nothin' but fans

[Jumby]

Ok, finally got the cpu for a motherboard someone gave me to check out. Hooked up new HD, memory, video card, all connections. Turned it on and get nothin' but fans. No beeps, no video, only fans. The guy that originally had the motherboard said he thought it was bad, but really wasn't sure. I'm thinking the same. Any thoughts anyone?

[Paleo Pete]

The first thing to do is eliminate all unnecessary hardware, to make troubleshooting easier. Set it up out of the case, on a non-conductive surface (I use a wooden workbench, a tabletop works fine). Install only motherboard, CPU [with heatsink and fan], RAM and video card. A keyboard is handy too. Use a small screwdriver to short the two power on pins, if you have no video, individually check CPU, RAM and video card with a separate KNOWN WORKING motherboard and power supply. If CPU, RAM and video card work in another motherboard, that one is bad. Be sure and test the power supply on a known working system as well.

Also double check power cables, reseat RAM and video card, be sure the heatsink fan is plugged into the correct header on the motherboard. Some boards will not work if the CPU fan is plugged into the case fan header. It must be inn the one labeled CPU fan. Check the motherboard manual, it should have a diagram with the proper location.

[Jumby]

Thanks Pete. I think I've checked it all, but I'll go back with this info to make sure.

[Jumby]

Hey Pete, finally got back to you. Once more I was in a hurry and not being real attentive. I was working on a laptop upstairs and this computer in the basement so I wasn't being too complete with things. I took out the MB and put in on the workbench, hooked stuff up and still nothing. Tried a few more things and decided the MB was bad. I was puting it back in the box and realized I had left the CPU in the socket. As I took it out, I realized I had never lifted the arm when I put the CPU in. How it went in and the fan went on I don't know, and how I didn't bend the pins I don't know. But I put it all back together, turned it on and it worked. I then put it back in the case, attached everything, and the MB seems to be fine. At least I can tell the the lady I'll buy the motherboard now. It's a decent MB although a year or two old, but ata133, so it can't be too bad. Thanks for the help and suggestions. As usual, you thought when I didn't. Good thing I'm not a doctor; there would be some mighty unhappy patients.

[Whyzman]

It was just dropped through the holes in the Ziff socket?