PCChips M981G

[bobchoboy]

Anyone have any luck with this motherboard? Any assistance would be
appreciated. Here's the text of the Help request I sent to PCChips....

I attempted to power on the M981G motherboard, and while all connected
fans run and the red LED illuminates on the mainboard, the board does
not boot to the BIOS. No video, no beeps, no nothing -- just the
whirring of the fans. Yes, I've put jumper JP1 on pins 1-2. I've also
tried the DDR RAM in all 3 slots on the board.

Here are links to what I purchased from TigerDirect. Note that the DDR
RAM I purchased is NOT Dual Channel DDR. Is this the problem, perhaps?

MotherBoard/CPU bundle:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1423508&CatId=0

CPU:

DDR RAM:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1087946

 

[BruceM]

Very stupid question but did you get a fan as well to put on the CPU?
I couldn't see it mentioned?
If you have the fan on then I suspect mouse or keyboard not being detected
perhaps.

 

[bobchoboy]

Yes, I do have the CPU heatsink and fan attached. Sorry for the
confusion. As for the keyboard and mouse, they are indeed plugged into
the appropriate PS/2 ports and both devices work fine on other PCs, so
I don't suspect they are the problem although the symptoms do point in
that direction.

 

[BruceM]

OK, another silly question.
Are you using the "onboard" grapgics or have you put a video card in?
If using onboard is it enabled either by jumpers or in the bios?
I don't have the manual here so other than downloading it I'm guessing.
Old PCChips boards had to have the memory in a certain socket to enable the
onboard video too? (Number 1 slot from memory?)

 

[bobchoboy]

I'm using the onboard graphics capability, and have the DDR RAM chip
inserted in DIMM1 of the DIMM1-DIMM3 slots. But just to keep you
posted of a late-breaking development, I THINK I may have a possible
solution.

I installed the motherboard in a late-90's vintage ATX case, equipped
with a 250W power supply. I thought that would work just fine, but I'm
starting to suspect not. During the course of the investigation, I
stumbled upon this on the Intel web site:

http://www.intel.com/support/platform/pentium4/cases.htm

Essentially what it tells me is "A Pentium 4 processor-based PC
requires an additional 12-volt power connector like the one provided
with an ATX12V † power supply. The power supply should have a minimum
current rating of 8-10 amps for the 12V output."

I noticed the 4-pin, 12-volt power connector on the motherboard, but
being the idiot I am, I just figured it was optional. Besides, my
power supply didn't have the matching output connector for it anyway!

So bottom line, I don't think my power supply is compatible with the
new board. I'm at my place of employment right now and have managed to
find an ATX12V power supply equipped with all the required outputs, so
I'm going to give it the old college try when I go home tonight. I'll
let you know how it works out.

Thanks for your replies and suggestions....

 

[dk]

Hi,

In the past I have had problems with PC Chips boards not booting because the
clear CMOS jumper was in the wrong place, or the manual had the wrong jumper
position. Try checking this.

I have returned a board before, only to discover the replacement doing the
same, that`s when I found out what was wrong.

 

[BruceM]

That's the problem.......... for sure.


I'm using the onboard graphics capability, and have the DDR RAM chip
inserted in DIMM1 of the DIMM1-DIMM3 slots. But just to keep you
posted of a late-breaking development, I THINK I may have a possible
solution.

I installed the motherboard in a late-90's vintage ATX case, equipped
with a 250W power supply. I thought that would work just fine, but I'm
starting to suspect not. During the course of the investigation, I
stumbled upon this on the Intel web site:

http://www.intel.com/support/platform/pentium4/cases.htm

Essentially what it tells me is "A Pentium 4 processor-based PC
requires an additional 12-volt power connector like the one provided
with an ATX12V ? power supply. The power supply should have a minimum
current rating of 8-10 amps for the 12V output."

I noticed the 4-pin, 12-volt power connector on the motherboard, but
being the idiot I am, I just figured it was optional. Besides, my
power supply didn't have the matching output connector for it anyway!

So bottom line, I don't think my power supply is compatible with the
new board. I'm at my place of employment right now and have managed to
find an ATX12V power supply equipped with all the required outputs, so
I'm going to give it the old college try when I go home tonight. I'll
let you know how it works out.

Thanks for your replies and suggestions....

 

[bobchoboy]

Yes indeed, my problem has been solved. The missing 4-pin 12-volt
connector on the outdated 250W power supply was the culprit. Once I
upgraded to an ATX12V supply, the board booted and I was on my way.

Thanks for your interest and your suggestions.

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

The missing 4-pin 12-volt connector on the outdated
250W power supply was the culprit. Once I upgraded to
an ATX12V supply, the board booted and I was on my way.

I had a different PC Chips mobo, a M825G, and originally I thought that
all the +12V connections were tied together on the mobo. I was hoping
for this because I had an old PSU I wanted to use that didn't have a
ATX12V connector, and my CPU needed only about 3A @ +12V, well below
the maximum 6-9A rating of each connector pin. But when I measured the
individual yellow +12V wires, I found that all the +12V current flowed
through the ATX12V wires, and apparently the sole +12V wire on the
20-pin connector was connected only to the PCI slots.

BTW this mobo quit running after 3-4 hours of testing (outside the
case). I couldn't figure out why, but all the voltages, including CPU
and DDR memory, measured OK, and the CPU and memory module still work.