mattlock

Do a bench test on each board

Bench build:

A) Place the motherboard on top of the motherboard box with nothing under it but the box >>> anti static bags are only anti static on the INSIDE not outside

B) install the cpu, thermal grease, heat sink & fan plug in the cpu fan wires

C) plug the psu power connectors to the motherboard (should be a 24pin connector and a four pin 12volt cpu power plug needed aslo

D) install one stick of ram (check mobo manual for the proper slot to use with a one stick configuration)

E) install the video card >>> you may have to hang the motherboard over the edge of the mobo box to allow the cards riser to extend beyond the bottom of the mobo >>> this is why I love the mobo box trick

F) connect video card to the monitor

G) connect keyboard and mouse to the motherboard

H) hold the motherboard up to eye level and examine the cpu and heat sink carefully >>> makes sure the heat sink is not bearing any pressure on any of the mobo "guts" several weeks ago I was servicing a sytem, the user installed a cpu cooler that squashed the snot out of a capacitor, all he had to do was rotate the heat sink 180 degrees and this would not have happened >>> it was an offset style heatsink >>>>> the mobo at eye level helps alot !

I) on another note >>> before plugging in the PSU connectors into the mobo connectors >>> check to be sure there are no tiny pcs of plastic shavings in the two mobo plugs 24 pin and 4 pin cpu plug !

J) you can use either a precision screw driver (small blade) place the case real close to the mobo bench build and use the case switch connected to the motherboard jumper for the PWR switch on the mobo

fire that baby up >>>> at this point we are only looking for a bios screen >>> if the cpu fan spins and stays spinning and you get a bios screen then you are ready for step #2

Step 2 / shut down and install rest of your memory only

Step 3 / connect a hard drive outside the case also >>>> install OS

if all is cool >>>>> put it together in the case >>>> here is where things get clumpy >>>> less room for your hands; so your bound to wiggle something loose and not get the smoothest of sailing on your first fire up inside the case >>>> but you KNOW all components work! you proven that outside the case >>>> you at that point just double check all connections and jumpers