I broke my PC :(

[Trip]

The first thing you should do is disconnect everything from the motherboard except the power supply and the power on switch. Make sure you remove the RAM, any add on cards, usb devices, keyboard and your mouse.The less stuff that's connected, the easier it will be to track down the problem.

Check that the back of the board isn't shorting out on anything.

Check that your CPU is fitted correctly and the processors fan's plugged into the right pins on the board.

If it still wont power on and you have a spare power supply, then try the other one with the board.

You can try resetting the bios etc. if you like, but I don't really think it will do much good if the boards not even starting.

EDIT: Sorry I didn't see your last post about the fan.
Check your manual for the pinout of the fan. It should still let you connect it to just 3 of the pins. Red wire to + and black wire to -.

 

[Thegerg]

How do i know if the motherboard is starting if i don't have everything hooked up?

 

[Trip]

How do i know if the motherboard is starting if i don't have everything hooked up?

The CPU fan will spin and there might be an LED on the board.

 

[Chip]

I'd take things one step further and remove the MB and PSU from the case completely. Hook them up on a non-conductive surface (that bit is important) and short the power button pins to start it up. If you get nothing, then either your board or PSU is borked. Get a known-good MB or PSU and test it with your questionable MB or PSU to confirm.

This has the benefit of completely removing the case (which is the only new part) from the equation.

 

[Username]

You'd better hope you didn't permanently mess it up. I've shorted out lots of things, including my 360 when doing the towel trick. Replacing the computer parts should be cheaper though.

 

[Exophase]

Did you make sure to put the standoffs in behind the motherboard?

I was going to ask the same thing.

The first motherboard upgrade I did blew up on me because one of the metal stands was in the wrong place and shorted it out completely. Expensive mistake, but one that I've never made again thankfully.


I did that too. Fortunately the place I got them from took it back.. probably didn't hurt that it was the third motherboard I got from them because of a defective PSU they sold me.

Glad to see I wasn't the only person to make such a dumb mistake >_>

 

[nickspoon]

My case has little metal bumps instead of standoffs. At least, I assume they're instead of standoffs - the motherboard didn't short out, and if my motherboard were any further out nothing else would fit properly. I thought we'd done away with standoffs and non-standard hole positions; guess it depends on the case/motherboard.

 

[Thegerg]

My new case isen't working either, is there anything i might have to do to a new power supply to get it working? I don't think the motherboard got damage so maybe i just plugged it in wrong?

 

[Trip]

The power supply should just plug in and go??

I'd do what Chip just suggested if I were you and forget about the cases until you make sure that it can work without one.
Don't forget to swap the power leads either as a fuse might be blown in one of the plugs.

It's kind of hard to give you instructions like this though, do you have a webcam and another computer handy. I'll be able to give you step by step instructions then