GA-MA790X-DS4 will not boot

[JeremyUK]

Hi,
Any advice greatfully recieved....
I bought a set of new components and put them together - then started getting frustrated when I can't get it to boot at all!

The Fans seem to spin as they should - PSU, CPU, GPU but then....
The Beep code (continuous long beeps - ocaisionally they vary marginally, but they are pretty much "normal" long beeps) suggests that the Graphics Card is not properly fitted- but i have refitted that (and everything else i can think of numerous times).

The components (all new):
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA790X-DS4
Processor: AMD Phenom X3 Triple Core 8650
Graphics card: Sapphire HD 4850 512MB GDDR3 (the current version - with the dual slot cooler)
Memory: OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 800Mhz/PC2-6400 GOLD XTC Memory Kit CL5(5-5-5-18)
Hard Disk: Samsung SpinPoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB Hard Drive SATAII [not that I think i'm getting near this in POST]
PSU: Well reviewed no-name 550w with 1x24pin Main, 1x4pin 12v, 1x6pin PCIE, and sundry conectors (Extra Value 550W ATX Silent Neon PSU - 12cm Fan/PPFC (no power cord) - Ebuyer)
Case Fans - Not connected as i didn't get that far :(
Floppy Disk - Not connected as i didn't get that far :(

Things I tried (most of them in various combinations):
Putting the 4850 in the other slot
Old Nvidia card (PNY Verto GeForce 6800 Ultra 256MB GDDR3 PCI-E)
Powering GPU from the riser on the board instead of direct from the PSU
Checked all connections thouroughly (disconected all and re-built)
Only thing not Re-fitted is CPU.

Any suggestions?

[Nickel020]

Can you check the sticker on the PSU to see how many Amps it has on the 12V rail?

If possible try a different PSU, that's the most likely cause here. In the reviews some people report it as not working with their newer system. I also have the feeling that not everyon gets the same PSU there, hence why it has no name at all.

[JeremyUK]

The 12v rail is identified as 30a.
Now I'm home i can also advise it is branded as COLOURSit model 550U.
I will try to borrow a friends PSU though - that was next on my list too....
I was hoping for a "you've been silly and missed______"
Always nice to know people think the same as you though - thanks

[Nickel020]

30A is enough, but it's a no name PSU, and they never deliver as much as they say they can, so who knows...

I would have guessed that you either missed the 6 Pin video card connector or the smaller motherboard connector, but you said that you checked that. If you also haven't forgotten to install RAM then you probably have done every thing right. You could check the manual though to confirm that you haven't inserted the RAM in the wrong slots, they should be in same couloured slots I think.

[JeremyUK]

Now also tried alternative PSU - Antec TruePower 550 - still same results :-(

[Nickel020]

Try taking out hte bios battery then, if that doesn't help then RMA the board.

[Forge]

Originally Posted by JeremyUK

Now also tried alternative PSU - Antec TruePower 550 - still same results :-(

2 things i am thinking.

1 try different memory if you have that hanging around.

2 theres a small chance your bios could be flashed too low to even use the chip - I've read some boards could not use phenom until the bios was flashed to a more recent bios , which means you could try an alternate CPU if you have one hanging around.

[JeremyUK]

Thanks for the thoughts folks.
I ended up finding that one of my new memory modules is faulty.....
So i learned one more thing this time around that I thought I'd learned before - "If you have a problem and you've changed the Mobo or Ram - its ALWAYS the ram"
Now i can add to that - You have to rule out the RAM before you even believe the beep codes.......
So - SOLVED. Now onward to the joys of a Vista and all the updates...

[anclibertees]

Hi, I am having a simular problem, my pc does not post and only produces long beeps if I remove all the memory, there is no video at all, all fans work hd runs.

I have an identical system with the same components, which is running great

I have tried reseting the bios, even leaving it for many hours without a battery and a jumper in place, tried changing bat, but no change, I have changed memory with known good memory out of the working system, all power plugs checked many times, swapped psu, cpu, cpu cooler, built outside of case, tried graphics card in other slot, the only thing I havent tried is using an older cpu because I don't have one.

I have even tried praying the many different gods but no change.

please help!

[JeremyUK]

I suggest change out the RAM!! - Yes i know you did that already..... but sometimes it just doesn't work....
In my experience the RAM is 10 times more likely the problem than anything else (even twice over!!)