First time builder. Issues! Please help!

[dunnywoods]

Hi all.
Ok so I decided to build my own PC, here are my specs:

ASUS M4189GTD PRO/USB3 Motherboard
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Processor
8GB (4GBx2) DDR3. 1333MHz. Corsair Memory
950W Powercool PSU
500GB Western Digital Hard Drive
23" Samsung Monitor

I also have a ATI Radeon HD 5770 Graphics card which I haven't installed yet.
Additionally I am waiting on my Samsung Blu-Ray disc drive and Windows 7 but I do have access to another disc drive from my old PC until it arrives and I am using Ubuntu until Windows 7 comes.

So, the very first time I booted was fine, the "New CPU installed!" message came up and I entered BIOS and configured the settings. And everything seem to be working great except the screen had a really bad fuzzy/grainy effect on it. So it rebooted after I configured BIOS and the "New CPU installed message!" came up again. I pressed F2 to continue and installed Ubuntu. After some tweaking about with the graphics settings and screen configuration settings I finally got rid of the screen fuzz and I thought I was on my way. Then the next time I booted up the "New CPU installed!" message was back along with the screen fuzz. I tried reinstalling the CPU and I cleared CMOS. This got rid of the screen fuzz issue and the "New CPU installed!" message. Until the next time I booted up. I also began to have problems with my memory. The MemOK! light will continuously flash now whenever I turn on and I can't actually boot unless I clear CMOS (which I am worried about doing to often). It seems to me like the computer can't recognise/ save any of the settings I have previously entered so everytime time I boot up all the problems I thought I had fixed just reappear. I haven't tried a BIOS update yet because it is extremely tricky on Ubuntu and so I was planning on waiting until I got 7 to try a BIOS upgrade. Which I hope will fix my issues. But if anyone has any ideas of what could be causing these problems it would be greatly helped because I am a novice at computer building and may have bitten off more than I can chew for my first attempt.

Thanks for any help.
Duncan Woods

 

[~Darkseeker~]

i've watched 'Powercool' PSUs do some damage to PCs, could be that the board has been damaged by the unit.

 

[dunnywoods]

Ok, thanks. Is there anyway that I could check to see if the PSU has caused any damage? I mean I can still get the computer on and running in a stable state aslong as I clear CMOS. Could you also tell me if clearing CMOS to frequenlt has a negative effect on the computer?

 

[~Darkseeker~]

Google should provide some results for how to test a PSU, and also ways to test most every other component.

Also, i dont think continuous CMOS clearing would cause damage.

 

[pcworld]

i agree with ~Darkseeker~ post.. you should
try to check.. and also the setting's on it.

 

[dunnywoods]

Ok thanks guys. It turns out that once I cleared CMOS (again) and then installed Windows and used a new DVI cable all my problems were sorted out and I had my computer running great. I shutdown for the night about and hour ago though and then moved my computer into my desk off my bed where I've had it while I've been trying to get it to work. Anyway so once I moved it and reconnected everything the computer wouldn't boot at all, well the power comes on and the disc drive and hardrive turn on but there is no beep which you usually get at start up and nothing appears on screen. When I picked up the computer to move it I got a slight electric shock when I accidentally touched the power socket where the power cable connects to the PSU. Im really going I haven't short cicuited the system and fried any hardware?

 

[cjphalen]

You might have short circuited your computer... But the problem your having has to do with the CPU, if you have the wrong on installed, the screen won't turn on. Did you have the computer laying on it's side when it was on your bed? If so try putting it on it's side again and see if it starts up. If it does then you do not have the motherboard screwed in all the way

 

[dunnywoods]

Thanks cjphalen. I think that's the issue because I everytime I have moved it under my desk I have had problems. I unplugged it and turned it back on its side and it booted again. I have taken everything out of my case now and I am going to reassemble everything and make sure it is all sturdy. then put it under my desk connect everything up and see if it boots.

 

[cjphalen]

ok sounds good. if it doesn't work we can try other things lol

 

[dunnywoods]

Ok. So I took the entire computer apart and made sure I reinstalled everything firm and secure. I stood the PC up like it should be. Turned it on and it booted up. Everything is now running fine it seems. Except I got the New CPU installed message again after rebooting a couple of times. Do you think a BIOS upgrade would fix this. Also the funny thing is that if I change my boot priorty to boot from optical drive first then this message doesn't come up. Only when I set my hard drive as 1st priorty boot does the message appear...