So in my mini atx build I 'm a little confused by what I think are 2 molex connections coming fr...

[G+_Chad Winters]

So in my mini atx build I'm a little confused by what I think are 2 molex connections coming from the front fan. I have a power supply connection for one type but not the other

 

And I have a connection from the front of the case that has no place to go as far as I can see and I don't recognize. The manual is not helpful and amounts to connect everything that fits. Any help?

[G+_Taylor Graham]

It's for daisy chaining. Power goes in, power comes out

[G+_Taylor Graham]

Connection from the front of the case will be either: USB 3.0 (blue and wide) USB 2.0 (little square connector, should say USB, google USB header), front panel headers (a collection of little connectors, for power button and stuff), or front audio (looks very similar to USB but should say audio)

EDIT: oh hey i didnt see your second picture. Thats a usb 3.0 header

[G+_Chad Winters]

ahh thanks, my mobo had usb 3.0 jacks onboard but not an out connection for the front so I was confused. 

 

So my years of watching Know How are failing me....I'm fairly certain everything is hooked up where its supposed to be, but nada happens when I turn it on. Am I missing something obvious?

[G+_Taylor Graham]

If you press the power button and absolutely nothing happens, I'd bet it was the front panel connections. Are you moving OEM parts into a aftermarket case? It's always a pain to find the pinout for the front panel on the OEM motherboards. ?

I'd Google for a pinout for your brand. Or check the manual if you have it. When in doubt, try anything you see on google. Just keep the side panel open and test the connections until you get it

[G+_james robinson (radiati]

Not that I've done it before. But is the switch on the power supply on?

[G+_Taylor Graham]

james robinson

Gets me every time. They always ship them in the off position.

Makes for a good 5 seconds of WHAT IS HAPPENING

[G+_Taylor Graham]

Chad Winters

Also chad, i notice you have a spacer above the motherboard in your first picture. You put them under the mobo, right? If not you're going to have a bad time.

You're probably just using it as a screw, but i figured id ask.

[G+_james robinson (radiati]

Taylor Graham? nice catch

[G+_Chad Winters]

yeah funny about that, i figured out i did that wrong  about 3 hours ago. Darn thing still won't turn, not a flicker. And I had already checked the power supply on switch. Could be in my fumbling i fried the mobo, but I don't think I did anything quite that wrong. Tried 2 power supplies, so I don't think its that.

[G+_Taylor Graham]

Did you have power connected to the motherboard while the standoffs were above the board? Like you tried to turn it on like that? If so, there's a good chance you shorted something on your mobo and its cooked. You might not have even needed to turn it on, connecting to power might have done it. I'm not sure if that's what's causing your problem, but yeah. Basically if the components/traces on the back of the board touch the case while power is being applied to the board, everything will be shorted together.. and that's bad news bears. Don't assume your motherboard is dead though, I'm not exactly sure what you have going on so i cant say for sure. But definitely think about that if you did apply power to the board while touching the case. Your case is painted so maybe that saved you. If you shorted it for any length of time you'd probably get some magic blue smoke or something. Maybe a pop, or an LED or fan that turned on for a second then never again. I've seen that before.

 

If absolutely nothing happens when you press the power button, and you're totally sure you have the front panel power button connected to the headers correctly, start checking other connectors. You have your 24 pin and 4 pin connectors in the mobo, right? Im not sure where else to go from there. Make sure your psus are working? i dunno. Check those front panel connectors mate. Hope that's your problem.

[G+_james robinson (radiati]

Good power supplies? jumper the green and black wires on the motherboard connector and the PS will spin up if its working. next pull everthin off the MB except the CPU. if there is not video or ram the MB will give a few beeps as an error code. may lead you the right way. i have had bad ram make a mb not boot. then remove the ram and the MB goes "BEEP BEEP BEEP". make sure the MB has a speaker or hook one up.

[G+_Chad Winters]

Good thought James I will try that, it should be just the ram and hard drive as the APU graphics are on the CPU.

 

Taylor is probably right that I shorted the mobo., double checked the front panel connectors and they are good. The mobo is $29 on newegg so at worst will grab another and chalk it up to education cost. Glad I did a mini PC for my first from scratch build. I've replaced a lot of parts before but never a full build, which is why I just learned about spacers :)

 

My wife does speech therapy in a home office and the mini pc will mainly be used to run a dropcam feed from the web to a TV for parents to watch their kids therapy session from the waiting area. Strangely you can't use a chromecast or other device on a dropcam even after Google bought Dropcam.

[G+_Taylor Graham]

I'd try to RMA the motherboard. I've heard plenty of stories of manufacturers taking back parts that were damaged by user error. Maybe don't tell them that you might have messed it up.. say it was DOA.. :D

I've broken many a thing. It seems you learn the best when you hurt yourself or your wallet.