[CPU Solutions offers POST test services with any motherboard combo's you purchase for a small additional fee. This guide is for those who are building their own system from scratch and need more in depth information on the POST test procedure.]

What Is a POST Test?

A POST test refers to the "Power On Self Test" a computer system does when you first power it up. When ever you are building a new system it is a good idea to perform a POST before building your parts into the case as it can save you time in the long run if something happens to go wrong.

I have seen many cases where people build their parts into a system without testing anything before hand which can lead to complications when trying to trouble shoot why the system is not powering up. Performing a POST test is a good way of ensuring all your parts are working fine when you receive them that way if anything is not working once it is built into the system it can help you narrow down the parts and procedures in question.

How do I Perform a POST Test on my Motherboard?

The following information is a step by step guide for trouble shooting a NO POST motherboard combo. The guide is setup in a linear fashion to help diagnose any problems in the POST test setup procedure. If you follow the steps in the order they are presented you should be able to diagnose any problems you are running into with a system that will not boot up.

[You want to have your parts laid out on an insulated surface when performing a basic post test. make sure none of the parts are touching an metal surface. We recommend using styrofoam or the form inserts that come with your case to isolate the combo from any dangerous surfaces. Also make sure you have plenty of room to work and are cautious since you will be working with exposed parts and electricity. CPU Solutions cannot be held responsible for any injury incurred or hardware damaged by following this guide incorrectly.]

01.  The Basic POST test requires 4 main things. A Motherboard, CPU, Memory and Power Supply.

02.  Make sure the CPU is seated flat on the socket. Check all the edges of the CPU to make sure they are resting evenly on the socket. The CPU is a “ZIF” socket meaning Zero Insertion Force. If the chip does not drop right into the socket make sure the CPU is correctly aligned, check to make sure any marking such as arrows on the CPU lines up with the arrows on the socket. If the chip is correctly aligned and still does not drop into the socket check the bottom of the CPU for possible bent pins.

[Always consult the company you purchased your CPU from before attempting to fix bent pins. It is nearly impossible to receive a CPU in this condition because of how they are packaged. A lot of the time this can be considered "Physical Damage" which will make you ineligible for a return authorization on the part. If you do run into this problem you will most likely need to contact the manufacturer of the CPU as this is a problem with their packaging.] 

03.  Once the CPU is in place, gently mount the CPU cooler onto the processor. If it is an AMD Athlon / SEMPRON processor make sure the edge of the cooler that has the notch in it lines up with the raised edge of the CPU socket that the hinge point of the metal lever connects to. Make sure to plug in the CPU 3 pin fan wire to the CPU 3 pin connection on your motherboard. With higher end CPUs like the AMD64 and new P4 chips this may possibly be a 4 pin connection. Once you have connected this cable proceed to step 4.

04.  Mount your memory [RAM] into the socket that is closet to your CPU. Check when you are putting in the memory that the notched edge on the bottom lines up with the plastic notch in the memory socket. Putting memory in backwards can damage the module. For a basic POST test, if you have 2 sticks of RAM for the system it is recommended that you use only 1 stick, to rule out any possible problems with an individual stick of memory, or running 2 sticks as a pair. If it doesn’t work with the one stick and you have a second you can try switching them out to see if this helps.

05.  Once the memory is mounted on the board, connect the power leads from your Power Supply. The first connection should connect to a White 20 Pin connection [2 rows of 10]. Usually located near the CPU itself. Also some higher end boards may have a larger socket [24 pin – 2 rows of 12] in which case your ATX power cable will only connect to it one way as the pins are keyed to prevent it from being hooked up backwards. These higher end boards also usually have a separate White 4 pin power connection. [Almost always the case with P4 processors] Make sure this is also hooked up. This is a common thing to over look and will result in the board not powering up at all, or powering up for a second and then dying out.

06.  Once you have the CPU, RAM and Power Supply hooked up you can attempt to POST test the system. You will usually need to hookup your front power connection from your PC case. This is usually a 2 pin lead that connects to the power connection on your motherboard. All motherboards are different so please refer to your motherboard manual for the proper pins to connect this wire to. Rule of thumb is the colored wire [not the black or white] is usually facing the rear of your motherboard which would be towards your PCI slots.

07. Once the power switch is connected the only things hooked up on your board should be the CPU, the CPU 3 pin fan wire, the memory, the 2 ATX power leads [or 1 incase you board does not have the 4 pin power connection] and the power power switch. You can try to POST test the system and at this point it should boot up. If it does not boot at this point it may require extended troubleshooting or the hardware might be having issue in which case you would want to contact the company you purchased your parts from to work out an exchange.

Conclusion

After following the above procedure you should now have a fully working motherboard combo setup. You have now verified that all the core parts of your system are working properly and can feel confident about building these into your case without running into problems. If you do complete your build and the system does not boot up at this point double check all the previous steps to make sure nothing was overlooked. Or starting troubleshooting other parts or procedures that are in question since you have verified that the main parts you are using are working properly.

This guide covers the basic steps of performing a POST on your motherboard combo, and should help you in diagnosing any common issues people usually run into. Good luck.