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It takes me roughly 4 to 5 hours, start to finish, to assemble a new PC and load the OS. I lost count of how many systems I've built over the years, but this one has me stumped, I've never seen anything like it!! I hope there's someone out there that can shed some light into what's going on....
I started out with:
Intel LGA775 ATX Motherboard BLKDP965LTCK (D41694),
Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 LGA 775 Processor,
Zalman Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler,
Mushkin 4GB (2X2GB) DDR2 Memory,
Logisys All Clear 550W ATX Power Supply (With UV Cable Management sleeves),
eVGA GeForce 9600GT Superclocked 512MB GDDR3 PCIe 2.0 Video Card,
Two Seagate Barracuda ES.2 500GB SATA Hard Drives,
One Sony 20X SATA DVD Burner,
and I added an AVerMedia AVerTVHD MCE A180 PCI ATSC HDTV Card,
HP w2207h Monitor,
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy SE 5.1 Channel PCI Sound Card.
I packed it all into an Blue Apevia Aspire X-Plorer ATX Mid Tower Case with enough mods to light up the whole house with a bright blue glow.
For the initial setup I was using my old 19" Viewsonic VGA Monitor, and I had done a full assembly on the case. Once assembled, I hit the power switch, the case lit up, all fans came on, the monitor came on for 15 seconds, then went to Power-Save Mode. Okay, I decided to strip it down to bare-bones to set it up, but it still did the same thing.
I ran to Fry's Electronics to buy washers for the Motherboard Stand-Offs, on the off chance it was grounding out. That wasn't it.
I figured the 550W PSU may not be enough, so I bought an Apevia 750W PSU. It still did the same thing.
I then replaced the video card. Nope, not it.
I replaced the Mushkin RAM with Corsair XMS2 DHX 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 Dual Channel Memory.
I swapped the Motherboard out for an Intel DQ965GFEKR (D41676) LGA775 MicroATX Motherboard, with on-board video. I removed the PCIe Video Card, and reset the BIOS, but the on-board video didn't even kick on the monitor!
Methodically I replaced every piece of hardware, each time with the assumption that I had finally found the bad piece of hardware. Each time I was wrong!
To make a very long, dreadfully painful, and ghastly expensive story shorter, I have replaced EVERY SINGLE piece of hardware for the new system at least once. I even replaced the Apevia case with a Tagan A-plus El Diablo Gaming Case, to eliminate the possibility of some faulty wiring grounding out the system!!
The NEW-new system now has:
Intel DQ965GFEKR (D41676) LGA775 MicroATX Motherboard,
Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 LGA 775 Conroe Dual-Core CPU,
Zalman Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler,
Mushkin 4GB (2X2GB) DDR2 Memory,
Logisys All Clear 550W ATX Power Supply (With UV Cable Management sleeves),
eVGA GeForce 9600GT Superclocked 512MB GDDR3 PCIe 2.0 Video Card,
Two Seagate Barracuda ES.2 500GB SATA Hard Drives,
One Sony 20X SATA DVD Burner,
AVerMedia AVerTVHD MCE A180 PCI ATSC HDTV Card,
HP w2207h Monitor,
and a Creative SoundBlaster Audigy SE 5.1 Channel PCI Sound Card,
all packed into a Tagan A-plus El Diablo Case.
I have gone by the book during assembly:
static-free environment,
seating and reseating everything,
strictly bare-bones while trying to POST.
I have disassembled and reassembled the system a total of 7 times, I am grasping at straws now.
Please tell me there is someone out there that has gone through something similar, does anyone have any ideas? What am I missing????
Thanks in advance,
Tattooed4Ever.

Wow..replaced all parts...and went with the barebones..and even just onboard video...that seems to eliminate all possibilities.
I see you list an HP monitor..but you mention building on the older Viewy....have you actually tried another monitor? Maybe the Viewy is finally croaking.

Tried a different keyboard 'n mouse? Without them even? Maybe a KB is bum. Just to get POST and BIOS up on the screen.

Just to further troubleshoot...I'd shoot for onboard video, CPU..a stick of RAM..and nothing else attached. Even snag some 3rd power supply just for giggles just for this test.

"Once assembled, I hit the power switch, the case lit up, all fans came on, the monitor came on for 15 seconds, then went to Power-Save Mode. Okay, I decided to strip it down to bare-bones to set it up, but it still did the same thing."

So, what is the problem? Change the power save mode.

Yes, I tried using 3 different monitors, PS/2 Mouse and keyboard, USB mouse and keyboard, without a mouse and keyboard too. Working on setting it up bare-bone, for the 8th time now.
Thanks for the help, let me know if you think of anything else, all your suggestions are good and valid!
Tattooed4Ever.

Gotta take off for the day....in a rush so forgive me if I missed reading that you tried this....but did you try yanking the CMOS battery for at least several minutes? Unplugged..that'll do a thorough reset of the CMOS.

YeOldeStonecat wrote:Gotta take off for the day....in a rush so forgive me if I missed reading that you tried this....but did you try yanking the CMOS battery for at least several minutes? Unplugged..that'll do a thorough reset of the CMOS.

I did try that on the first motherboard, but I just used the jumper on this MB to reset the BIOS. I am taking a break, gathering ideas from the 10 sights I posted this on, then I will try the CMOS battery on this board.
Thanks for your input, I'll be sure to let you know if I blundered by not removing it.
Tattooed4Ever.

apevia power supplies are junk, but still should boot.

Is this the first PC you've built in a while? Theres a bunch of connections needed now for mobo power, have you made sure you have all needed power sources hooked up?

YARDofSTUF wrote:apevia power supplies are junk, but still should boot.

Is this the first PC you've built in a while? Theres a bunch of connections needed now for mobo power, have you made sure you have all needed power sources hooked up?

No, actually I built a clone of this machine 3 weeks ago. That one booted fine the first time. We took that system apart last week to add the mods ordered, then it booted up fine upon reassembling it. That only drives me more crazy, it was almost a carbon copy of my machine, no problems with that one though!
Thanks for the input, much appreciated!
Tattooed4Ever.

A couple of things;
Have you tried plugging into a different electrical outlet? (10 points per breaker, if an outlet on the same breaker, even in another room, is taxed, you will not boot a computer, even if a TV, sterio, etc., on the same is playing...)
Try plugging it in into an outlet on the other side of the building...

My first thought was PSU was weak. I am a firm believer in paying extra for a quality psu (personal preferences; Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, and lower budget Enermax...) Testing a psu is not an easy task. The testers that you buy really don't tell what is happening under load, just whether there is power to the rails... I have seen many problems, that would not duplicate due to a weak, faulty, bad power supply...

I must add that clearing the cmos, the manufactures are saying unplug the power, remove battery, short the pegs, and keep the battery out for 24 hours...

Intel reports a post hang on your original board;
http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/lt ... 5US_LT.pdf
see page 7 of the pdf... Fix is in BIOS.

Other known issues with that board;
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboar ... tm#anchor3

Also note channel A, DIMM 0 must be populated per manual. Page 2
http://download.intel.com/design/mother ... 1702US.pdf

24 pin and 4 pin power connections are required. (ATX 12V psu's)

RAM sizes are very specific. See page 18. I don't see that 2 GB sticks are acceptable except DDR2 533 and 667...
http://download.intel.com/design/mother ... 1702US.pdf
Again, DIMM 0 channel A must be populated. (Page 21) If that slot is bad...

More to come...

Ken wrote:A couple of things;
Have you tried plugging into a different electrical outlet? (10 points per breaker, if an outlet on the same breaker, even in another room, is taxed, you will not boot a computer, even if a TV, sterio, etc., on the same is playing...)
Try plugging it in into an outlet on the other side of the building...

My first thought was PSU was weak. I am a firm believer in paying extra for a quality psu (personal preferences; Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, and lower budget Enermax...) Testing a psu is not an easy task. The testers that you buy really don't tell what is happening under load, just whether there is power to the rails... I have seen many problems, that would not duplicate due to a weak, faulty, bad power supply...

I must add that clearing the cmos, the manufactures are saying unplug the power, remove battery, short the pegs, and keep the battery out for 24 hours...

Intel reports a post hang on your original board;
http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/lt ... 5US_LT.pdf
see page 7 of the pdf... Fix is in BIOS.

Other known issues with that board;
http://www.intel.com/support/motherboar ... tm#anchor3

Also note channel A, DIMM 0 must be populated per manual. Page 2
http://download.intel.com/design/mother ... 1702US.pdf

24 pin and 4 pin power connections are required. (ATX 12V psu's)

RAM sizes are very specific. See page 18. I don't see that 2 GB sticks are acceptable except DDR2 533 and 667...
http://download.intel.com/design/mother ... 1702US.pdf
Again, DIMM 0 channel A must be populated. (Page 21) If that slot is bad...

More to come...

WOW, you're just a fountain of knowlage! I am using the DDR2 667, good catch though! Two other people have suggested plugging it in into an outlet on the other side of the building, something I had overlooked! I have a renewed since of confidence that I will get this machine working today!!
Thanks for all the info, you've been a big help! I'll be sure to let you know how it turns out!
Tattooed4ever.

When troubleshooting, I use methodology, we have touched on the electric outlet or power source itself, and the quality/required power supply, continuing with the original mobo;

Since it never actually posted, I am fore going thermal problems...

If the 4 pin connector is not connected, it will not boot...

You can try using a post card to show errors before post...
http://download.intel.com/design/mother ... 1702US.pdf
See page 78.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... est%2bCard
http://www.elstonsystems.com/prod/pc_po ... _card.html This 1 seems to be good and at a reasonable price... (I just bought 1 to have...)


RAM- you didn't specify the speed, see my previous notes of this board being very picky with speed and ram size... (Personally, I don't like 2 GB sticks, I have better luck using 1 GB sticks,as they seem friendlier to most desk top boards...4 at 1 GB each is better than 2 at 2 GB each...IMHO...)
If you could, please post more details, such as RAM voltage, size, etc., or a link to the part, it will help in verifying compliance...

Unfortunately, it takes less than 1 second to fry a component, that component can then fry another component... Keep that in mind...
I have seen hdd's fry mobo's, mobo's fry hdd's, mobo's fry ram, ram fry mobo's, psu's can fry anything... I won't even get into frying cpu's... I have seen too many fans connected to a mobo cause problems... Personally, I only connect the cpu fan to the mobo...

more to come...

*edit* I now see that you have posted since my original post, so sorry for redundency, I was hung up doing some other things... I have only went through the manual on your first or original mobo. I didn't see RAM voltage specs on it.

I will wait to hear from you before continuing. We will get it up or at least determine what went wrong and caused the failures...

PS, I dub thee, "Post Hangin'" Let me know if you don't like it...

Ken wrote:When troubleshooting, I use methodology, we have touched on the electric outlet or power source itself, and the quality/required power supply, continuing with the original mobo;

Since it never actually posted, I am fore going thermal problems...

If the 4 pin connector is not connected, it will not boot...

You can try using a post card to show errors before post...
http://download.intel.com/design/mother ... 1702US.pdf
See page 78.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... est%2bCard
http://www.elstonsystems.com/prod/pc_po ... _card.html This 1 seems to be good and at a reasonable price... (I just bought 1 to have...)


RAM- you didn't specify the speed, see my previous notes of this board being very picky with speed and ram size... (Personally, I don't like 2 GB sticks, I have better luck using 1 GB sticks,as they seem friendlier to most desk top boards...4 at 1 GB each is better than 2 at 2 GB each...IMHO...)
If you could, please post more details, such as RAM voltage, size, etc., or a link to the part, it will help in verifying compliance...

Unfortunately, it takes less than 1 second to fry a component, that component can then fry another component... Keep that in mind...
I have seen hdd's fry mobo's, mobo's fry hdd's, mobo's fry ram, ram fry mobo's, psu's can fry anything... I won't even get into frying cpu's... I have seen too many fans connected to a mobo cause problems... Personally, I only connect the cpu fan to the mobo...

more to come...

*edit* I now see that you have posted since my original post, so sorry for redundency, I was hung up doing some other things... I have only went through the manual on your first or original mobo. I didn't see RAM voltage specs on it.

I will wait to hear from you before continuing. We will get it up or at least determine what went wrong and caused the failures...

Hey Ken!
Okay, I went back to basics, only the bare minimum to try to get it to post. One strip of RAM (in DIMM 0 channel A), reset the CMOS, moved the jumper, tried to use the on-board video, I even tried plugging it in three different locations in the house, still the same thing!!
The speed on the Mushkin RAM is 667. The speed on the Corsair was 800, and I don't believe that's covered in the dual channel RAM, so I took that back.
I'm right back where I was yesterday!
Thanks for the input, Ken, much appreciated!
Tattooed4Ever.

Ken wrote:PS, I dub thee, "Post Hangin'" Let me know if you don't like it...

That's messed up! My best friend is the one to dub it a nightlight, very nice!
Tattooed4Ever.

Tattooed4Ever wrote:Hey Ken!
Okay, I went back to basics, only the bare minimum to try to get it to post. One strip of RAM (in DIMM 0 channel A), reset the CMOS, moved the jumper, tried to use the on-board video, I even tried plugging it in three different locations in the house, still the same thing!!
The speed on the Mushkin RAM is 667. The speed on the Corsair was 800, and I don't believe that's covered in the dual channel RAM, so I took that back.
I'm right back where I was yesterday!
Thanks for the input, Ken, much appreciated!
Tattooed4Ever.

Please tell me that you unplugged all of the fans except the cpu fan... (The cpu fan must be plugged into mobo...)

I need those RAM details. I am especially wanting the RAM voltage. Verify that you get no beeps when you power up...

Let me reread you original post and see what else I can find. BRB...
(I hope that you saw the "Post Hangin'" is under your user name... It can mean many different things... )

$100 says it's the RAM . Many motherboards are very specific about the RAM you use, the proper timings and voltage are critical and having those things wrong and you will see the problems you are having. Go to Corsair's RAM Configurator and see what they recommend for your motherboard.

mnosteele52 wrote:$100 says it's the RAM . Many motherboards are very specific about the RAM you use, the proper timings and voltage are critical and having those things wrong and you will see the problems you are having. Go to Corsair's RAM Configurator and see what they recommend for your motherboard.

Yes, I keep thinking the RAM also. I am waiting to see what the volt is on his RAM...

Ken wrote:Please tell me that you unplugged all of the fans except the cpu fan... (The cpu fan must be plugged into mobo...)

I need those RAM details. I am especially wanting the RAM voltage. Verify that you get no beeps when you power up...

Let me reread you original post and see what else I can find. BRB...
(I hope that you saw the "Post Hangin'" is under your user name... It can mean many different things... )

Yes, I saw that, thanks.
This is the RAM:
http://www.directron.com/996556.html
Motherboard:
http://www.directron.com/dq965gfekr.html
Power Supply:
http://www.directron.com/ps550ac.html
Processor:
http://www.directron.com/e6320.html
Processor fan:
http://www.directron.com/cnps9500led.html
Video card:
http://www.directron.com/512p3n862ar.html
Two Hard Drives:
http://www.directron.com/st3500320ns.html
Case:
http://www.directron.com/cseldiablobm.html
Please note that the case has a 250MM fan in the front, and a MASSIVE 360MM fan in the side!

Yes, I unplugged all non-essentials. No post, no beeps. I hope this info helps, let me know if I missed anything.

http://download.intel.com/support/mothe ... 703_en.pdf
Page 14

Intel Desktop Board DQ965GF Product Guide
14
The desktop board supports the dual or single channel memory configurations defined
below.
• Four 240-pin Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module
(DIMM) connectors with gold-plated contacts.
• Support for:
― Unbuffered, non-registered single or double-sided DIMMs
― Non-ECC DDR2 memory
― DIMM Type and Timings listed below:
Type Timing
DDR2-800 5-5-5 or 6-6-6 only
DDR2-667 5-5-5 only
DDR2-533 4-4-4 only
― Serial Presence Detect (SPD) memory only
― Memory configurations listed below:
• Up to 2.0 GB utilizing 256 Mb technology
• Up to 4.0 GB utilizing 512 Mb or 1 Gb technology
• Up to 8.0 GB utilizing 1 Gb technology
NOTE
1 Gb memory technology is not supported on DDR2-800 DIMMs.
Intel recommends using memory from the tested memory lists, available at:
http://www.cmtlabs.com/mbsearch.asp
or
http://www.intel.com/products/motherboa ... Product_MB

Related Links:
Go to the following links or pages for more information about:
• SDRAM specifications, http://www.intel.com/technology/memory/
• Installing memory, page 35 in Chapter 2

http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/mem ... asp?id=604

991556 (2GB) PC2-5300


996556 (2x2GB)


Frequency: 667MHz Latency: 5-5-5-15 Parity: Unbuffered
Voltage: 1.8V Pins: 240
Density > > > Module: 256x64 Chip: 128Mx8

This is the board that you are currently using. I don't see support for 2 GB sticks on it... And I am willing to bet that the board doesn't want 2 GB sticks... My gut says to change to 1 GB sticks and the bastard will fire up...

Even though this site implies it will...
http://www.cmtlabs.com/mbSearchResults. ... mit=Search
http://www.intel.com/technology/memory/ ... esults.htm

I gotta run and won't be back online until tomorrow. Find some 1 GB ram... Keep us posted! l8r!

Ken wrote:http://download.intel.com/support/mothe ... 703_en.pdf
Page 14



http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/mem ... asp?id=604


This is the board that you are currently using. I don't see support for 2 GB sticks on it... And I am willing to bet that the board doesn't want 2 GB sticks... My gut says to change to 1 GB sticks and the bastard will fire up...

Even though this site implies it will...
http://www.cmtlabs.com/mbSearchResults. ... mit=Search
http://www.intel.com/technology/memory/ ... esults.htm

I gotta run and won't be back online until tomorrow. Find some 1 GB ram... Keep us posted! l8r!

Boy, aren't you just the barer of good news? I'll see what I can do about getting some 1 GIG sticks to try out. I am so going to be kicking myself if that is the case!!!
Thanks again for all the help!
Tattooed4Ever.

Ken wrote:http://download.intel.com/support/mothe ... 703_en.pdf
Page 14



http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/mem ... asp?id=604


This is the board that you are currently using. I don't see support for 2 GB sticks on it... And I am willing to bet that the board doesn't want 2 GB sticks... My gut says to change to 1 GB sticks and the bastard will fire up...

Even though this site implies it will...
http://www.cmtlabs.com/mbSearchResults. ... mit=Search
http://www.intel.com/technology/memory/ ... esults.htm

I gotta run and won't be back online until tomorrow. Find some 1 GB ram... Keep us posted! l8r!

Question: say you're right, and it is the 2GIG strips, why then didn't the Motherboard beep at me? Riddle me that, Joker? I can't beleave the amount of trouble and expense I've gone through to get this system flying!!
Thanks for your time!
Tattooed4Ever.

Tattooed4Ever wrote:Question: say you're right, and it is the 2GIG strips, why then didn't the Motherboard beep at me? Riddle me that, Joker? I can't beleave the amount of trouble and expense I've gone through to get this system flying!!
Thanks for your time!
Tattooed4Ever.

...been there, done that...
Get the RAM, Grasshopper...
then,
"Tell the fat lady she's on in five". - Riddler

Unreadable RAM can be seen by a computer as unpopulated... The manufacturer of your board says that Dimm 0 Channel A must be populated for computer to POST, as it is with many Intel boards. No POST can = No beeps... POST= Power On Self Test (Typically, beeping is after computer "starts" to POST,or as a part of POST, if it never starts to POST...)

"It's all a blur. Like a horrible day-mare". - Robin
"Careful, Robin. Both hands on the Bat-rope". - Batman
"Since there is no life on Mars as we know it, there can be no intelligible Marsish language". - Batman (binary FTW!)
"The batcomputer is none too frisky today, Batman". - Robin
"Holy strawberries Batman! We're in a jam!" - Robin

Remember, you started it!
http://greatsayings.blogspot.com/2005/0 ... uotes.html

Tattooed4Ever wrote:Question: say you're right, and it is the 2GIG strips, why then didn't the Motherboard beep at me? Riddle me that, Joker? I can't beleave the amount of trouble and expense I've gone through to get this system flying!!
Thanks for your time!
Tattooed4Ever.

I have seen that..where the machine won't even post at all...if it doesn't like the RAM.

I've seen even stranger cases...where a mobo will post and show the correct RAM...the machine will run. A few months ago I did an upgrade on a clients server....added a pair of 2 gig sticks to bring her to 4 gigs. The server seemed to run OK for a few days...blue screened in the middle of the day on them...ran for a week..another blue screen. BIOS flashes....driver updates, all that stuff was done when I upgraded the server. I just had a "hunch"...maybe this server..since it's almost 3 years old..doesn't like high density RAM chips..even though the pair of 2 gig sticks I had ordered for it were specifically selected parts certified to run on this server. So I replaced them with 4x 1 gig sticks..server has purred like a kitten since then.

Sometimes a BIOS flash will upgrade a motherboards compatibilty with high density RAM sticks.

There are a few possibilities. It seems the RAM to me, however, at any point in time, any component could be fried or fried another... It certainly wouldn't be the first time that I have seen that, although the odds are the RAM...

Another way to approach this would be if he has another running computer. Try the power supplies in it, if so. However, keep in mind that if it is the psu, it could fry the good computer... (Yes, it has happened to me... And the quality of his psu's was first to catch my attention...)

2 different psu's, 2 different mobos, 2 different cpu's, the jury is still out on the RAM and awaiting an update if that solved it...

If the RAM doesn't solve it, I have to believe that something fried something else or this fellow has an unbelievable run of bad luck with defective parts from the factory...

I am curious and hope that he returns to update the situation.

The RAM did not work, didn't you see that post? Hey, I found this thread last night:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/19209 ... ipset-955x
Does anyone have any more info on this? Is it relevant at all?
LAST NIGHT'S POST:
Several people suggested I had the wrong memory, so I went and replaced the memory again....
I bought four 1GB Kingston Value RAM PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz 1.8V.
Guess what, it's still doing the same thing....
That's it, I have to let it go for now, I've been battling this for more than 24 hours!! I'm off to pay my respects to the Gaming Gods, in hopes that they will look kindly upon me and my woes. Perchance the clouds will part, and the Gods will shower my tower with Cold Cathode and LED lighting, so that it may be healed!! Can I get an AMEN???
I'm out for today, my friends, thanks for trying to help....
Tattooed4Ever.

Tattooed4Ever wrote:The RAM did not work, didn't you see that post?

No, I don't see that post... I was waiting on you to get the RAM and try it out...

Hey, I found this thread last night:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/19209 ... ipset-955x
Does anyone have any more info on this? Is it relevant at all?
LAST NIGHT'S POST:
Several people suggested I had the wrong memory, so I went and replaced the memory again....
I bought four 1GB Kingston Value RAM PC2-5300 DDR2 667MHz 1.8V.
Guess what, it's still doing the same thing....
That's it, I have to let it go for now, I've been battling this for more than 24 hours!! I'm off to pay my respects to the Gaming Gods, in hopes that they will look kindly upon me and my woes. Perchance the clouds will part, and the Gods will shower my tower with Cold Cathode and LED lighting, so that it may be healed!! Can I get an AMEN???
I'm out for today, my friends, thanks for trying to help....
Tattooed4Ever.

Where did you post that at?

I will check on your link... BRB

That thread is a couple of years old. Your cpu's are listed by Intel as working with those chipsets...

If the RAM didn't do it, you fried something...

Perhaps the safest way, is to borrow a good psu and just use mobo, cpu and RAM and see if you get any beeps...

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!! At 5:15 this morning the new system roared to life!!!

I tested the CPU, memory, and the GeForce 9600GT Superclocked video card in a friend's computer, it all tested fine. I decided on replacing the PSU with a Kingwin MACH 1 ABT-800MA1S 800W, MUCH BETTER POWER SUPPLY!! I also upgraded the motherboard to an ASUS P5N-D LGA775 (NVIDIA 750i SLI Chipset). Both the PSU and motherboard are SLI ready, and the ASUS board has two 16X PCIe (Gen 2.0) slots! So all I need to make the system complete is one more of the Gen 2.0 9600GT video cards. Then I'll be locked and loaded!

Hey, thanks to all of you that took the time to lend a helping hand! I'm really surprised at how many people responded, thanks for all the great ideas!

Tattooed4Ever.

Woohoo!

Tattooed4Ever wrote:IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!! At 5:15 this morning the new system roared to life!!!

I tested the CPU, memory, and the GeForce 9600GT Superclocked video card in a friend's computer, it all tested fine. I decided on replacing the PSU with a Kingwin MACH 1 ABT-800MA1S 800W, MUCH BETTER POWER SUPPLY!! I also upgraded the motherboard to an ASUS P5N-D LGA775 (NVIDIA 750i SLI Chipset). Both the PSU and motherboard are SLI ready, and the ASUS board has two 16X PCIe (Gen 2.0) slots! So all I need to make the system complete is one more of the Gen 2.0 9600GT video cards. Then I'll be locked and loaded!

Hey, thanks to all of you that took the time to lend a helping hand! I'm really surprised at how many people responded, thanks for all the great ideas!

Tattooed4Ever.

Were you able to narrow it down to which or both was the problem, mobo or psu?

No, but I bet it was a little of both. It's running like a dream now, though! Thanks for the help, Ken!
Tattooed4Ever.