My PC won't power on. read: not a boot issue, but a power issue. It doesn't even start to boot, no POST, fans won't even come on. The South Bridge LED blinks (instead of steady "on" like normal). It is an ASUS M2N4-SLI mobo.

I initially thought it was a bad PSU. I replaced that, with a 500W Rosewill Stallion. Brand new PSU, same issue. Would bad CMOS battery cause this? I haven't tried the CMOS jumper switch yet, just wanting some feedback before I get really deep into troubleshooting this thing, and miss something obvious.

My next step is to reset the CMOS jumper, which I'm thinking should reset BIOS settings, as well. I will then begin disconnecting drives, cards, and see if I can at least get it to POST and get to BIOS.

I hope it's not a bad mobo. It's still under warranty, but RMA-ing it would be a pain in the ass. If anyone has any ideas to try, please let me know.

P.S. I'm at work, the PC is at home, and I haven't had much time to do anything more than put in the new PSU, which I did last night. Everything is connected correctly, the PSU is switched to 115volts, the ASUS user manual didn't have any diagnostic list for blinking LED light on SB, so I have no idea what that indicates. Maybe grounded improperly? I'm trying to get as much advice/ideas as possible so I can gear up and trouble-shoot it tonight. BamaWISP is coming out to install this afternoon, and I would like to have my rig up and running by this evening, but am not holding my breath.

My setup, just for reference: Asus M2N4-SLI, Rosewill 500W PSU, AMD x2 2.2GHz CPU, G.Skill 2GB RAM (2 x 1GB), 250GB Seagate HDD, XFX GeForce 8600GT GPU, 2 LiteOn DVD drives, Sony floppy drive.

In a move that makes total sense, Microsoft is bringing Gears of War to the PC during the holiday season of 2007.  This is going to be a great move for PC gamers.  Gears is a high profile game and it was only released for the XBOX 360 in late 2006. This game is still fresh.

It is going to wear the "Games for Windows" badge and come with a host of exclusive features not available on the XBOX 360 version of this game.  The game will support five new campaign chapters.  Campaign was the "killer" feature for Gears of War.  Adding five new chapters is going to sell a lot of copies.  Gamers were not only into the story that Gears presented, they were into the characters that we played and assisted us throughout the campaign.  That's when you know you've built a good campaign - when fans bond with the characters. 

Another feature that PC gamers will be excited about is the game editor that will allow users to can create and publish new multiplayer content.  They will be using the Unreal Editor - one of the most popular editors available.  Players can now import custom artwork into the engine, create particle systems, scripted encounters, cinematics, and more.  While I've never been a fan of games that did this, it's still a great option to include that will add to replayability. 

Gears PC will also ship with new multiplayer maps, one new multiplayer game mode and new achievements.

The game supports the Games for Windows - Live online service.  Many people have read my takes on the shortcomings for Games for Windows - Live.  In short, it needs a lot of help and could be more crippled than the XBOX Live beta from 2002.  A high profile game like Gears of War will surely bring some changes to the GfWL service.  While HALO 2 was a high profile game (understatement?), it was released in 2004 and launched the GfWL service.  HALO 2 (PC) game got mediocre reviews and had a quite launch with crippling online connection errors.  Gears should change that.  Gears PC will be in your face and heavily marketed.  Here's hoping that MORE users on the GfWL will give Micrsoft the data and feedback it needs to make the service better.  If for nothing else, a hugely popular title like Gears PC will at least assure us that support forums and message boards will fill up with requests and threads for support.  More feedback, even about technical issues, will eventually lead to a better service.

Gears of War PC will also run on DirectX 10.  This is going to help usher in the DX10 era.  Unfortunately, DX10 hardware hasn't penetrated the market yet.  Still, more and more gamers are updating their rigs to the latest cards from ATi and nVidia.  DirectX10 will ensure that this game looks better than the XBOX 360 version while playing at higher resolutions.  However, it will come at a price.  Since DirectX10 is new, most PC gamers will have to buy new hardware.

This game will most likely NOT support cross-platform play allowing PC gamers and XBOX 360 gamers to play together in the same game. While it works well with Shadowrun, there's no sign of that happening in Gears.

There's also no mention of dedicated servers being released for Gears. Being able to play Gears on a super highspeed network connection would have ensured lagless games and possibly more than 8 players in a game.

Gears PC will be the biggest Games for Windows title to date.  It's going to drive the community and technology which will lead to even better games later in 2008.

A ton of news smacked us in the face last night as Microsoft held their E3 presentation.  They are hyping this holiday season as the "greatest holiday lineup in video game history."  It's hard to quantify "greatest" so I'm sure they'll achieve that goal.

So what makes this holiday season so big?

Gears of Wars is headed to the PC and will run DirectX 10 and support Games for Windows - Live.  I have a feeling my 8800 GTX is going to get a workout.  GoW PC ships with five new campaign chapters, a new multiplayer gametype, new maps, new achievements, and a new game editor. 

A new HALO-themed XBOX 360 with HDMI output and themed accessories is going to roll out later this year.  It includes an exclusive HALO 3 dashboard theme and gamer pics.  The console is "Spartan green" colored with shiney gold accents (kind of like Master Chief's armor) and will ship in September.

Speaking of HALO, a ton of HALO media has been released.  My favorite:  a live action short film.  Bungie.net has a ton of new videos and screenshots.

Unreal Engine 3 will utilize Games for Windows - Live.  This should encourage more developers to make games with GfWL functionality (we've ONLY got TWO GfWL titles right now).

Marathon: Durandal his XBOX Live Arcade.  This will be Bungie's first IP on the Arcade.  Sonic the Hedgehog is NOW available as an XBOX Live Arcade download. 

Major franchise titles will be launched this year including:  Call of Duty 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, Guitar Hero III, HALO 3, Madden NFL 08, Project Gotham Racing 4 and Splinter Cell Conviction.  But other first title games will be launched as well including Assassin's Creed, BioShock, and Mass Effect. 

Click "read more" for a complete listing of the games rolling out this holiday season for Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade, and Games for Windows Live:

http://techreport.com/etc/2007q3/system-guide-0707/index.x?pg=2

What do you guys think of the setup? I'm thiiiiiis close to buying it.

Update:
Other than the case, I bought everything you see in the link above. The case I got instead is here. It should all be here Monday!

I also bought this monitor.

Since this will be the first PC I ever put together, I have a few questions.

I'm going to overclock my CPU. It's notorious for overclocking in the 2.9GHz-3.1GHz range. I've researched overclocking extensively, but I'm still confused about a couple things. I know I have to go into the BIOS to up the FSB and multiplier, but is the BIOS also where I up the voltage to the CPU as well?

Is this GoW PC?

Supposedly this will be shown at E3.

For those who just can't wait to get their hands on World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion, Gamestop will be holding at many locations a midnight launch on Jan. 16 at 12:01AM.

Certain stores are planning midnight events that will include "costume contests, card game tournaments, screen-shot character judging, and more! Events will vary by location, check with your local store for more information." Yes, please check before you show up all dressed up -- unless you're into that sort of thing.