Rig Shuts Down After 3 Seconds

[RA1D]

So I just use the Mobo, PSU and videocard?

[stinger608]

Originally Posted by RAID

So I just use the Mobo, PSU and videocard?

Yep, in fact, if you have an old PCI video card laying around, you might even want to exchange that for the PCI express, just to check that also.

But yea, just plug the power supply in, you don't even have to plug in the 4 wire plug, install a video card and see if the board even posts.

That would be the best way to test if it is the mother board that is bad.
If it posts, then the board is ok, and you need to look at other things. Then I would install the CPU and attempt to post it with just a old POS PCI video card, if you have one.

[RA1D]

Well I tried just using the mobo, psu and video card. when I hit the switch on the power supply I can see the psu fan turn on for a couple of seconds and the power light on the mobo comes on. But then the psu fan shuts off immediately and I never get to post.

Its looking like a bad mobo... I'm not sure what could have happened to it since I was using the computer normally all morning, turned it off, went to the grocery store and came back to this mess. I could understand if I was tinkering with it but I wasn't. I didn't even have it OC very much (2.93GHz).

I suppose I'll do some research but if anyone can think of anything else, I'm all ears.

[Dr. V]

Try somehow to get a different motherboard on your hands if even only for a couple hours. Hook up your whole rig with a second motherboard, and see what happens. All this investigation and the various tests done point to a mobo problem 95%.

That's the only SOLID way of isolating this as a mobo issue.

[Gig-O-Ram]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

Motherboard will power up and run just fine without a processor, RAM, or anything but the PSU attached. It won't be good for much, obviously, but its a good way to test the board to see if it's still working.

What you initially describe, I have been having this exact problem tonight while doing a build. However, on Stormcrow's point, I have to say that while trying an initial power on to test wiring, I forgot to install a RAM stick and had the problem. I continued to have the problem after putting one in, but upon moving it to a different slot, it seemed to solve the issue.