Tech Support, Please! Screen Is Blank After Installing New CPU

[Knusper]

I thought I would swing this by the Escapist before creating an account on a dedicated tech forum.

I recently gave my brother my old CPU which I have replaced - a Athlon II x3 435. we plugged it into his Asus M3A78 Pro motherboard. Everything went in fine and we turned it on and all the fans were spinning. Unfortunately, the green light on the front of his case wasn't on and the screen was completely blank. We have checked the Asus website and it is definitely on the CPU Support List http://www.asus.com/Motherboard/M3A78T/#support_CPU

His PSU is only 550W so I'm thinking that might be an issue, the Athlon II 435 running at 95W, but then would the computer tun at all if it couldn't handle it? Also, the socket for my one is AM3 whereas the CPU socket on his motherboard is AM2, although we read that it should be fine, and Asus certainly thinks so. His old CPU was a Athlon Dual Core 2.8GHz, but he can't remember the exact model.

So, any ideas would be a great help, I've read clearing the cmos (whatever that is) might help, but I'd rather go through less tricky options first.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: we have switched round his GPU and it still isn't working so it definitely isn't that.

 

[SnowyGamester]

Doubtful that the psu is the problem, more likely the cpu. Make sure that its supporred on every bios version, not impossible that you need to flash an update. Also make sure you havn't bent any pins and its sitting properly. Im no expert with amd stuff, but generally a certain socket cpu won't work on a board for a different socket (or even fit properly) so I'm not sure what the deal is here.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

From the look of what it says on the Asus site definitely sounds like you need to flash a newer BIOS version.

 

[Knusper]

Thanks for the advice, guys. Just one fly in the ointment I am afraid.

When we were taking off his heat sink, it was firmly attached to his CPU (which is no surprise as he had not reapplied the thermal paste in the 5 years he has had it) - completely rock solid. He managed to pull it free, but the CPU came with it without us even undoing the clamp on the socket! This leaves us with the problem that if we are to find out his current version of BIOS, and thereby need to reinstall his old CPU, we might have a problem. We can't install the CPU with the clamp up as that gets in the way of the heat sink and if we were to put the clamp down then of course we can't fit the CPU into the socket.

We are therefore stuck with a CPU attached to a heat sink and fan. Firstly, is it possible to flash the BIOS without knowing his current BIOS version? Failing that, do you have any tips for removing a stuck CPU from a heat sink, so we can reinstall his CPU to find out his BIOS version?

Thanks again!

 

[mad825]

we can't fit the CPU into the socket.

Erm, not being rude or anything but do you have any previous with building PCs?
That CPU socket clamp is called a ZIF. Zero insertion force, a way to connect an electrical connector without applying force to the connector. You should never have to force the CPU in, this may suggest it doesn't fit or you've inserted it wrong, the CPU must be facing in a certain direction along marked by the CPU socket/motherboard.

If you can't fit the heat sink and CPU then there's certainly defiantly wrong. Inspect the CPU, Heat sink and motherboard for any physical damage. Honesty a similar thing happened when my motherboard burnt out, I hope this isn't the case.

To flash the BIOS, just remove the CMOS battery (looks like a watch battery) for 10 mins and reinsert. Either way, the BIOS is the least concern right now.

 

[Knusper]

we can't fit the CPU into the socket.

Erm, not being rude or anything but do you have any previous with building PCs?
That CPU socket clamp is called a ZIF. Zero insertion force, a way to connect an electrical connector without applying force to the connector. You should never have to force the CPU in, this may suggest it doesn't fit or you've inserted it wrong, the CPU must be facing in a certain direction along marked by the CPU socket/motherboard.

If you can't fit the heat sink and CPU then there's certainly defiantly wrong. Inspect the CPU, Heat sink and motherboard for any physical damage. Honesty a similar thing happened when my motherboard burnt out, I hope this isn't the case.

To flash the BIOS, just remove the CMOS battery (looks like a watch battery) for 10 mins and reinsert. Either way, the BIOS is the least concern right now.

Yeah I know it doesn't take any effort, I was just trying to say that because the lever had to be down (or else it would be in the way of the heat sink), we couldn't fit the CPU in the socket, because the clamp kept it shut.

The bit about the CMOS battery, I was hoping there might be a solution other than that as I nor my brother have no experience of this. Sorry for sounding so nooby, but surely the point of flashing a BIOS is to update it. Does your version simply reset the existing version of Bios so that it scans for new hardware all over again?

Also, presumably we take all the other components out first so if something goes wrong only the motherboard is broken?

 

[mad825]

Yeah I know it doesn't take any effort, I was just trying to say that because the lever had to be down (or else it would be in the way of the heat sink), we couldn't fit the CPU in the socket, because the clamp kept it shut.

So basically saying that you need to add pressure to the lever to get ZIF socket down over the CPU?

The bit about the CMOS battery, I was hoping there might be a solution other than that as I nor my brother have no experience of this. Sorry for sounding so nooby, but surely the point of flashing a BIOS is to update it. Does your version simply reset the existing version of Bios so that it scans for new hardware all over again?

It only restores the default settings so it will act as if it was brand new. Updating is more complicated, you need to be able to get into the BIOS first to update at the very least.

You seem to be fine playing one of the most delicate components(CPU) in a PC. The CMOS is a walk in the park, there's small lever that you need to push from the inner side (or pull from the outer edges) and it should pop-out. You can do it with just your finger.

 

[Knusper]

Yeah I know it doesn't take any effort, I was just trying to say that because the lever had to be down (or else it would be in the way of the heat sink), we couldn't fit the CPU in the socket, because the clamp kept it shut.

So basically saying that you need to add pressure to the lever to get ZIF socket down over the CPU?

The bit about the CMOS battery, I was hoping there might be a solution other than that as I nor my brother have no experience of this. Sorry for sounding so nooby, but surely the point of flashing a BIOS is to update it. Does your version simply reset the existing version of Bios so that it scans for new hardware all over again?

It only restores the default settings so it will act as if it was brand new. Updating is more complicated, you need to be able to get into the BIOS first to update at the very least.

You seem to be fine playing one of the most delicate components(CPU) in a PC. The CMOS is a walk in the park, there's small lever that you need to push from the inner side (or pull from the outer edges) and it should pop-out. You can do it with just your finger.

Sorry, i evidently wasn't making myself totally clear. The CPU was completely stuck onto the heat sink, as my brother has never replaced the thermal paste, or even taken the heat sink off, in the 5 or so years he has had the computer. When my brother attempted to pull off the heat sink, the cpu came off with it without having undone the clamp which is meant to hold it done. I couldn't believe it either, but the clamp on the AM2 socket seemed quite loose, so it seems the only logical answer. It is now solidly stuck onto the heat sink.

Therefore, we can not put his old CPU back in to find out his current BIOS version and download a new one - we can not raise the lever to put the CPU in as that gets in the way of the heat sink, and of course we can't get the CPU in the socket without undoing the clamp.

However, if what you're saying his computer could work if we took out the CMOS battery for a bit (even if we can just go into BIOS and find out it's current version), then we won't need to try and get his old CPU in.

Edit: Thanks for your help and everything, but an important note: do we actually need to know his current BIOS version before we update it?

 

[Knusper]

Sorry for the double post, but after some intense heat and the use of a strong man, we managed to get his CPU unstuck, so we can now find out his current BIOS version, which we will be doing tomorrow, so we should be good from now.

Thanks for your help, guys.