First Build Troubleshooting, Please Help

[Crimsoneye]

Last night I finally got the last piece(the CPU fan) for my new build. Other than that fan I have been looking at dozens of sites and videos on how to put it together. I finally plugged everything in and pushed the power button and nothing happened. No lights, no fans spinning, no beeping, nothing. It was very anticlimactic. Tonight, when I get home, I'm going to try a few things to test the parts.

Here is the setup
HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tent-_-text-_-
DVD drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tent-_-text-_-
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tent-_-text-_-
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tent-_-text-_-
Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tent-_-text-_-
Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tent-_-text-_-
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tent-_-text-_-
CPU fan: http://www.xoxide.com/scythe-katana3-cpu-cooler.html

What I've tried: 1 yes it is plugged in. 2 yes the PSU is turned on(the I is pushed down instead of the O). 3 I have tried plugging it into both the powerstrip(which was turned on) and straight to the wall. 4 I was initially using a power cord from my old computer(so I know it worked) but just in case, tried the one that came with the PSU anyway.

The Plan:

Test 1: Test the power switch by unhooking the case's power button from the mobo and touching the 2 pins together with a screwdriver to get the connection started. (as recommended in post 4 paragraph 3 http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6122_102...hreadID=130540)

Test 2: Check the power supply by unhooking everything except for a case fan, shoving a paperclip in 2 of the holes from the green wire to any black wire, in order to jump start the PSU. (as recommended on the support forums for OCZ http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/fo...power-supplies.)

Test 3: Since everything is already unhooked (assuming the PSU is ok), just going to hook everything back together and see if it starts.

Question 1: The case I got has 4 case fans that that each hook up to a cord that is attached to the power supply and motherboard. The end that connects to the motherboard is a female 4 pin while the board has a male 3 pin. So far I've just randomly chosen one of the four pins to not fill, is there any correct way to plug these in?

Question 2: The PSU came with the 24 pin connector, an 8 pin connector, and a 4 pin connector. The mobo only accepts the 4 pin connector by the CPU and the 24 pin connector. I have the 8 pin connector just hanging around with no possible place to put it, do i need to do something with it?

Does anyone know of any other tests or anything else I can try in the lineup of troubleshooting?

If you need pics later I'll get them when I get home from work.

Thanks for any help

[Remeniz]

Originally Posted by Crimsoneye

Question 1: The case I got has 4 case fans that that each hook up to a cord that is attached to the power supply and motherboard. The end that connects to the motherboard is a female 4 pin while the board has a male 3 pin. So far I've just randomly chosen one of the four pins to not fill, is there any correct way to plug these in?

You'll find the locking lug offset on the plug that terminates the fan. This lug has to lock into the 3 pin plug. The 4 pin connector will only fit one way on the 3 pin plug.

Originally Posted by Crimsoneye

Question 2: The PSU came with the 24 pin connector, an 8 pin connector, and a 4 pin connector. The mobo only accepts the 4 pin connector by the CPU and the 24 pin connector. I have the 8 pin connector just hanging around with no possible place to put it, do i need to do something with it?

Thats fine.

What case do you have and have you mounted the motherboard on stand-off's?

[Crimsoneye]

Originally Posted by Remeniz

You'll find the locking lug offset on the plug that terminates the fan. This lug has to lock into the 3 pin plug. The 4 pin connector will only fit one way on the 3 pin plug.

I thought I was able to fit it in 2 different ways but maybe not, thats something I'd have to recheck.


I am using a new Antec 300 Illusion
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tent-_-text-_-

I did mount the Mobo on the standoffs already.

[Remeniz]

Also check the connections at the front panel plugs on the motherboard.

[Crimsoneye]

Originally Posted by Remeniz

Also check the connections at the front panel plugs on the motherboard.

If your talking about the small female pins that plug in the power switch(2 pin) power LED (2 separate single pins + and -) and all those things, I did unplug the power switch 2 pin piece and flipped it and retried it.(I thought I had read that it didnt matter which was it was facing but I tried that just in case)

Is that what you were talking about? or were you talking about the main power connections?

[Remeniz]

Yea that's what I was on about. Just making sure that they're plugged into the correct place.

[Crimsoneye]

Any other ideas? Maybe for testing the motherboard or CPU individually?

Would you think it is solely a problem with the power supply since not even the fan would turn on or any LEDs light up?

[Remeniz]

Unplug the 24 pin ATX and short the green wire with any black wire. If the PSU starts the PSU is fine otherwise it needs to be replaced.

[Crimsoneye]

Got it, gonna try this when I get home, thanks

ok something burned. BTW the case fan DO fit four ways. Heres what happened

I unplugged everything from the power supply except for 2 of the case fans. I initially unplugged them from the mobo too. I shorted the green wire with a black on the power supply, plugged it in and it ran.
I then replugged in the fans to the mobo using different a different configuration from the one i used when i turned it on the very first time and turned it on and it still ran.
Then I switched back to the original configuration and it didnt run. I waited for the PSU to reset and tried it the first way again and something blew on mobo, with a red hot spot and smoke. it was right next to where the case fan plugs into the mobo. Is the mobo completely fried? Should I keep testing using the other fan plug and only use 2 of the 4 case fans?

If you need more description please post. Please tell me i didnt screw this to complete hell.

BTW the pin configuration i was talking about was not the molex kind, its the kind similar to how the cpu fan connects to the mobo

***Working***
I ended up not connecting the case fans to the mobo and just to the psu. This is what caused the initial problem(having the case fans incorrectly hooked up to the mobo, causing the PSU not to start)