Motherboard or CPU dead ( I think)?.....

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erebusting

New Member
I have this computer that I built a few years back, now the other day I reinstalled everything and it was working fine...then I powered it down and a few days later tried to turn it on and it will not POST....
Here are my symptoms:
No beep error codes...
All fans spin up fine
HDD spins up fine
Monitor has 'no signal'
Keyboard lights up briefly (caps lock, num lock etc)
I can hear a click every few seconds (I believe it keeps trying to POST?)

Here is my troubleshooting followed by results:
Removed all RAM, still no beep codes
removed all PCI cards .... still no beep codes
tried different ram sticks... nothing
tried different hdd (knowingly this likely will not do anything....)and nothing
removed CMOS battery for 10 - 15 minutes... nothing
tried a different CMOS battery... nothing still
Switched the clear CMOS jump ... did not even power on
removed CMOS battery and tried to boot.... still powers on with no error codes (powers on exactly the same as it did before I removed the CMOS battery)

Now this Is what I deduce:
It must be a dead/faulty motherboard or CPU....Some of the fans are connected to the motherboard and they still powerup...and the fact that the keyboard blinks a light has me confused.... is it the CPU? is it the Motherboard? Or something else? (cannot be the PSU, all the fans and the HDD are powering up as usual...)....

Any ideas? Please advise me....



UPDATE:
I just rebuilt this computer, I took an older motherboard and cpu combo and put the same case, hard drive(s), optical drive and psu on it. It was working fine, I just had to reinstall windows...so I had no time to really do so at that moment and let it sit around for a while, now today I was going to get ready to do so and I tried to turn on the computer and it will not power on @ all! very strange. I tried different wires and plugs and it has to be the computer (most likely the PSU)....
Now my new question is : Do you think the original problem was the PSU all along? If I get another PSU do you think the original CPU & Motherboard combo should work fine? Or do you think I would have to get a new PSU & a new CPU ?



UPDATE 2:
OK sorry to make this so long, but now I got the new PSU, but it had the same issues on the motherboard, so I plugged up the old motherboard and old psu outside of the case and it worked fine..(wth?)...but when I put them all back into the case, I get the same old symptoms that I first wrote about before the above update. Anyone know what it could be? Do I need a new case?...
Or I was thinking maybe its the screws shorting it out somehow, so I was going to cover the spots with the screws using maybe paper, cardboard or electrical tape (covering where the screws would touch... ) ...is that a good idea?

Thanks for your advice and time in advance.
 
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johnb35

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
Double check all your cable connections and any pci cards you have installed, make sure they are all tight. So it doesn't beep at you when the ram is removed? If not, then its definately a mobo issue. Are you sure the mobo isn't shorting against something in the case? I know you've said you reset the cmos but this procedure usually works when others don't.

Unplug power from the power supply, remove cmos battery and press the power button on the front of the case a few times to discharge whatever power the motherboard may still have. Then wait a minute or so and then reinsert the cmos battery, plug the power back into the power supply and try booting the computer.
 
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erebusting

New Member
johnb35 said:
Double check all your cable connections and any pci cards you have installed, make sure they are all tight. So it doesn't beep at you when the ram is removed? If not, then its definately a mobo issue. Are you sure the mobo isn't shorting against something in the case? I know you've said you reset the cmos but this procedure usually works when others don't.

Unplug power from the power supply, remove cmos battery and press the power button on the front of the case a few times to discharge whatever power the motherboard may still have. Then wait a minute or so and then reinsert the cmos battery, plug the power back into the power supply and try booting the computer.
Click to expand...


Does not beep @ all...
It is weird, because the CPU fan (which is connected directly into the motherboard) powers up fine.... now I remember when one of my other motherboards died - the fans would all spin up for one second and the green power light on the motherboard would come on for that one second as well then it would all die down (this is why I can't figure out if it is the motherboard or the CPU).... so I guess the power is still flowing through this motherboard it just must be dead some other way ?...
but let me try your suggestion ...

update:
tried your suggestion and still I have the same results....

any ideas?
BTW thanks for your quick response!
 
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Shlouski

Shlouski

VIP Member
im having same problem with a friends computer, but his case dont have a little beeper, speaker, whatever you call it, so im not sure whats the problem. It did post once after it was left unpluged for a while, but has not posted since, think its most likely the mobo. Ive tried more or less all the same solutions and it sooooooooo old, he should just put his hand in his pocket and fork out a bit of money for a new computer.
 
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erebusting

New Member
I hope someone has some insight on this as I do not wish to purchase a new CPU or Motherboard then have the same issue and have to return it and purchase the other....
 
linkin

linkin

VIP Member
CPU's rarely die unless they are heavily overvolted from overclocking. I'm putting my money on the motherboard.

Before you replace anything, I would pull apart the entire system and build it outside the case with the bare essentials (one stick of ram, integrated video if any) on a cardboard box or something. If it still doesn't work, Then I'd go ahead and replace the motherboard.
 
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erebusting

New Member
linkin said:
CPU's rarely die unless they are heavily overvolted from overclocking. I'm putting my money on the motherboard.

Before you replace anything, I would pull apart the entire system and build it outside the case with the bare essentials (one stick of ram, integrated video if any) on a cardboard box or something. If it still doesn't work, Then I'd go ahead and replace the motherboard.
Click to expand...

ok..
Hey, I just noticed today...I had 667mhz ram in it and it says it handles 533mhz... I dont know why I did that ? lol well, I was young and it was my first comp to build...but anyways it was running fine for the last few years and I dont know if that would ruin anything? but anyways - do you guys think that is the culprit ? Or do motherboards go out often (this is the first time it naturally happened to me besides last time -that was my own fault)...
does that info help anyone deduce anything?
 
Aastii

Aastii

VIP Member
erebusting said:
ok..
Hey, I just noticed today...I had 667mhz ram in it and it says it handles 533mhz... I dont know why I did that ? lol well, I was young and it was my first comp to build...but anyways it was running fine for the last few years and I dont know if that would ruin anything? but anyways - do you guys think that is the culprit ? Or do motherboards go out often (this is the first time it naturally happened to me besides last time -that was my own fault)...
does that info help anyone deduce anything?
Click to expand...

no that shouldn't be the problem. If you put in memory that is higher frequency than the motherboard can handle, it will underclock the memory to a speed it can handle, so although your memory is 667MHz, it will only be working at 533MHz
 
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sirsaechao

New Member
Yes it will just run at the lowest highest the board can handle. Like stated...CPU's don't really go out before a board. So I think its the board but I would double check everything...like your BIOS and make sure its up to date.
 
johnb35

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
sirsaechao said:
Yes it will just run at the lowest highest the board can handle. Like stated...CPU's don't really go out before a board. So I think its the board but I would double check everything...like your BIOS and make sure its up to date.
Click to expand...

You can't update the bios if the board won't even boot up, besides, resetting the bios would fix any issues like that if it were the bios.
 
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erebusting

New Member
johnb35 said:
You can't update the bios if the board won't even boot up, besides, resetting the bios would fix any issues like that if it were the bios.
Click to expand...

yeah I was like 'Huh???' when he/she said update the bios...cause that would be like a miracle if I could even GET to the bios haha...I appreciate all the advice and ideas though...I will put it all back together on a piece of cardboard or something when I get a chance....
so its all pointing to the motherboard so far?...if the motherboard IS dead -I wonder how that happened...?
 
johnb35

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
Power surge or possible power supply spike. What brand power supply do you have? When you built it, did you use standoffs between motherboard and case?
 
2048Megabytes

2048Megabytes

Active Member
Are you using a video card or is the video built into the motherboard? I think it could be the power supply unit, the video card or the motherboard. The processor is rarely the issue.
 
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linkin

linkin

VIP Member
Chiefmax 680w... more like 350w. those cheapies are hugely overrated in power. I'm pointing my finger at that PSU now.
 
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erebusting

New Member
linkin said:
Chiefmax 680w... more like 350w. those cheapies are hugely overrated in power. I'm pointing my finger at that PSU now.
Click to expand...

ok the psu is working though, I put it on another motherboard....but it may be the cause of this issue (yet it certainly is not dead though)...

and yes I have a video card on there, I removed it and still get no error beeps or anything so that shows that it should not be video card related... (doesn't it ?)
 
memory

memory

Member
You say you hear a clicking every few seconds. That sounds like the hard drive could be bad. I know you said you tried another hard drive, did you hear the same clicking or did it go away? Was there any OS installed on the other hard drive?
 
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erebusting

New Member
memory said:
You say you hear a clicking every few seconds. That sounds like the hard drive could be bad. I know you said you tried another hard drive, did you hear the same clicking or did it go away? Was there any OS installed on the other hard drive?
Click to expand...

Well I know what you mean...but it is not that kind of a click...the hard drive spins up fine and even with a different hard drive that would not fix the no posting issue... I appreciate your concern/ advice though! Yes there was vista business installed on the HDD if that helps you with anything ?
 
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