Or by only putting one stick of memory in, or changing the slot you’re using.
I was assembling a computer and everything seemed to be correct, the fan would spin up, I’d get some lights, but there was no image on the screen, not even the BIOS. I saw someone else make this suggestion and didn’t think it was likely to work, but it did. First I just tried one stick, and it booted. Then I tried both sticks and it didn’t work, but I reseated and then it did.
(Also worth pointing out that your motherboard should have diagnostic lights which if you check the documentation may point out which component has an issue)
Thinking about Lemmy’s demographics many here may have heard of something like this, or have more helpful suggestions about troubleshooting which would be welcome. But thought I’d write out a little post about my experience to contribute to Lemmy SEO supremacy.
Many modern motherboards will also do memory training the first time you boot with new RAM sticks, and sometimes this is very slow. Your PC will boot to a black screen and behave exactly like it would with a dead CPU or RAM… there’s no visual feedback.
This once caught me off guard and I spent a good hour panicking trying to diagnose a non-existing issue. Sometimes, you just literally have to wait in a black screen for a while.
This 100%. Had a buddy recently that went as far as buying an entirely new PSU and memory kit trying to troubleshoot over 3 days. He just needed to let it sit for about 15 minutes to memory train the first time.
I have never run into this with any builds, at least in the last 15 or so years. Is this a more recent thing, or am I now finding out that my first build, circa 2007 on my new DFI lanparty mobo, may have not been a defect and I’m just impatient? That was DDR2 and PATA for a time frame.
This seriously stressed me out when I put my last computer together. I was patient and waited hoping it would fix itself (which it did), but my heart sank when I didn’t see anything on the monitor.
Good to know this is what is happening. Some visual feedback would be nice.
Didn’t know about this. How long are we talking, minutes, hours?
Anything from 30 seconds to 10 minutes, depending on your specific combination of RAM, CPU and chipset.
Yup, I put new RAM in a brand new laptop after booting it up only once previously. Boot it up, black screen. I got insanely scared I messed up the display to mobo ribbon or something. Nope, just was doing its RAM thing and sat on a black screen for like a minute before actually booting to bios
Removed
A much dumber reason is because you forgot to install the riser screws before screwing in the motherboard and shorting the entire motherboard against the case.
My best friend did this on his first PC bless his heart lol
WTF case is that?
I dont think I’ve seen a case in 20 years that even had removable/installable risers.
Hm, they’re removable in about every case I’ve used in the past 20 years. I mostly use Fractal Design cases though, so I suppose it’s something they tend to do.
I can’t recall, but he did overspend on his motherboard and it was not damaged by the short. I figured out the issue, and he reinstalled it and it works just fine to this day. That was like 7 years ago.
Sometimes it can also be because you forgot to actually plug it in. 😳
I prefer to flip the PSU switch to the wrong position. Because there’s no other point in time when I ever use that switch.
First check its plugged in. Then check the power supply is turned on. Then check that the power button is connected to the motherboard.
It’s probably something dumb keeping your PC from working. You probably were worried about the memory or CPU so you paid attention. It’s the trivial things that are missed.
The first paragraph is autobiographical. I messed all those up on my first attempt. :-/
The first time I built a computer, it didn’t boot on the first several tries. Turned out I had the motherboard screwed onto the chassis too tightly, causing a short.
The list in your comment is a good one. There’s just so many little basic electrical things that can potentially go wrong.
IMHO…99 times out of a 100 (roll a die of your choosing for a multiplier, I have been at this for a long time), OP is right on. ONCE in a long while, it’s PSU/mobo related.
I just bought an MSI motherboard. The memory slots are labeled, A1, A2, B1, B2. So of course it makes sense that the first populated slot must be A2. Followed by B2. Then A1, and finally B1.
Make sure the memory is in the right slots.
If A/B describe separate bus lanes, then A1, B1, A2, B2 make sense. If A/B describe your paired RAM, then A1, A2, B1, B2 make sense.
Only valid rule is to RTFM
But how does 2 before 1 make sense?
Lexographical ordering is the most common convention humans use. I.e. A1, A2, B1, B2.
That A2 comes before B1, is what you meant by “2 before 1”?
Did you read the order in the original comment?
It’s the boob constant. The bigger the boobs are the more they stick out getting you better place in race…
I’d like to learn about more about the boob constant, can you point me in an interesting direction?
Not always. But always confirm by reading the manual which slot order to use.
Blowing on it helps. The humidity in your breath reinvigorates the silicon.
My cousin and I have run into having to clear the cmos using the jumper in a couple of our builds before it would boot the first time too. Not sure why.
If you don’t want to try and find the correct pins to jumper, you can also unplug the pc from power (which it already should be if you’re digging around in it) and pull the little watch battery for about 30 seconds.
I miss beep codes so you know what messed up.
I think all motherboards support this, they just don’t come with speakers. You can grab a speaker for you motherboard for about $2 or like 100 for $20
Exactly, then having to go through a thick-ass manual to find out what code it is. Oh, I just need to move a jumper…
Reseating cards and chips is the first step every time.
This can be the culprit along with hundreds of others. Another common one in more powerful PCs is your power supply does not have enough juice.
An underpowered PSU will usually show issues when actually running heavier loads, not immediately at boot I think.
Only higher end boards tend to have diagnostic lights.
I would say most mid range boards have diagnostic LEDs now. My gigabyte b450 board has some, for example, which I consider solidly mid range not high end.
If thats true a lot has changed since AM4. Only the pricier B boards and not all X boards (but most) had them when I last kept tabs on the majority of boards. A cursory google shows at least a few solidly midrange boards with lights (and some without) so you may very well be right.
Pretty much all boards will either have lights, beeps, or both. OEM builds will usually have them on the front IO ports (Dell usually has A/B/C lights). I don’t think I’ve ever seen a board with nothing. Some are more cryptic than others (Lenovo has an app for their laptops that decodes the weird noises they make) but they should have something.
In my experience beepers tend to be very simple. My cheap B-board, but major brand (MSI), only beeps when it POSTs. If it doesn’t post then there’s nothing. Good for when you’re using it headless but otherwise pretty pointless imo.
I call it “re-seating” the memory because it makes me sound like I have an actual clue.
I have half a clue and also call it reseating.
I have 40 years of PC building experience and I too call it “reseating”.
I would go so far as to say that 99.999999% of all issues where a new build won’t boot is to just push harder on the RAM.
Been building computers for almost 3 decades now and I STILL am a little bitch when it comes to seating RAM. It is the least expensive component in the case and mobos are literally designed to let you know when you push hard enough but I still will never push hard enough (for all the sticks) on the first try.
