IMac won't start after HD replacement :(

Recently my iMac's HD stopped working. After unsucessfully trying to backup its files and formatting after already having opened the whole thing up, I decided to buy a new HD. I follow the instructions on this link. My iMac is also exactly the version shown, a 21.5" EMC 2389.
Turns out the HD's thermal sensor cable connector doesn't fit the new one, also as reported, it has an extra tiny bit of plastic. I decided to leave it unplugged and assumed that's okay. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I read it should make the fan run at full speed, but I wouldn't mind if that happened as I live in a hot, hot place and experience overheating problems way too often.
The problem is, when I screwed it all back together and turned it on, it once showed me the white screen with the folder and the question mark. I then went over to my other computer to prepare a bootable pen drive to install the OS and came back only to find it wouldn't turn on anymore. I can hear the fans (definitely not at full speed though) and a bit of the HD, but the screen is black and there's no chime. I opened it back up a bunch of times to check if I had properly connected all wires and think I did. There's only the sync cable, the LED cable (two black little ones) and the LCD data cable plus the LCD thermal sensor, right? I really don't know where I have gone wrong.
Maybe it's relevant to say I also installed more RAM.
Any input is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Attempt to reset the SMC:
Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) - Support - Apple
Plug in the usb installer after doing so. If you are able to boot it again, hold down option at the chime. Boot up with the USB installer and then install OSX on the new drive.
An unnattached thermal sensor cable would, I imagine, create an instable environment w/ your machine. Having the fans run as full speed all the time is not a good thing at all.

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