on-off loop in new computer

[Baffle]

No, it would mean you installed a working part incorrectly. Just Google motherboard standoffs and see if you think you need them. Usually if you need them they come with the case.

 

[DarklordKyo]

No, it would mean you installed a working part incorrectly. Just Google motherboard standoffs and see if you think you need them. Usually if you need them they come with the case.

Wait, doesn't a part being short mean that an electrical shock rendered it permanently unusable?

 

[DarklordKyo]

Okay, I put the old parts in, and it doesn't auto- restart, but now it won't output to my monitor. I accidentally dropped my graphics card on the motherboard, did I break my gpu?

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

How long is the computer on before it restarts?

Is it possible that the cpu cooler isn't mounted properly, causing the CPU to overheat and the computer to turn off?

Your dad shouldn't have had to "improvise" a way to hold the CPU cooler in place. I know, I have that same cooler, and I can make a pretty good guess at what your problem was when you were installing it. Suffice to say it works as intended but installing can be a bit fiddly (there's a little nub that has to align with the gear looking things when you're adjusting the holder dealy to fit the mounting points).

nigh-instantaneously

Then it's definitely not overheating. Most likely Baffle2 is correct and it's a short.

As far as what got shorted, I have no idea. A friend of mine made a similar mistake when building his current PC and forgot to put in the standoffs when you put his motherboard in, causing it to touch the side of his case, which shorted out the integrated graphics chip in his CPU. Of course he had a dedicated graphics card, so that short didn't actually matter since that graphics chip wasn't going to get used anyway, so he got lucky.

 

[TechNoFear]

Also check the little metal cover over the back plane / IO (cover that surrounds all the plugs on the back).
Make sure none of the motherboard plugs have any of the back plane covers support arms stuck into them.

Mr Google says the most likely reason for your MB to repeatedly reboot is not connecting the 8 pin power lead.
You have connected both the 24 pin and 8 pin power leads on the MB?

In these case I always try building the minimum PC I can, nothing that is not 100% required (1 RAM chip in slot 1, use on-board GPU, etc).

 

[Strazdas]

Also make sure that the motherboard is properly screwed in. I've had a computer fail to start because I'd improperly mounted the motherboard and it was causing some kind of short.

Agree with this, motherboard shorting on the case or something like that - I did it myself when I first built a PC.

Moden motherboards ground themselves to the case (and the whole case grounds itself through power supply, this is why having power supply plugged in but turned off is the safest way to tinker with PC) so if you didnt give mobo proper grounding it may ended up having problems because of that.

 

[DarklordKyo]

You have connected both the 24 pin and 8 pin power leads on the MB?

The really annoying one in the top-left near the I/O shield?, yep, no dice.

 

[DarklordKyo]

Okay, I put the old parts in, and it doesn't auto- restart, but now it won't output to my monitor. I accidentally dropped my graphics card on the motherboard, did I break my gpu?

What about this one doods?

 

[DarklordKyo]

No, it would mean you installed a working part incorrectly. Just Google motherboard standoffs and see if you think you need them. Usually if you need them they come with the case.

Are there multiple sizes, I saw a review on an Amazon listing that said the standoffs don't fit a generic, medium- sized case.

 

[Baffle]

Are there multiple sizes, I saw a review on an Amazon listing that said the standoffs don't fit a generic, medium- sized case.

Honestly, no idea, I just know it's a problem I had in the past.

 

[mad825]

Okay, I put the old parts in, and it doesn't auto- restart, but now it won't output to my monitor. I accidentally dropped my graphics card on the motherboard, did I break my gpu?

What about this one doods?

If that's the case then just remove the GPU, your current CPU is an APU meaning that it has an integrated graphics chip.

 

[DarklordKyo]

If that's the case then just remove the GPU, your current CPU is an APU meaning that it has an integrated graphics chip.

By old parts, I mean including my old cpu (an AMD FX-4200). Also, that was a question, not a statement.

 

[mad825]

If that's the case then just remove the GPU, your current CPU is an APU meaning that it has an integrated graphics chip.

By old parts, I mean including my old cpu (an AMD FX-4200). Also, that was a question, not a statement.

The MB that you listed also has a graphics chip so no worries.

 

[DarklordKyo]

The MB that you listed also has a graphics chip so no worries.

Sorry if I sound like an asshole, but did you even read the OP?, I replaced the CPU, MoBo, and RAM. The listed parts aren't the old ones, the listed ones are the new ones.

 

[Frezzato]

The MB that you listed also has a graphics chip so no worries.

Sorry if I sound like an asshole, but did you even read the OP?, I replaced the CPU, MoBo, and RAM. The listed parts aren't the old ones, the listed ones are the new ones.

I think you're getting confused. Mad825 is suggesting you pull the video card so your system can default to on-board graphics. Start there then work your way to the video card.

I hope I'm not confusing the issue here.

 

[DarklordKyo]

I think you're getting confused. Mad825 is suggesting you pull the video card so your system can default to on-board graphics. Start there then work your way to the video card.

I hope I'm not confusing the issue here.

Fair enough, though they said the one listed. Makes it look like they assumed the new mobo was an old one.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

The MB that you listed also has a graphics chip so no worries.

Sorry if I sound like an asshole, but did you even read the OP?, I replaced the CPU, MoBo, and RAM. The listed parts aren't the old ones, the listed ones are the new ones.

You sound pretty frustrated, but don't be rude to the people trying to help you. None of us were in the room with you when you were putting the computer together, none of us know what you did, and you're not exactly giving us a deluge of information nor are you particularly descriptive with what you did and what guides you used.

 

[TechNoFear]

Okay, I put the old parts in, and it doesn't auto- restart, but now it won't output to my monitor. I accidentally dropped my graphics card on the motherboard, did I break my gpu?

What about this one doods?

Not exactly sure what you mean.
Impossible for us to tell if dropping your graphics card will have damaged it.

When you have the old components setup;
Does the onboard graphics of the old MB work?
Does the old graphics card work?
Does the new graphics card work?

It is some-what common to get dead components out of the box, so these issues may be caused by a faulty CPU.
However your dad having to 'improvise' to get the cooler on points to incorrect CPU installation.

Have you checked the pins on the CPU are not bent?
Have you attached a speaker to hear the post beeps (they are error codes)?

http://www.gigabyte.com.au/support-downloads/faq-page.aspx?fid=816

 

[TechNoFear]

Have you run thru these checks?

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-post-boot-video-problems

I had a similar issue a few months ago, the ASRock Z170 MB required the 'fast' RAM timings to be set before it would boot.

 

[DarklordKyo]

You sound pretty frustrated, but don't be rude to the people trying to help you. None of us were in the room with you when you were putting the computer together, none of us know what you did, and you're not exactly giving us a deluge of information nor are you particularly descriptive with what you did and what guides you used.

Yeah, admittedly, being pissed off at myself for failing something as simple as a modern PC build is no excuse for my behavior.