Got my parts...er, now what?

corblimey

Just took delivery of my first HWVS order, so now how do I put it all together? I've watched and read several different accounts of how to put together a PC, but I'm not sure which to pay most attention to - I'd go for the boards one above all else, but the link in the sticky is returning a 404. The newegg videos on youtube are pretty good, but is it really necessary to do an external build first (this was the only place I saw this approach, and I'm not sure I like the idea of 'shorting' anything electronic). I've read through Tom's Hardware and a similar account at Coding Horror.

All of the builds I've read and watched are for specific mobos and cases (obviously enough) but I've got the general gist, is it just a matter of try, try, try and come back on here if I've got specific questions (more specific than 'where do I put this red square thingy?')

ShadowHearth

this what i used:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsQNIP7cTYA

built PC for myself with the help of this, and then had in in the background when building pc for "pc advice"

uncle_sam_ie

I didn't do an external build first. If there had been a faulty part I wouldn't have minded pulling it apart again. Don't worry you'll be fine. Just take your time with it.

ScumLord

corblimey wrote: »

but is it really necessary to do an external build first

You're best off putting the CPU, heatsink and ram onto the board before you put it into the case, it's just easier to do it that way, I've never hooked everything up to make sure it's working before putting it into the case though.

Andy!!

Aye I'm gonna be the same as scumlord when I start my very first build this week

I'm really super paranoid about frying my parts though! I got such a shock off my case when I unpackaged it my finger jolted. What needs to be done to full-proof a build against static electricity? I don't have one of those wrist bands. Is it the mobo and processor that are the only parts that are really prone to being killed by static electricity? Any guides for prevention on youtube or anything?

dwighet

Andy!! wrote: »

Aye I'm gonna be the same as scumlord when I start my very first build this week

I'm really super paranoid about frying my parts though! I got such a shock off my case when I unpackaged it my finger jolted. What needs to be done to full-proof a build against static electricity? I don't have one of those wrist bands. Is it the mobo and processor that are the only parts that are really prone to being killed by static electricity? Any guides for prevention on youtube or anything?

Bolt the psu in the case first and plug the psu into the wall..Your case is now grounded...

Wooden floor and rubber shoes is good too.

corblimey

Right, it's alive, sort of. I turn it on, the fans spin up, there's an LED on the gpu, but nothing happens on screen. I've tried plugging the monitor directly into the motherboard rather than the gpu, but still nothing. If the fans spin, is that any proof that I haven't nonced up a connection somewhere (the 24-pin and 8-pin connectors were particularly tricky to connect, and I don't want to go through all that again).

I've reseated the RAM and it appears to be fine - I've also tried each stick in isolation without success.

My mobo (this one) didn't appear to come with a speaker cable to plug in, so I've connected the HD Audio and plugged in a pair of headphones, but I'm not hearing any beeps to tell me what's wrong.

What am I forgetting to do?

YuM

You could remove the GPU & plug the monitor into the board - just to see if you get a post screen.

failing that, double check the wee power switch / reset connectors from the case to the board.

dwighet

May sound silly but is the monitor switched on?

corblimey

I'm not completely sure what a post screen is, but the monitor immediately goes to power saving mode when I plug it in to to the mobo with the gpu completely removed.

Dwight, not at all silly, it's bound to be something dumbass like that, but yeah, the monitor comes, shows its little splash screen and then, as I said, goes to power saving mode.

YuM

The post screen in your case is a Big ASRock screen when the PC boots - (BIOS) have you double checked your system panel header connections, especially the power & reset ones. I had these connected the wrong way around on one PC and it was like a permanent reset - (no boot).

corblimey

Yum, when you say the wrong way around, you mean you had the power switch on the reset pins and vice versa? It doesn't make any difference which way around the connector goes, right? As long as it's plugged into the right place? Tried switching them around, but nothing happened (literally, nothing, the light never came on and the fans never started spinning)

corblimey

Well I didn't think it was possible, but I've made it worse. I unplugged all the power connectors and replugged them, and now the fans won't even spin up.

Monotype

I hope you're plugging out the power when connecting any components.

Have you got both power connectors on the motherboard - the 24-pin one and the 8 pin one?

corblimey

I admit there was one occasion when the fans were spinning when I messed with the power connectors. Could I have done something bad in that split second? Is there a quick and easy way to check if I've blown something up?

(PS I'm reasonably sure it's worked since I did that, but I can't be 100% sure)

Monotype

You can test the PSU by shorting two pins.

http://www.overclock.net/t/96712/how-to-jump-start-a-power-supply-psu-test-a-power-supply-and-components

Warning: Don't kill yourself.

YuM

I'm kinda anxious waiting for the 'its still alive update'

corblimey

Well I'm still alive, but I've had to go to work (I took the morning off specially to get this up and running), so I'll try the shorting thing tonight. My main worry would be on that post you linked to, Monotype, the important picture of actually sticking the paper clip in, is missing :eek:

Monotype

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/psu-voltmodding_5.html

Basically the green one and any black one. Black is ground.

dwighet

YuM wrote: »

I'm kinda anxious waiting for the 'its still alive update'

me too:cool:

corblimey

Monotype, I've read both links now (tks for the pic), but I'm not sure what I expect to happen. I put a paperclip in touching the 2 wires at the same time - do they have to touch at exactly the same time, or should I touch ground first then the green one? Also, what's going to happen if my psu is ok - will I just hear it come to life, basically? I can then plug the connector back into the mobo?

Monotype

You touch them at the same time with a connected wire or paper clip. The PSU should switch on - the fan should spin up.

You take it out again to switch it off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0OKmIuNtmI

Skip to halfway through to get to the point.

corblimey

Ok, so eyebrows slightly singed but the fan is going around on the psu with the paperclip in place. Which proves ...?

Monotype

The PSU is presumably working.

Try just disconnecting everything. Leave the RAM and CPU in. Connect the 24-pin and 8 pin from the PSU.
Then connect the headers (power switch etc.).

corblimey

Ok, so all that's plugged in now is the 24 pin, the 8 pin, the power switch, reset and power leds. The heatsink and CPU are also connected. And...nothing. Yikes, have I fried my mobo?

Monotype

Hmm, well maybe try disconnecting the power switch and just shorting (i.e., just run a screwdriver between them or something) the two power pins, so that the switch isn't a factor.

uncle_sam_ie

You did use the spacers between the case and motherboard right?

corblimey

Monotype wrote: »

Hmm, well maybe try disconnecting the power switch and just shorting (i.e., just run a screwdriver between them or something) the two power pins, so that the switch isn't a factor.

I've removed the mobo from the case and with both connectors still on, ran a screwdriver over every part of the system panel header. Silence.

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

You did use the spacers between the case and motherboard right?

Yep, that's partly why I took it out just to check, but if I understand the point of the risers correctly, now that it's sitting back on its box, it should power up.

uncle_sam_ie

Is it possible to post some pictures?

corblimey

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

Is it possible to post some pictures?

Of my frustrated head? Sure!

Oh, of the mobo? Sure, what do you need to see?

cml387

I presume you've reseated the processor.
Check that no pins were bent when you inserted it.
Also that no heatsink compound is on any of the pins.