New Motherboard and all I get is fan noise and blank screen

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

I'll spare you the "saga" of trying to fix this computer.

Needless to say I finally diagnosed a motherboard problem and my new
one finally arrived today. With everything installed carefully it will
turn on but I get a blank screen. All fans are spinning and half the
components are brand new or known to be working. Did I get a defective
MB? Please help!

I've tried:
- 2 different known working hard drives
- 2 known working monitors
- 2 known working memory chips
- 2 known working video cards
- swapping various IDE ports and HD master/slave configurations
- running the HD from IDE 2
- removing all non-essential PCI cards & disc drives
- staring at it and pleading to the computer deities

I get more white noise from this than with the old MB (which wouldn't
even power on) so maybe I can use it to help me sleep. $250 in new
components is a bit expensive for a gicantic aluminum sound synthesizer
but I'm trying to look on the bright side.

I'm getting by on a friend's old Celeron with no cover, no sound card,
no working USB ports that beeps jarringly at me whenever windows would
normally play an error noise. Don't know how much longer I can hold
out.

Suggestions?

Jon
-----------------

My system:
MB: ESC PT800CE-A
CPU: Intel Socket 478 2.53 Ghz 533 FSB Pentium
Memory: DDR266 SDRAM 133 Mhz
Video: Nvidia Geforce TI4200 128 MB AGP 8x
HD: Maxtor 160 MB ATA133

I checked and rechecked all the features of the MB for compatibility
before I bought it and again today.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Also, no power to my keyboard.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On 28 Sep 2005 20:26:03 -0700, joncrowe@gmail.com wrote:

>I'll spare you the "saga" of trying to fix this computer.

Unfortunately, these details that may seem also-ran to you,
are going to be important and unknown to many readers.

In other words, if you only describe the parts that are just
like everyone else's working systems, there's nothing to go
on.

>
>Needless to say I finally diagnosed a motherboard problem

Based on what?

> and my new
>one finally arrived today. With everything installed carefully it will
>turn on but I get a blank screen. All fans are spinning and half the
>components are brand new or known to be working. Did I get a defective
>MB? Please help!

Did you try clearing CMOS?
Setting it up in a minimal config (only video, CPU,
heatsink/fan and 1 memory module) on a non-conductive
surface instead of in the case?


>
>I've tried:
>- 2 different known working hard drives
>- 2 known working monitors
>- 2 known working memory chips
>- 2 known working video cards
>- swapping various IDE ports and HD master/slave configurations
>- running the HD from IDE 2
>- removing all non-essential PCI cards & disc drives
>- staring at it and pleading to the computer deities
>
>I get more white noise from this than with the old MB (which wouldn't
>even power on) so maybe I can use it to help me sleep. $250 in new
>components is a bit expensive for a gicantic aluminum sound synthesizer
>but I'm trying to look on the bright side.


>I'm getting by on a friend's old Celeron with no cover, no sound card,
>no working USB ports that beeps jarringly at me whenever windows would
>normally play an error noise. Don't know how much longer I can hold
>out.
>
>Suggestions?
>
>Jon
>-----------------
>
>My system:
>MB: ESC PT800CE-A
>CPU: Intel Socket 478 2.53 Ghz 533 FSB Pentium
>Memory: DDR266 SDRAM 133 Mhz
>Video: Nvidia Geforce TI4200 128 MB AGP 8x
>HD: Maxtor 160 MB ATA133
>
>I checked and rechecked all the features of the MB for compatibility
>before I bought it and again today.


What power supply? Take voltage readings while it's in the
on-but-not-POSTing state. If it's a generic or sub-350W
PSU, try a different one.

 

[darklight]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

a blank screen tells me it is your cpu that is at fault
have you tried your cpu in a friends computer.

For that is the only thing you have not changed

do you get any error beeps when you start up if not
i would say it is your cpu. If you look in your
user manual it should give you a list of beep codes

question what cpu are you using

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Thu, 29 Sep 2005 07:12:23 +0000 (UTC), Darklight
<nglen702@netscape.net> wrote:

>a blank screen tells me it is your cpu that is at fault
>have you tried your cpu in a friends computer.

Untrue, there are many potential reasons why that (no POST
on monitor) will occur, each with it's own chance of
liklihood but the CPU is among the less likely suspects.
Most likely would be motherboard, power, or mechanical
cards/cables/jumpers/etc misconfiguration.