First Boot Problems

[Nootz]

So I finished my first PC build today. I checked every component to make sure it they were compatible with each other and everything checked out fine, but when everything was assembled and I went to boot it for the first time, no display.

Specs:
Mainboard: MSI GF615M-P31
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 965 Black Edition
RAM: Crucial 4 GB DDR3
HDD: Seagate 500 GB
GPU: nVidia GeForce GTS 450
PSU: Apevia Warlock 750W

Everything powers on perfectly fine. Case fans, HDD, CPU fan, all system lights, everything. The monitor just stays a solid black and nothing ever happens. I've checked all the components and the problem stays the same. No sounds are coming from the mainboard either, which makes me think that's my problem. So are there any suggestions I could use? I haven't called Tech Support which I will be doing in the next few minutes. Thanks.

[loki504]

if you have a spare gpu you can you try it. because from the looks of it its either your gpu or your mainboard.

[Nootz]

I've connected my monitor to both the GPU and the mainboard via the I/O panel, both show a blank screen.

[Deleted]

ok don't know if this will work for you, but i built a computer for the first time a week ago and i had the same problem i fixed it by pulling out the memory and putting it back. So try that and if it doesn't work i'd take a few pictures of the inside of your computer so that we can see if something looks not right. gl

[Katchii]

Really stupid question, but it's happened to me before.....

Are you sure the power and input cords are connected and that your monitor is turned on?

[Nootz]

Really stupid question, but it's happened to me before.....

Are you sure the power and input cords are connected and that your monitor is turned on?

Lol, yes everything is connected. I've tried testing my memory one stick at a time to see if that was the problem as well; still no luck.

[Emophia]

Make sure you motherboard is connected to your Powersupply. Yes it happened to me before, took me 2 days to figure out.

[Katchii]

Make sure you motherboard is connected to your Powersupply. Yes it happened to me before, took me 2 days to figure out.

oooooh, good one. Yeah that happened to me before too...didn't take me two days to fix it, but hey ,when you stab yourself with the unconnected pin....you start looking for where it should be connected.

[RaZz0r]

Make sure that you have at least v1.3 of the bios or ells the CPU wont be supported.
Sense the original bios pre installed are most of the time is a really out of date version.
So try to put in a older CPU model maybe some one you know happens to have a spare one you can borrow.

[Nootz]

Make sure that you have at least v1.3 of the bios or ells the CPU wont be supported sense the original bios pre installed are most of the time a really out of date version so try to put in a older CPU model maybe some one you know happens to have a spare one you can borrow

My CPU is listed under the supported CPUs on the MSI website, though. You're telling me that might be my issue? :S

Everything is connected as it should be, except I haven't been able to locate a connector for the mainboard speaker which makes me feel kinda stupid for over looking. This is so annoying.

[RaZz0r]

yes your cpu is supported but not with a bios older then v1.3 i had similar problems with my first build.
Also make sure you plugged in the monitor cable in the Gfx card and not on the on board one.
Sense most mother boards turn off the on board video card when it detects a GFX card.
you can also look here http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-MSI/GF615M-P31.html scroll down to the AMD Phenom II X4 list and then look for the 965 one and you will see that its not supported by unless you have the v13* not v1.3 my bad

[Nootz]

yes your cpu is supported but not with a bios older then v1.3 i had similar problems with my first build.
Also make sure you plugged in the monitor cable in the Gfx card and not on the on board one.
Sense most mother boards turn off the on board video card when it detects a GFX card.

So the only way to fix this is to find an old CPU and boot it that way?

[RaZz0r]

So the only way to fix this is to find an old CPU and boot it that way?

Yep sense you can only update the bios with the Live Update 5 tool from MSI
And on a bit funny / painful note is if you had pickt the slightly slower CPU the AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition.
Witch is at 3.2 Ghz instead of 3.4 it would have been supported via the default Bios

[OhpUldum]

Double check 4PIN, 24PIN and 6PIN PSU connections. Double check motherboard BIOS revision as your CPU might not be supported with the current version of the BIOS on the board. Could be a dead GPU but that is highly doubtful at this point.

To give you an idea the build in my sig was my first build since '05. Turned out my CPU was supported in a newer version of the BIOS than what was initially installed from the factory. Ended up lucking out and a buddy of mine had the older i3 530 and I was able to use that to boot and install the new BIOS so I could install my i3 550. Stupid I know but it does happen. Same scenario as you though where it boots and POSTS but no display. I also spent 4 hours from 10PM to 2AM testing everything under the sun until I checked the BIOS revisions and that was it. Needless to say that night I went home very upset and at 2:30 was heard beating the shit out of my kick boxing stand.

[Nootz]

Yep sense you can only update the bios with the Live Update 5 tool from MSI

Wow, sounds like a rookie mistake then lol. So basically any CPU compatible with 1.0 will work, yeah? All of my friends use Intel so I'm SOL in finding a quick replacement.

[OhpUldum]

Wow, sounds like a rookie mistake then lol. So basically any CPU compatible with 1.0 will work, yeah? All of my friends use Intel so I'm SOL in finding a quick replacement.

Phone some local shops, they might be able to help ya out if you throw them a few bucks to update your BIOS for you.

[Mybuddyphil]

MSI has great tech support too (from personal experience, as well as most reviews you read), so if you still can't get it to work, give them a call!

[RaZz0r]

ye as i said b4 the AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2 ghz only 0.2 ghz difference compared to your current one is supported.
And you can also do as culadin said take it to a local computer store that repairs PCs and such.
They might be able to help you out for a few bucks.

[Nootz]

Okay, I just recently noticed something that makes me think it's not an older BIOS version at hand here. If you'll look at the compatible CPUs for my mainboard

http://www.msi.com/product/mb/GF615M...div=CPUSupport and scroll down to the 965 it requires BIOS version 7597 v 1.3 and I thought you were right until i looked at the mainboard and right above my GPU it says "MS - 7597 VER: 1.3"

Is that my BIOS version? And if so, that still leads my issue a mystery. :S

[Rixis]

have you tested it with another monitor? seems the "obvious" culprit to me if your mobo is making no noises and it's switching on (lights/fans etc)

and have you tried the "strip everything but the essentials and work from there" method?