SP-400 loads for 5 secs and then stops

[ilevi23]

i have build my first pc today, and cant seem to boot it - when i try to turn it on, the fans begin to work for 2 seconds, and stop.

i have a smartpower2.0 400 watt and a chaintech vnf4 ultra motherboard.

how can i know which one is causing the problems? and is there a fix for it?

thank you

[RotorHead]

ilevi23, :welcome: to BE

Do you have the specs for your power supply?

also, what other components are in your system?

[ilevi23]

hey, thanks

this is the exact PSU i got: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103935
MB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813152049

everything else:

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
GIGABYTE GV-NX66T128D Geforce 6600GT 128MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card
NEC Black IDE DVD Burner Model ND-3540A
HITACHI Deskstar T7K250 HDT722516DLA380 (0A31637) 160GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA II Hard Drive
CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model VS1GBKIT400
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3000BPBOX

any suggestions? i've been reading around, and it seems other people get the same problem, but i cant find a solution.

[RotorHead]

In addition to the main 24 pin connector the motherboard has an extra 4 pin connector, do you have both it pluged in?

According to the specs, the power supply should be able to handle the hardware you listed.

[ilevi23]

yea, both are plugged in.

[RotorHead]

Your power supply should have two 4 pin connectors, one attaches to the main power connector, the other gets pluged into the +12v socket on the motherboard.

The one with two yellow wires and two black wires should be pluged into the +12v socket. I've seen them get mixed up and it could cause problems.

[RotorHead]

One way to test the power supply is by un hooking all the power leads from your mother board and from your other components then use a jumper wire as seen in this thread http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5577

[ilevi23]

One way to test the power supply is by un hooking all the power leads from your mother board and from your other components then use a jumper wire as seen in this thread http://www.bleedinedge.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5577

sorry, im new to this self building scene, and dont know what is or where to get a jumper wire.
can you please explain that part?

again, thanks for all your help

[RotorHead]

You can use a paper clip, or just get a short piece of wire, strip the ends and bend it into a "U" shape.

What the jumper does is allows you to start the PSU without it being hooked up to your computer.

All you need to do is take the jumper wire and incert it between the Green wire and the Black wire as shone in the link I posted above, then turn on the PSU with the switch. If the power supply comes on, then we know its not a faulty PSU and we can start looking in another direction.

[ilevi23]

alright, heres an update - i just messed around with it

The psu does work when i do the jump start test :).. so the psu is good. thanks :D

however, i noticed that the motherboard has a problem. when i connect it to the psu, it starts to work for a second (the fans start spinning), however the heatsink fan didnt start, so i realized that the motherboard fan connecter (3 pin thing) - only 2/4 of them work. so i tried connecting the mb fan and heatsink fan to the working ones.. but it still only works for a sec. so from this i figure that it may be a defective MB

But.. I read somewhere that i shouldnt put the M/B straight on the case. instead, i should rest it on something between the case.. is that true - can this be the reason?

again, thanks a lot for your help

[RotorHead]

The case should have come with some type of standoffs for the mother board. if they are not installed then the motherboard will short out on the case. If you have the standoffs please install them, they will prevent possible damage to your motherboard.

Check the case manual (if it came with one) for information regarding the type and use of the standoffs.

[ilevi23]

problem fixed :)

i didnt use the standoffs before.. i hope the MB didnt become damaged. i have no time to fully check right now, ill update it tomorrow or sunday.

Thanks a lot!

[RotorHead]

Good luck, hope all is well with the motherboard. :thumb:

Let us know if you having problems.

:beer:

[Android Vageta]

Wow...I thought all motherboards would come with standoffs installed just to prevent things like this from happening. Shame on you Cooler Master! If the motherboard is still messing up, try clearing CMOS...that usually can fix ALOT of problems, as Ive figured out in the past. If that doesnt work then the motherboard most likely is to blame. Goodluck though!