Guys, I'm in a really sticky situation here. I was supposed to be done with this custom computer by tonight, but everything has gone wrong. Yesterday, when the parts came for a new computer from newegg, I began piecing them together right away. As I put all the parts together, I plugged it into an outlet to test it out. Unfortunately, it wouldn't even start. I checked the front panel module wires if it had been correctly put in in the motherboard. It seemed fine and I was confused. So then I switched computer cases with my old and new computer, checking if the wires were defected in the new case. I basically used my old computer's power switch wires on the new motherboard, and hit power, it didn't turn on. Then i proceeded to plug in the new power switch wires into the old motherboard, it worked. So then I knew it wasn't the power switch wires. I ran some other tests to see what was the problem, and i came to conclude it was the motherboard's problem. I set out to quickly buy a new motherboard at frys electronics right before they closed. I hoped the new motherboard worked, and thankfully it did. I installed windows and everything in my new computer. The next morning, it was still working, and i was about to deliver this computer to my family friend(thats who i made it for). But as i set it up there and tried to turn it on, it had the EXACT same problem as the first motherboard. Although this time, the computer actually turned on successfully like 3 times out of 50 times(not exaggerating, might even be a little too generous with 50). I was really confused, i ran the exact same tests i did yesterday again, and i think its the motherboard again. So i set out AGAIN to buy ANOTHER motherboard. I quickly went home and reassembled the computer, it still wouldn't turn on. I am really confused, the last two motherboards were from frys and they were open boxed (they were returned to the store but "checked and ran tests" on these motherboards), so i don't know if that has to do with it being broken. The first motherboard that I received in the mail was the GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R P45. The 2nd motherboard, the one i got from frys, was a GIGABYTE EP45-UD3P, The 3rd one i got, which was from frys, was a GIGABYTE EP45-UD3LR. So please, I really don't want to go out and buy another motherboard. Is it even the motherboard's problem? Is it possible there is a piece of hardware that is messing every motherboard it touches?

TLDR(TOO LONG DIDN'T READ)
1. Bought parts for new computer
2. Computer wouldn't turn on
3. I think the motherboard came dead
4. Went to store to buy new motherboard
5. New motherboard worked
6. Next day taking the computer to someone's house
7. The computer wouldn't turn on
8. Did same tests to determine if the motherboard was broken
9. I thought the motherboard was broken, so i went to the store and bought another
10. Reassembled computer, won't turn on still.
11. Seeking assistance T_T

Please this is very urgent, it is important that he gets the computer in time, he needs it for work.

Thanks
~Andrew

Dani AI

Generated

Intermittent "won't start" on a new build usually points to a chassis short, a marginal PSU, or a front‑panel/mounting fault rather than three different bad motherboards in a row. In this thread had exactly those symptoms and, as suggested, a mechanical/contact problem explained the behavior. The checklist below gives practical isolation steps and prevention tips that save time and avoid needless part swaps.

  1. Bench test outside the case: place the board on the motherboard box or cardboard (not on an anti-static bag), install CPU + cooler, one DIMM in the primary slot, connect the 24‑pin ATX and CPU 4/8‑pin, add the GPU only if required, then momentarily short the power-on header to simulate the front-panel switch. If the board boots reliably on the bench, the case is the likely cause.

  2. Check for chassis shorts: confirm standoffs match the mounting holes, remove any extra standoffs, clear stray screws/metal fragments, and verify the I/O shield isn’t deforming the PCB or standoffs.

  3. Verify the PSU: swap in a known-good PSU or use a PSU tester/multimeter to check the +12V/+5V rails under startup. Weak or cheap PSUs can show intermittent starts.

  4. Isolate components: test with a single RAM stick (try each slot), reseat CPU and cooler, visually inspect socket pins (LGA sockets are delicate), and remove nonessential cards/drives while testing.

  5. Environment and wiring: test from a different outlet or through a surge protector/UPS; make sure front-panel wires are on the correct header pins and not shorting adjacent pins.

If bench testing eliminates the case and the fault remains intermittent, document the reproducible steps and pursue RMA for the suspect board or PSU. This checklist also addresses ’s request for mounting details: intermittent failures that appear to "work sometimes" are classic signs of PCB-to-chassis contact.

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UPDATE: I got some help from others, I would like to provide this information, it might help.

What is the EXACT make and model of the power supply you are using?

APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply - Retail

What is the EXACT processor you are using?

Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor

Did you check the Gigabyte site to see if the processor you are using required a BIOS flash for the boards you are using?

I'm not too sure what "BIOS flashing" is. If you could please explain and tell me how i can find out if it does require a BIOS flash. I did go on gigabyte, and check if the processor and motherboards were compatible, and they were.

What is the EXACT make and model of the video card you are using?

ASUS EAH3450/DI/256M Radeon HD 3450 256MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile Ready Video Card

EXACTLY what memory are you using?

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ

Did you check the memory vendors site to see if the memory was compatible with the boards you tried to use?

Yes.

Did the memory require a vDimm voltage adjustment?

How do I check?

Thanks for being patient with me! I'm still learning.

Throwing out a random idea out there, I highly doubt this is the problem, but it drifted across my mind. If there was a power surge once i reconnected the computer at my family friend's house, could that have been the problem? Because it was working perfectly fine until we plugged it in there.

Yes
I actually don’t even want to try and guess what your problem is, it sounds like power surges but is it coming from your power supply or from your power supplier? OR did you maybe connect the MB so that it somehow touches the case? (Maybe when you moved it to your friend place it moved and touched the MB)
Let us know
barry

I have doubts it is my psu, but i'm not sure. I used my one that i know is working for sure, in that computer, and it still didn't work.

Okay, I got my computer up and running again! I got some help
from this thread.
...
guide-problem-builds.html
Apparently I just had a mounting issue, what an idiotic mistake,
but I learned [;

Okay, I got my computer up and running again! I got some help
from this thread.
...
guide-problem-builds.html
Apparently I just had a mounting issue, what an idiotic mistake,
but I learned [;

link is not to a thread,would like to read
what mounting issue you had

I just had the back of the motherboard just barely touching the case

If you didn't have bad luck would you have any luck at all?

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