A7N8X-E Deluxe no video issue help. :(

[derek]

So I just bought this piece of crap a few days ago and seem to be
running into the same issues that everyone else is. No video.

At first, I thought it was the AGP slot so I brought it back to the
store and tried to exchange it. Of course, it worked in the store so
now I'm stuck with this thing.

(Hardware : Barton 2500+ CPU, 2x 512 MB PC2700 RAM (not corsair),
AGP 4x GF4 video card (1.5v), Enermax 350W Power Supply)

So far, I've tried multiple AGP video cards (both 1.5v), different
processor, different ram and clearing the CMOS plus the electrical
tape.

I actually got the video going yesterday when I put the board on a
piece of cardboard with only the CPU, RAM and video card attached but
as soon as it goes in the case (2nd case I've tried), no more video.
So I suppose the board is shorting out on the two cases somewhere.

I've tried the electrical tape underneath the board at the brass screw
contact points but it isn't doing anything. Maybe I'm not doing it
correctly. What I've done is take little bits of electrical tape and
put it in between the brass screws and the main board, placed the
mainboard on top and then used the screws + red insulating washers
with no results.

I need some help here cause I'm fresh out of ideas.

Derek

 

[Gordon Scott]

So I just bought this piece of crap a few days ago and seem to be
running into the same issues that everyone else is. No video.

At first, I thought it was the AGP slot so I brought it back to the
store and tried to exchange it. Of course, it worked in the store so
now I'm stuck with this thing.

(Hardware : Barton 2500+ CPU, 2x 512 MB PC2700 RAM (not corsair),
AGP 4x GF4 video card (1.5v), Enermax 350W Power Supply)

So far, I've tried multiple AGP video cards (both 1.5v), different
processor, different ram and clearing the CMOS plus the electrical
tape.

I actually got the video going yesterday when I put the board on a
piece of cardboard with only the CPU, RAM and video card attached but
as soon as it goes in the case (2nd case I've tried), no more video.
So I suppose the board is shorting out on the two cases somewhere.

I've tried the electrical tape underneath the board at the brass screw
contact points but it isn't doing anything. Maybe I'm not doing it
correctly. What I've done is take little bits of electrical tape and
put it in between the brass screws and the main board, placed the
mainboard on top and then used the screws + red insulating washers
with no results.

I need some help here cause I'm fresh out of ideas.

Derek

the piece of crap is prolly your $15 case

 

[seeker]

how about trying it with the PS NOT bolted in to the case??

also test without the usually coonected case wires...that is led,
etc...use a screwdriver to temp short the two START terminals...but be
careful....bad ps?

btw...insultating my wahers/tape may not be helpful since the mounting
holes are 'plated thru and likely the side of at least one scew is
touching.


another check....put it back on the cardboard outside the case...if it
works...conect a jumper from and/all mounting holes to the case or ps
housing.

 

[Paul]

So I just bought this piece of crap a few days ago and seem to be
running into the same issues that everyone else is. No video.

At first, I thought it was the AGP slot so I brought it back to the
store and tried to exchange it. Of course, it worked in the store so
now I'm stuck with this thing.

(Hardware : Barton 2500+ CPU, 2x 512 MB PC2700 RAM (not corsair),
AGP 4x GF4 video card (1.5v), Enermax 350W Power Supply)

So far, I've tried multiple AGP video cards (both 1.5v), different
processor, different ram and clearing the CMOS plus the electrical
tape.

I actually got the video going yesterday when I put the board on a
piece of cardboard with only the CPU, RAM and video card attached but
as soon as it goes in the case (2nd case I've tried), no more video.
So I suppose the board is shorting out on the two cases somewhere.

I've tried the electrical tape underneath the board at the brass screw
contact points but it isn't doing anything. Maybe I'm not doing it
correctly. What I've done is take little bits of electrical tape and
put it in between the brass screws and the main board, placed the
mainboard on top and then used the screws + red insulating washers
with no results.

I need some help here cause I'm fresh out of ideas.

Derek

Some info on ground for you;

1) There are three ways that ground gets connected to the motherboard.
a) Via the COM pins on the ATX 20 pin power connector. These are
return current pins, but as far as I know, will be connected to
safety ground inside the PS.
b) Via a brass standoff touching the plated copper on the bottom
of the motherboard, as well as the body of the metal screw touching
the inside of the plated hole. To insulate a standoff properly,
you need to use a nylon screw plus put tape on the top of the
brass standoff. Better yet, find a nylon standoff.
c) Via the EMI spring contacts near the back plate. The purpose of
the spring fingers, among other things, is to divert noise on the
ground shield on cables, into the case and then back to the power
supply. It is pretty hard to insulate these fingers, except to
perhaps not use the backing plate. (I/ve never tried that.)
Busting off the spring fingers would void the warranty

2) A power supply usually comes with three power plug pins on it. Two
are for connection to your flavor of wall current (120/220/50/60Hz),
while the third one is a safety ground. A little known fact, is that
the power supply will have a filter network on the front end of
the supply, and its purpose is to prevent switching noise from
the power supply from being "broadcast" to the world. But, the use
of the filter network also means that a small amount of AC current
from the wall is injected into the safety ground. This is a "leakage"
current, that normally flows into the safety ground without you
even knowing about it.

Now, imagine somehow, you found an extension cord for the computer,
that only has the two power pins, but no safety ground. (It could
be, like an old house I used to live in, that the house was only
wired with two pin power, in which case rewiring the house would
be required, to gain the function of the third safety ground pin.)

Without the safety ground, you may find touching the case of the
computer, or any equipment connected to the computer that is also
lacking the safety ground connection, that you'll get a shock.

So, finding a method of safely grounding the third pin on the
power supply, is important to avoid any "shocking" situations
or say, blowing out your stereo with "hum" when connecting the
computer audio output to it.

As for your original problem, I don't understand how a grounding
problem would prevent the video output from working. But I guess
stranger things have happened.

HTH,
Paul

 

[Noozer]

If it works, why would they take it back?

So now you know that there's a problem with how it's going into the case.

Bad... Those standoffs are supposed to ground the mainboard.

Things to look for:

- Standoff in the wrong place or extra standoffs?
- Screw head too wide, getting a circuit trace underneath and grounding it
out?
- Cards/memory/power cable not going all the way into the mainboard because
it flexes too much when mounted inside the case?

Things to try:
- Unscrew the mainboard from the case. Put a piece or two of paper
underneath so you know that no metal can touch the mainboard. Will it boot
inside the case now? If so, you have a standoff wrong. If not, you have
something plugged in poorly - start removing stuff.
- Build the mainboard up as much OUTSIDE the case as you can - memory, CPU,
heatsink so you don't have to push on the mainboard once the PC is in the
case.
- DON'T screw in the AGP card. These cards come out of the slot easy and if
the case is warped at all it will make the card lift up.