Will motherboard fans spin without CPU or RAM or HDD. With only Power Supply connected?

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RobiePAX

RobiePAX

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May 19, 2014
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In a nutshell I need to find which part of my computer hardware is dead. I personally think it's more motherboard than a power supply but would need advice of more experience users.

The situation is that I found my old motherboard, power supply and original desktop case. I want to pull it all together for a kid so he could play around with the computer.

I purchased a cheap used RAM, and a used CPU from eBay. Now here's the issue. I connected everything together and..... nothing. Absolutely no reaction when I start the PC. CPU fan doesn't even start spinning.

How do I pin point exactly what is dead in this scenario? If CPU and/or RAM that I purchased from eBay are faulty would computer act dead? Or should it at least spin fans then? I don't want to purchase the wrong components just to find out that the component I am replacing was actually in working condition. This motherboard also doesn't have a speaker for me to hear a "beep" error noises.
 
Solution
Rogue Leader
Sounds like a dead motherboard to me, but you should test the power supply outside. Disconnect the 24 pin connector and use a paperclip to jump out the green wire with the adjacent black wire. Turn on the PSU, the fan should run and stay running. If it doesn't then the PSU is the dead part.
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Rogue Leader

Rogue Leader

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Dec 22, 2014
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Sounds more like something is shorting it out to me. Can you remove the board from the case and try it outside first?

Generally it will power on with bad ram, and even with a bad CPU it should still "turn on" just not do anything. But if a standoff is shorting the motherboard out, that will end the party immediately.
 
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RobiePAX

RobiePAX

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May 19, 2014
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Tried that just now. Still the same thing. Though doing this gave me extra assurance that it's definitely dead motherboard. Because when I removed it from the case, I connected PSU cables, turned PSU safeguard from 0 to 1 then both CPU and Chassis fans moved for split second. I suppose that means Power Supply sends the power. It's just that MOBO not doing anything.
 
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Rogue Leader

Rogue Leader

It's a trap!
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Dec 22, 2014
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Sounds like a dead motherboard to me, but you should test the power supply outside. Disconnect the 24 pin connector and use a paperclip to jump out the green wire with the adjacent black wire. Turn on the PSU, the fan should run and stay running. If it doesn't then the PSU is the dead part.
 
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Solution
RobiePAX

RobiePAX

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May 19, 2014
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Emm, could you please send a link of a video or something showing how to do that PSU testing part?
 
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Rogue Leader

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Dec 22, 2014
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No problem. With a bad CPU and RAM it should still "power on" as in the LEDs will light up etc, if you have a speaker it will beep. So I would say for sure now its a short in the motherboard.
 
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