

Well hopefully your new motherboard won't take long to arrive and then you can get back to playing..I mean working!

You can check the voltage sout no problem. They aren't high enough to give you a shock as long as you don't open the PSU up.The black wires are grounds (0v) the red are 5v and the yellow are 12v. The thing is we know that yopur power supply is working or the fans etc wouldn't run. It could be that it isn't supplying enough power under load but we will discount thta for now.

I would say the next thing is to clear the CMOS and load the BIOS optimised default settings. If you can't remember how to do that we now have a run down in our FAQ section.

Post back when you have done that.

[soarwitheagles]

Well hopefully your new motherboard won't take long to arrive and then you can get back to playing..I mean working!

You can check the voltage sout no problem. They aren't high enough to give you a shock as long as you don't open the PSU up.The black wires are grounds (0v) the red are 5v and the yellow are 12v. The thing is we know that yopur power supply is working or the fans etc wouldn't run. It could be that it isn't supplying enough power under load but we will discount thta for now.

I would say the next thing is to clear the CMOS and load the BIOS optimised default settings. If you can't remember how to do that we now have a run down in our FAQ section.

Post back when you have done that.

DM,

I already did that {clear the CMOS and load the BIOS optimised default settings.] [removed the battery, placed jumper on the CMOS clear pins for one full minute].

What next dear friend?  Would you like me to check the voltages on the 4 prong ATX 12v line?

Soar

[Dark Mantis]

Well in that case it is either that your friend fried something(maybe didn't ground himself before opening the case up) or the power supply has gone south.

[Dark Mantis]

You could try removing everything from the motherboard except the ram and processor also leave the heatsink and fan on the cpu!(and beeper) and try and reboot. Let me know if you get any response at all.

[soarwitheagles]

You could try removing everything from the motherboard except the ram and processor also leave the heatsink and fan on the cpu!(and beeper) and try and reboot. Let me know if you get any response at all.

DM,

Now I really feel 100% dumb!  I found the problem.  The good news is that you were exactly right...it was a power problem....

Can you guess what?  The one thing I probably should have looked at first...and now I have ambivalent feelings: mad because I didn't check it first thing [I just lost 3 hours time, one hour driving, two hours troubleshooting], glad because the system is back to running flawlessly.

I am also glad because in the future, I will do my very best to check it first thing before all else...

Ok, I know this is not jeopardy, but would you like to guess before I post it?

Soar

 

[Dark Mantis]

Ok, motherboard connnection not in?  No, no hard drive to boot from? Switch on PSU to 240v?

[soarwitheagles]

Ok, motherboard connnection not in?  No, no hard drive to boot from?

Good guess, yes, you got it!

Here in the USA [I am not sure about Europe on this], nearly all PSU's are manufactured with a 110v/220v switch on the back of the PSU.  Yeah, you guessed it, one of us while either packing/unpacking or moving this unit must have accidently slid the power switch from 110v. to 220v.  As soon as I saw that, I switched it over, crossed my fingers, and made a great big wish that we did not damage something in our ignorance and foolishness...then I pushed the button, and presto, the rig fired right up!

Ok, please forgive me everyone for missing such an obvious mistake on our part.  No excuse, I apologize.

I promise to be more careful in the future.

Thanks and sorry again for the trouble.

BTW, two months ago I sent a computer to Asia.  We were not so lucky on that one!  I did not switch the PSU from 110v. to 220v.  My friend there did not check it before plugging it in...Swwooooooossshhhh and kabooooooom.  One totally fried PSU.  Many nations in Asia use 220-240v.  Apparently plugging in a PSU with the 110 switch on into a 220v source is a very, very big no no!

Thanks again!

Oh, one more question:  Is it possible we did do some damage by plugging this unit into a 110v. source while PSU was on the 220v. switch?

It's me,

Soar

[Fatman]

Glad you got it sorted