Mac Hick -- it won't start

[Barton Brown]

I just fired up my first homebuilt PC (from a Soyo barebones kit): the
pretty lights came on, it sounded like the drive was spinning up, and
then, after no more than five seconds, it simply shut down. No attempt
to restart it has been successful. I don't know where to go from here.

I *do* have my suspicions: though Soyo claims this is a 350 watt power
supply, the specs checked on the side of the PS run like so:

Rexpower PX-350
Output:
+3.3V@20A
+5V@40A
Max: 200W
+12v@16A
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

This sounds pretty weak-dick to me.

Is there some sort of reset I should try -- CMOS clear, maybe?

The system:
Soyo K7VME/Athlon 2800XP+ (Barton)/Thermaltake TR2 M2, in Soyo's
notorious power-supply-right-on-top-of-cpu-fan case
Ultra PC2700 DDR 333MHz 512MB x 2
Chaintech GeForce FX 5700 / 256MB DDR / AGP 8X
Western Digital Caviar 200GB HD (Default/Cable Select on IDE1) -- is
THIS correct? The HD is the only device on IDE1, connected to the last
connector on the ribbon.
52X generic CD-ROM drive (Master on IDE2)
Megastor (NEC) Dual Layer DVD Burner combo drive (Slave on IDE2)
Mitsumi FDD/multi-media reader

CPU FSB Jumper (JP3) set to 166MHz (for 333MHz FSB) -- is THIS correct?

And yes, I bought Microsoft Windows XP Home Full Version -- obviously
not yet installed...

Help!

Bart Brown

 

[Dave C.]

I just fired up my first homebuilt PC (from a Soyo barebones kit): the
pretty lights came on, it sounded like the drive was spinning up, and then,
after no more than five seconds, it simply shut down. No attempt to restart
it has been successful. I don't know where to go from here.

Help!

Bart Brown

Stupid question . . . is the CPU fan plugged in? -Dave

 

[Barton Brown]

There are no stupid questions. Yes, it's plugged in. I just cleared CMOS
(and I unplugged the ATX power connector first), buttoned it all back
up, and re-fired (holding the delete key down to get into BIOS). Same
lights, same 5 seconds, same shutdown...

Thanks

Bart

 

[Matt]

There are no stupid questions. Yes, it's plugged in. I just cleared CMOS
(and I unplugged the ATX power connector first), buttoned it all back
up, and re-fired (holding the delete key down to get into BIOS). Same
lights, same 5 seconds, same shutdown...

Thanks

Bart

I would use some general troubleshooting techniques. I would try
simplifying the setup by removing everything (namely drives, second RAM
stick) that you don't need to POST. Try a different power supply and a
different video card if you can.

 

[Dave C.]

There are no stupid questions. Yes, it's plugged in. I just cleared CMOS
(and I unplugged the ATX power connector first), buttoned it all back up,
and re-fired (holding the delete key down to get into BIOS). Same lights,
same 5 seconds, same shutdown...

Thanks

Bart

Instead of holding down the DEL key, bounce on it. If you can get into BIOS
setup, set HALT ON to "NO errors". That won't solve your problem, but it
might allow the system to run more than 5 seconds.

It almost sounds like the power switch might be sticking. You know . . .
turn it on, system comes on, senses power switch, waits 4 seconds like it's
programmed to, SHUTS DOWN. Re-check your connections between case and
motherboard. If power switch cable is on wrong pins, maybe that would do
it. -Dave

 

[Barton Brown]

I'll check that out -- thanks, Dave!

Bart

 

[Barton Brown]

I'll try that route -- thanks!

Bart

 

[Mac Cool]

Barton Brown:

after no more than five seconds, it simply shut down

Five seconds is about the length of time it takes for a cold processor to
overheat. If it shuts down in less than five seconds on successive
attempts, then heat is your problem.

I doubt your problem is the PS, it's possible, but it's not the first
thing I would check.

 

[Matt]

Barton Brown:




Five seconds is about the length of time it takes for a cold processor to
overheat. If it shuts down in less than five seconds on successive
attempts, then heat is your problem.

And he should check whether the cooler is mounted correctly, with grease
or other heat transfer material.

 

[Barton Brown]

Mac Cool wrote:


And he should check whether the cooler is mounted correctly, with grease
or other heat transfer material.

All I can say is that the CPU fan is correctly mounted (with Arctic
Silver 5) and its fan spins up immediately...

Thanks!

Bart

 

[JAD]

If you are ABSOLUTELY sure that the CPU is seated all the way in the
socket and the HSF is correctly mounted. Then you have to strip down
the system to bare bones. PSU - CPU_HSF - one module of memory- video
card -

No Post Video? - pull plug - short cmos jumper (alt.pull battery)1
minute or so

plug in - reboot. still no video? no beeps or voices talking to you?
Main board defect..?

the only way to know, is to try what you can in another machine AFA
the cards are concerned. The PSU, well you either have to test it or,
if you rule out the cards and MB.... replace it

this kind of scenario is hard to diagnose

if you can, pull the guts of the rig out on the bench, MB and all,
see if its a case contact problem

 

[Mac Cool]

Barton Brown:

All I can say is that the CPU fan is correctly mounted (with Arctic
Silver 5) and its fan spins up immediately...

If possible, go into the bios and check the cpu temp before shutdown.

Temp may not be your problem, but if everything is working perfectly for 5
seconds and then 'bam!' it shuts down, it's a good indicator of
overheating.

If your CPU, RAM, vid card or motherboard were bad, chances are you
wouldn't get 5 seconds, you would get nothing or beeping.

Sometimes it's just easier to tear everything apart and start over being
double careful. If it doesn't work the 2nd time, it is time to start
checking for bad hardware.

 

[Barton Brown]

If possible, go into the bios and check the cpu temp before shutdown.

I can't get that far... yet.

If your CPU, RAM, vid card or motherboard were bad, chances are you
wouldn't get 5 seconds, you would get nothing or beeping.

That's some comfort, thanks!

Sometimes it's just easier to tear everything apart and start over being
double careful. If it doesn't work the 2nd time, it is time to start
checking for bad hardware.

I'm afraid you're right -- I'm going to strip down to the board, PSU,
and CPU, to at least do a visual on the Athlon, then remount the
Thermaltake fan, check, add one memory stick, check, add the graphics
card, check, add the hard drive, check...

It's been an education, I'll tell ya -- I hate to say it (especially in
THIS forum!), but I've been spoiled by 14 years of working on Macs
exclusively. Maybe I've forgotten what it was like in the early days
with the Mac, but it seems almost everything was *truly* plug 'n' play.
When my UMAX SuperMac clone got a little long in the tooth, I bought a
G3 PCI daughtercard, and an Initio Miles UltraWide RAID controller
hooked up to two Seagate Barracudas -- put 'em all in the box in less
than an hour, reset the CUDA, and fired it up. No hiccups, no drama,
everything worked the first time and hasn't stopped yet, four years later.

I'll wrestle this PC into life eventually...

Thanks again!

Bart

 

[Raymond]

Try master setting on the HD.