Member Avatar for EdBeck

I finished putting together an Asus P6T system last night and started it up. It started fine and went through several re-boots as it downloaded new drivers. I shut it off and now it won't start.

The only thing I did this morning was to tie the power lines running to the CPU fan. They were loose and a little too close to the fan.

The "Reset" and "Power" lights on the mother board are on. I've checked the power conectors a few times, turned the power supply on and off, unplugged and replugged it, and checked to see that the power button on the front actually contacted the power switch.

What should I do now?

Thanks.

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Brief expert note building on and : this looks like an intermittent power/shorting problem rather than a CPU failure. The following is a short, prioritized checklist to isolate the fault and avoid needless swaps.

  • Confirm main power rails: ensure the 24‑pin ATX and the 4/8‑pin CPU (EPS) power plugs are fully latched and the GPU (if fitted) has its PCI‑E power connected. A partially seated EPS will allow standby LEDs but prevent start.

  • Eliminate the case and switch: with power disconnected, move the front‑panel power cable to the reset pins or momentarily short the two power pins on the motherboard with a screwdriver to rule out a faulty case switch.

  • Verify the PSU safely: if possible, try a known‑good PSU. If using the "paperclip" test, disconnect all drives and motherboard connectors first and only short PS_ON (green) to any ground (black). Prefer a PSU tester or multimeter and avoid working live if unfamiliar.

  • Bench test minimum configuration: remove the board from the case and power it on on a nonconductive surface with only CPU+heatsink, one stick of RAM (in the recommended slot), required GPU, and PSU. This rules out standoff/case shorts and misplaced screws or cable ties.

  • Memory and GPU checks: try one stick of RAM in the primary slot, then swap slots/sticks. Reseat the GPU and its power leads; if the board has no integrated video, a GPU is required to see POST.

  • CMOS and diagnostics: clear CMOS by removing the battery or using the jumper, attach a system speaker to capture beep codes, and note any motherboard LED patterns to compare with the manual.

  • Physical inspection: look under the cooler for torn insulation, pin damage in the LGA socket, or solder splashes caused while tying cables near the fan.

If the board still refuses to start after a bare‑bones bench test and a known‑good PSU, the fault is likely the PSU or motherboard and may require RMA or component‑level testing.

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Member Avatar for colweb

Did you check if the cpu has come loose? Or the cpu fan?

Member Avatar for EdBeck

Did you check if the cpu has come loose? Or the cpu fan?

CPU and fan are in place. I checked the fan connectors also.

Member Avatar for thewebhostingdi

When you press ‘power button’, does CPU fan spins? Can you hear any beep? If you can here any beep, then check that beep pattern with your motherboard document and diagnose the issue.

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