hey there,this is my first post here,pretty cool place for info.im building a new computer for my girlfriend and its having a problem.i connected the MB RAM HD CPU and PSU.then i tried to boot it up and the fans spun but nothing else.no beeps or anything.i disconnected the IDE cables and tried again and the same except the hard drive spun.on both tries the monitor was on standby and it did nothing.

i then took everything apart and set the MB on cardboard and tried again.same results.i even tried another power supply.im guessing its most likely something wrong with the MB but im not sure.
any suggestions or thoughts?thanx

Hi Beer - that's one of my favorite names. Welcome to PC Guide Forums.

Some things to try:

Make sure the CMOS clear jumper is on the correct pins. If it is, then clear CMOS by putting it on the clear pins. Then move it back and try to boot.

Make sure the case speaker is connected to the correct MB pins.

Boot with just video card, CPU and RAM.

Try a different video card.


Please post your system specs.

hey gwallen,thanx.i tried resetting the CMOS.didnt work.tried booting with just the CPU RAM and video card. no luck.
switched video card.no luck.
rechecked speaker connection and its right.
its a P4 2.0 celeron
mach speed MB
512 mb RAM
80gb western digital HD
pretty frustrating considering its all new stuff.

i have made one other PC before 2 years back and its never had any problems,still doesnt....must have been beginners luck....

You are sure the monitor works, right?

It could be a bad MB, RAM or CPU.

If you have two sticks of RAM try it with one stick, then the other (if your MB doesn't require pairs of RAM), or try a different stick(s).

You could try a different CPU if you have one.


Otherwise, I am out of ideas. My bet is that the MB is dead unless someone else has an idea.

I agree that it's the motherboard based on my experience of just a few weeks ago, but with mine there were continuous beeps saying the BIOS wasn't recognizing the memory(and maybe even the video card as well).

thanx gwallen and quantax.
i went out and got a replacment MB and tried it all over again.no luck.i even took out the RAM just in case.when i didnt have the IDE cables hooked up the hard drive powered up still.
then i hooked the monitor up to my girlfriends laptop.the monitor works fine.
so im now thinking its the CPU.kinda sucks since its brand new.is there anyway i can check it at all?

I'd say statistically that your chances of getting to bad boards in a row is pretty slim...

Not much else to go kablooyee at this point. If you've anything spinning and no beeps it would sure seem like the CPU has gone to that great computer in the sky...

What is the wattage of your power supply? For some strange reason I've seen several P-4 new setups that would not boot with less than a 400 Watt power supply. Hook the same 300-350W PSU to a different P-III or AMD and it will work fine...with all components connected...bare bones, the P-4 would not boot. Try a different power supply, 400 Watt at least, and one of the more reputable brands if possible...

thanx everyone for your help.it ended up being the CPU.somehow it was faulty or overheated,but when i switched it over to another motherboard it had a whole in it,on the backside of it, that wasnt there before.
everything is up and running now .thanx again for the help,this forum is really helpful.