[PsychoCoder]

Ok, before I tear the rest of my hair out someone please help

Changed my wife's motherboard with a new one and a new processor. When I plug it in you can hear the HDD's booting up, but the monitor never turns on. Everything is plugged in correctly (according to the MD's user guide) and I know the PSU is large enough (800 watt Roswell).

Anyone got any ideas?

[Core]

I encountered such a problem if the motherboard has an integrated video adaptor and a secondary video card. If you plug the monitor in the secondary one, but the BIOS is set to the primary card, the image won't show. Not sure if this applies to your specific case though.

[PsychoCoder]

This MB doesn't have on-board video

[Core]

Well, then I have other ideas:

• Try re-seating the video card in the MB.
  
• If it is a dual-monitor card, check if it will detect the display on another output connector.
  
• If the ones above don't work, disconnect you monitor from the card and turn it on - possibly the monitor is not working. You will see a 'No cable detected' message if it works.
  
• Insert an older video card and see if it works. Possibly, the video card became faulty. Same applies to the MB.

That's pretty much the basic list.

[PsychoCoder]

The MB is brand new, I don't have a spare PCI Express video card (but her card working in my computer). I don't even get the system beep when you first turn the computer on. Monitor works because I hooked it to her laptop and it works fine

[Core]

I would assume that the problem is hidden somewhere in the MB or the BIOS settings. There is a slight chance that some capacitors are not working (check http://www.badcaps.net). Also, try a different power supply. This may sound weird, but sometimes the faulty power supply can cause such problems.

[AdamSpeight2008]

Does the MB have any LEDs on it? Some flash a sequence which can be deciphered to the source of the problem.

This post has been edited by AdamSpeight2008: 12 March 2009 - 05:35 PM

[no2pencil]

If the bios splash screen doesn't come up... I have no idea. Are there jumper settings to designate AGP/PCI?

[DeCompile]

Firstly you'll want to check whether the motherboard can actually respond properly.

Take out all the RAM that is installed into your RAM slots, power the PC on. Almost immediately the system speaker should beep it's little heart out.

That tells you two things:

1. The motherboard is working correctly.
2. There appears to be a problem related to the memory.

Then put one memory module back in. Power the machine back up, wait for the all is Ok system beep. If you get that then wait for a display of sorts. If you don't get that, shut down the PC and replace that memory module with another one.

Let us know how you get on.

[PsychoCoder]

Ok, motherboard is operating right (removed all memory and she beeped her little heart out). I removed all RAM sticks and tried one at a time. The computer will boot with a single 1GB RAM module in. When you try to run more than1 the monitors wont turn on, but it will boot with each stick individually

[AdamSpeight2008]

Is that 2 x 1Gb of RAM? or 1 x 1Gb and another of a different size.

[PsychoCoder]

I have 4 1GB sticks of PNY DDR2 800 (4 matching sticks). It will boot with each stick one at a time, but wont boot with multiple sticks. I've never seen anything like this before

[AdamSpeight2008]

Could be a bad slot.
Try 2 sticks, then 3.

[no2pencil]

Or try the one stick in all the slots.

1 each stick in the known working slots.

[PsychoCoder]

Question, standard memory for this MD is DDRII 1066, I'm using DDR2 800, does that make a difference? I can run 1GB chip in 2 different color slots and that's it.

By the way, this is the motherboard in question. It says it supports DDR21066, would the fact that my memory is DDR2800 be the issue?