Member Avatar for Member #416567

I came home one day and found my computer off which it is always running, come to find out that i had a cpu fan go dead. went to the store and bought a new one and put it on the cpu. all the lights come on and the fans turn but thats it. with this said i figured it was time for an upgrade. i bought an intel E8500 chip a biostar mobo and 4 gigs of ram. oh also in feb. i replaced the PS last feb. when that died. i bought an MSI turbostream 500w PS thinking that when this upgrade happens ill at least have that set. now that i have the new mobo,cpu,and ram in the same problem prosists fans turn on along with the lights but thats it no hard drive activity or no typical boot of sounds. throughout this whole process there hasnt been a single beep. so im at the end of my no how and curious to see if anybody has any ideas. ive removed the ram and HDDs to see if theres any change and none.

  • 4 Contributors
  • 6 Replies
  • 126 Views
  • 6 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Member #416567

Dani AI

Generated

This is a classic "power but no POST" case and the thread already hit the main leads: thermal paste ( ), possible short from motherboard mounting ( ), and the final PSU swap ( ) that brought the system to life — which is consistent with one common root cause: a PSU that can spin fans but cannot provide stable rails under load.

A compact, practical checklist to reproduce and diagnose the fault:

  • Reduce to minimum hardware on the bench: motherboard + CPU (with cooler) + one known-good RAM stick + PSU + speaker (or case speaker). No drives, no extra cards. This rules out shorts from standoffs and bad peripherals.
  • Confirm both the 24-pin ATX and the 4/8-pin CPU power connectors are seated. Fans can run on a marginal supply but the CPU needs the supplemental 12V line to POST.
  • Fit a system speaker (many boards don’t include one). Listen for beep codes and consult a beep-code reference if you get them (Common BIOS beep codes).
  • Test or swap the PSU — don’t rely on fans spinning as proof of a healthy supply. A simple PSU tester or a multimeter to check +12V and +5V under load helps; see a walk-through here: .
  • If still dead: clear CMOS (jumper or remove battery), reseat CPU and RAM, inspect the CPU socket for bent pins, and check the motherboard manual for BIOS/CPU compatibility.

If the board posts on the bench but not in the case, inspect standoff placement and look for stray screws or over-tightening. The approach above narrows the fault quickly and explains why a PSU swap — even when fans were spinning — often solves the exact symptom seen in this thread.

Recommended Answers

All 6 Replies

Member Avatar for sittas87

Hi
Did you apply some termal paste on you're CPU?

Member Avatar for Member #416567

I just used the paste that was included with the cpu/fan. i know that i probably should get some better stuff but just havent yet.

Member Avatar for Member #416567

Yesterday i ordered a new PS to see if that was the problem but not sure if thats the reason since there's power to run the fans and lights. the only other thing i can think of is if somehow the mobo is getting shorted out.

Member Avatar for DGULLIVER

Make sure you have not screwed the mobo to tightly as this can cause shorting.

Member Avatar for DanJack90210

Hey,

I wondered if you could let me know if your new PSU fixes your problem, as it does sound very similar to my problem.

Thanks.

Member Avatar for Member #416567

Well my PS arrived lastnite and put it in and what do you know the system fired up like a charm.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.