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[Stickman Sham]

So I finally got my motherboard, installed the RAM, put in the vid card, and hooked plugged in all of the cords for the power supply and motherboard, and it doesn't turn on. Only one power supply cord is unplugged, and I can't seem to find where it goes. I would upload a pic if imgur was working.

[pspeed]

I assume you put the CPU on it and stuff, too?

So many things could be wrong... for example, you could have installed the case cables wrong on the motherboard pin header which prevents the computer from starting up, etc..

Building a computer is a little tricky and even harder to debug over the internet.   You'd have to provide us with a lot more details (and a picture or two would help, also) in order to properly debug this issue.

[Stickman Sham]

Well, my old motherboard didn't have a CPU on it... Idk why, I looked at it when I got the new motherboard, and I was wondering why. Imgur is apparently over capacity right now or else I would upload my pictures.

[pspeed]

Well, my old motherboard didn't have a CPU on it... Idk why, I looked at it when I got the new motherboard, and I was wondering why. Imgur is apparently over capacity right now or else I would upload my pictures.

It most certainly did have a CPU on it.  Maybe it wasn't removeable (totally strange).

Either way, you will 10000% need a CPU on a new motherboard for your computer to work.

[pspeed]

In fact, you should have a big empty white-ish socket or something look like something with a bunch of pins should be plugged into it.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cpu+socket&client=firefox-a&hs=QWy&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=6fz2UafzL8iorAHekIDIAw&ved=0CDsQsAQ&biw=1308&bih=859

[pspeed]

And since I just imagined about 1000 horror stories starting with "I didn't know for sure so I just pushed..."

If you happen to find it then please be very very gentle with your CPU.  If you have it oriented in the slot properly then it should just drop right in and if it doesn't then don't force it.  Unless you don't mind buying a new one.

[Sean]

Socket 775 should look something like this. https://www.google.com/search?q=socket+775&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=ng33UZGYCJfH4AP4iIHgBw&biw=1920&bih=991&sei=oQ33UZfBLsPj4AOWvYGoCA

If imgur is over capacity then use tinypic.com.

[Stickman Sham]

AH-HA! The old cpu was underneath the fan!

[BenKenobiWan]

AH-HA! The old cpu was underneath the fan!

Does the computer work now?

[pspeed]

AH-HA! The old cpu was underneath the fan!

Yes... that fan is what cools the CPU and keeps it from burning up.

[Sean]

AH-HA! The old cpu was underneath the fan!

Now that I think about it, you're also going to need some thermal grease.

[pspeed]

AH-HA! The old cpu was underneath the fan!

Now that I think about it, you're also going to need some thermal grease.

Yeah, I almost mentioned that, too.

It's watching someone else do this from scratch that makes me realize all of the lore I've accumulated over the years that I don't even think about anymore.  I think I even have three or four little packets of thermal grease up on my shelf that I saved from some CPU box "just in case".

I really hope this story has a happy ending.

[theamericono]

i was told when it come to thermal grease that little is more dont put a big blob on put a little one on and then wipe of a flat head screw driver with rubbing alchol and gentale spreed it around for a even coat. thermal grease is just to fill the microsopice holes in the cpu becouse air isnt very conductive.

[Sean]

i was told when it come to thermal grease that little is more dont put a big blob on put a little one on and then wipe of a flat head screw driver with rubbing alchol and gentale spreed it around for a even coat. thermal grease is just to fill the microsopice holes in the cpu becouse air isnt very conductive.

Just put thermal paste in the center of the processor and without spreading it around, put the heatsink on top of it; just make sure you are putting enough thermal paste on to cover the whole CPU. I don't know who told you to use a flathead screwdriver, that method to me spells disaster for air pockets within the paste itself.
Here's a nice video made by Tek Syndicate that explains thermal coverage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hNgFNH7zhQ

[pspeed]

i was told when it come to thermal grease that little is more dont put a big blob on put a little one on and then wipe of a flat head screw driver with rubbing alchol and gentale spreed it around for a even coat. thermal grease is just to fill the microsopice holes in the cpu becouse air isnt very conductive.

Just put thermal paste in the center of the processor and without spreading it around, put the heatsink on top of it; just make sure you are putting enough thermal paste on to cover the whole CPU. I don't know who told you to use a flathead screwdriver, that method to me spells disaster for air pockets within the paste itself.
Here's a nice video made by Tek Syndicate that explains thermal coverage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hNgFNH7zhQ

...also, putting a screw driver right on a CPU sort of gives me the willies.  They are often magnetic even if only a little bit... and while the cover of the CPU should provide protection from shock and stuff, having something metal scraping over it makes me uneasy.

Most of the time I just let the heat sink squeeze it around from a dollup in the center as Sean suggests.  If I ever felt the need to spread it then I just used a piece of cardboard to smear a thick layer in the middle and make it flat... but you do risk air pockets that way.