MSI K8N Neo3-F Motherboard leaves power LED blinking

[Kunal ?]

Q> I have bought MSI K8N Neo3-F Motherboard and the problem that I am faced is that when I installed it for the first time and plugged the power supply then I was able to hear the fans, cpu and video chipset fans kicking but then after some seconds I don’t know what went wrong and they stopped suddenly and the power LED was left blinking, I was not getting an\y response from the power switch, I am quite sure that there was no problem in connection of LEDs and power switch but then I cannot guess what might have caused this issue, I have checked out the cmos battery voltage and I have found it to be reading zero, later I tried using another battery and then it read over 3v but then it was not making any difference and I was getting the same response, I have tried unplugging everything and resetting the cmos jumper but then it is just not making any difference, The video card in my case is geforce 8400 gs, pci-e. is there anything else that I should check out or is there any workaround that I can try out here?? Any suggestion??

[desirer]

As far as the Blinking led is concerned it might be because of the below possible things:

• Underpowered PSU- if possible then try using different psu there are possibilities that the psu that you might be using have turned faulty and so.
• Overheating CPU- make sure that the CPU is getting proper cooling , check out and see if the thermal paste have dried or what? If yes then apply some thermal paste to the same.

Just check out these things and see if there is anything wrong with them, if yes then try out the solutions that I have mentioned for them and then let me know if the issue is getting solved or not.

[Kunal ?]

In that case:

• I don’t think that there is any issue with the psu as it is very new, it is corsair 500w and I have took it out from a working machine so I am quite sure that it is fine, I am having 34A with my +12 supply, 20A on the 3.3v and 25 on the 5v.
• I don’t think that there is any overheating issue with the CPU or something like that as the system is just not booting, I have applied the heat paste and the cpu is not appearing to be having any case of overheating I have inspected it well.

I have tried putting a meter up to the psu connectors as well and I am using the case for the grounds, I have found that all the pin outs are bouncing between .001 and -.002 and I doubt if that is normal, I have also tried using different cord in a different outlet but then even it is not making any difference and I am getting the same result, I have been looking out after solution for the same in other forum as well but then I have not yet got any luck. Some people have suggested me to put a load on them like a fan but then I am not aware of doing the same?? So can you help me out with it??

[desirer]

I don’t think that there is any overheating issue with the CPU or something like that as the system is just not booting, I have applied the heat paste and the cpu is not appearing to be having any case of overheating I have inspected it well.

The cpu overheating can take place as soon as power is supplied no matter if the system boot up or not, I will suggest you to better open the case and then inspect it and see if you are able to feel the warmness.Putting a meter up to the psu connectors is not the method for measuring PSU but then you just have to check out the voltages and make sure that they are in proper range, I doubt that you might have applied the thermal paste properly, I have found some cases where people’s system were shutting down after some seconds and the used to get a blinking led and the cause of the issue in their case was insufficient cooling, better refer to some tutorial for applying the thermal paste, if possible make it thin, since you have mentioned that you have tried out the same you can still refer to some tutorial and check out if you have done the same in right way. I also wanted to know that are you having a connector to run fans of a drive moulex??

[Kunal ?]

I have crossed check out some tutorial and I really don’t think that I have missed anything anyways I have made the thermal paste layer a bit thin this time and I am still getting the same response, I think that there is some kind of hardware issue but then I am not able to find out the same, I am having a molex to serial ATA connector but then I don’t know how to use that 3-Pin Fan To 4-Pin Molex Cable. Do I have to 3-Pin Fan To 4-Pin Molex Cable and then take out the 2 pin molex and something like that or what?? In my case the fan pins and the board in between the psu are the load, I don’t think that I am having the case that you have mentioned above where people were facing shutdown in seconds with blinking led as the system is not even running for some seconds, it is just turning on fans for a couple of second and then stopping the same and then making the LED blink, is there anything else that I can try out further???

[Dhaani]

In that case I will like to inform you that every board has a pre-defined temperature limit so when the cpu temperature reaches that limit then the system will shut down suddenly, if there is improper contact with the heat sink then it cpu will just take a couple of seconds to increase the temperature limit, I just wanted to know that is it a brand new motherboard or you have bought it for secondhand, I don’t think that a brand new motherboard should run in to such issues, if it is brand new then better contact the manufacturer and get it replaced there are possibilities that there might be some kind of hardware issue, if it is a second hand one then you can try out using different memory module but then make sure that the memory module that you will be using is compatible with the motherboard. You should also check out if there is a short circuit somewhere by taking out the motherboard out of the case and test it on a dry surface, using a brown cardboard will be a better idea.