Did my motherboard just die!?

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pearldrum944

New Member
Hi all, I have a major issue. My desktop computer will no longer start. I was booting up pro-tools when the program froze. (this happens occasionally, no huge deal) I ctrl alt del-ed and tried to quit the program, but could not get it to close. I ended up restarting the computer (through task manager, not holding the power button). The computer never actually started again, just sat there with the HDD light on. I turned the computer off and tried to restart.

When I fire it up the fans come on (all of them) but nothing else, CD drive will not respond. The power light does not come on, but the HDD light is on constantly. I removed all PCI cards/peripherals...but no change. I took a volt meter and checked the power supply, everything appears correct. I pulled the CMOS battery (3.4 volts), back in no change. I also plugged my tower speaker back in (I had previously found it annoying) and removed the RAM. I did not hear a beep (but since the speaker wasn't plugged in before, I can't guarantee that it worked before).

Another weird thing I noticed is that the HDD won't spin up unless the data cable is unplugged from it.

Any ideas?
 
pearldrum944 said:
Hi all, I have a major issue. My desktop computer will no longer start. I was booting up pro-tools when the program froze. (this happens occasionally, no huge deal) I ctrl alt del-ed and tried to quit the program, but could not get it to close. I ended up restarting the computer (through task manager, not holding the power button). The computer never actually started again, just sat there with the HDD light on. I turned the computer off and tried to restart.

When I fire it up the fans come on (all of them) but nothing else, CD drive will not respond. The power light does not come on, but the HDD light is on constantly. I removed all PCI cards/peripherals...but no change. I took a volt meter and checked the power supply, everything appears correct. I pulled the CMOS battery (3.4 volts), back in no change. I also plugged my tower speaker back in (I had previously found it annoying) and removed the RAM. I did not hear a beep (but since the speaker wasn't plugged in before, I can't guarantee that it worked before).

Another weird thing I noticed is that the HDD won't spin up unless the data cable is unplugged from it.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

your off to a good start. move your boot drive to a different sata port, unplug everything from the back except keyboard, mouse and monitor, connect 1 dimm of ram, and one cd/dvd drive. you definitely want the internal speaker plugged in, the beeps will be helpful. have you tried clearing your CMOS? do a complete shut down, turn off your power supply from the back and unplug it from the wall for 30 seconds. does it boot up now, do you get any messages?

i know you may have already tried all this, but you didn't mention clearing the CMOS or unplugging the computer for 30 seconds and then turning it back on. it sounds very possible that you have a dead mobo, but i'd want to test everything before i go thinking the worst.
 
What type of hard drive is in your machine? Also...you said you removed your RAM. Did you plug in the RAM back in?
 
Basic trouble shooting calls for stripping the system down to essentials - mainboard, processor, memory and monitor - nothing else. If it will boot that way, then you can add devices and components one at a time until you find the culprit. If the essentials won't boot then you can consider a mainboard replacement, but, frankly, mainboards are rarely the problem.
 
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I did remove everything from the computer and it still would not start. I removed the RAM to see if I would get a series of beeps from the speaker if it could not find memory. I replaced the RAM and am still getting nothing.

As far as resetting CMOS, I removed the battery and tested it for a couple minutes (while the computer was unplugged from the wall). Do you think this was enough time for it to reset? Or do I need to jumper some pins?

I'm not sure of the exact drive, but it is IDE. I had another and attempted it in the computer, but got the same result.
 
pearldrum944 said:
Sorry, I should have been more clear. I did remove everything from the computer and it still would not start. I removed the RAM to see if I would get a series of beeps from the speaker if it could not find memory. I replaced the RAM and am still getting nothing.

As far as resetting CMOS, I removed the battery and tested it for a couple minutes (while the computer was unplugged from the wall). Do you think this was enough time for it to reset? Or do I need to jumper some pins?

I'm not sure of the exact drive, but it is IDE. I had another and attempted it in the computer, but got the same result.
Click to expand...

Now you know the problem is with the mainboard, processor, memory or power supply. No need move on until you've resolved that. Try taking all but one memory DIMM out of the mainboard and subbing any other DIMMS you might have. That will eliminate the memory. If that isn't the issue then you're down to the big stuff.
 
I'm sure it's not the memory, I previously tried both combinations of my chips and the computer would not start...unless both memory cards went bad at the same time.... But even if they did, wouldn't I get atleast some response out of the computer? I mean, the power light won't even come on...
 
pearldrum944 said:
I'm sure it's not the memory, I previously tried both combinations of my chips and the computer would not start...unless both memory cards went bad at the same time.... But even if they did, wouldn't I get atleast some response out of the computer? I mean, the power light won't even come on...
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Where on the PSU did you measure the output voltage? The 24pin lead to the motherboard? In other words, you could have a bad lead to the motherboard while all your other components would get power.
 
I tested all over the PSU for power. Accessory plugs all had correct power, and I found a chart online of what color wires have what voltage on them for my 20 pin connector, it seemed that all pins had correct voltage on them.

What happens if the CPU dies? Would the computer at least respond at all? a power light perhaps?
 
OK. Was your PSU tested under load? In other words, did you power on the system (hard drives/fans start spinning) and then start measuring voltages? Most modern PSU's will not give out voltages (or correct ones) unless they are under load.

Since you mentioned that your CD drive was not responding once system power was enabled, it does sound like you might have a failed rail on your PSU. It may show up as working fine until you put a load on it.


The effects will differ by setup, but generally if your CPU dies, you should still see the rest of your system fire up (hard drive/fans, etc...). Some motherboard will light up and may also give a failure code. This failure code could be visual or audible. If you have a similar system that is working, you could try swapping CPUs to rule that out.
 
Zatharus said:
OK. Was your PSU tested under load? In other words, did you power on the system (hard drives/fans start spinning) and then start measuring voltages? Most modern PSU's will not give out voltages (or correct ones) unless they are under load.

Since you mentioned that your CD drive was not responding once system power was enabled, it does sound like you might have a failed rail on your PSU. It may show up as working fine until you put a load on it.


The effects will differ by setup, but generally if your CPU dies, you should still see the rest of your system fire up (hard drive/fans, etc...). Some motherboard will light up and may also give a failure code. This failure code could be visual or audible. If you have a similar system that is working, you could try swapping CPUs to rule that out.
Click to expand...


Now that you mention it, I did not have a load on the PSU when I was checking the 20 pin connector. I just retested it with a load and everything checked out.

One thing I did notice is that with the MOBO unplugged I get 11.9v at the accessory connectors, with the MOBO plugged in and computer "on" I only get 11.7v, is 11.7v enough power to run everything?
 
pearldrum944 said:
Now that you mention it, I did not have a load on the PSU when I was checking the 20 pin connector. I just retested it with a load and everything checked out.

One thing I did notice is that with the MOBO unplugged I get 11.9v at the accessory connectors, with the MOBO plugged in and computer "on" I only get 11.7v, is 11.7v enough power to run everything?
Click to expand...

OK. The 11.7V should be within the tolerances of your PSU, and should be enough to power everything, but it is a little low. That dip in voltage is due to the other devices coming on and putting a strain on the 12V output of your PSU. How many 12V rails does your current PSU have?
 
What brand is the PSU? It should be indicted on the left or right side of it, but check the front, bottom, and back, just in case.
 
Yes, most power supplies will have some indication of the number of 12V rails located on a sticker on the unit. But, not all pre-builts will. Is this a computer you made or one you purchased from a retailer?
 
The PSU is an Aopen FSP-300-60BT. I still can't find an identification of how many 12v rails...so I'm guessing one then?

I build the computer and the PSU is the only piece that was not new, it came out of another custom built computer which I acquired from a family member. I wish I had some extra computer parts near me, but do not currently. I moved 1100 miles recently and threw away a fair deal of my "junk" parts, doh!
 
After doing a little research, it looks like that PSU has only one 13amp 12V rail. It is an older 300W unit and probably is fading, so it wouldn't hurt to purchase a new PSU to see if you can power the motherboard with no devices connected to it. But...I am also thinking that your original assumption and Vauxforum's statement are correct: your motherboard is dead.
 
Zatharus said:
After doing a little research, it looks like that PSU has only one 13amp 12V rail. It is an older 300W unit and probably is fading, so it wouldn't hurt to purchase a new PSU to see if you can power the motherboard with no devices connected to it. But...I am also thinking that your original assumption and Vauxforum's statement are correct: your motherboard is dead.
Click to expand...

Hmm...well, thanks for the help everyone! I may run and get another PSU soon. If that doesn't work I guess I'll order another MOBO at some point, hopefully one that uses my CPU. ...I need to decide if I really need this computer. If anyone is interested, I will post my results when that time comes.
 
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