Computer DOA, no motive.

[kcorman]

I had a computer recently just drop on me. NO warning just one day it shutdown and wouldn't come back up. Or rather it would power on, but never make it to bios.

Specs:
Athlon 2200
Gigabyte 7vax
1 Gig ddr RAM
Nvidia 6200 AGP
2 Dvd-roms
WD 300 GB hd.
Sound blaster Audigy.
450w power supply

I removed the audio card and random memory chips since I've had both of those drop a computer before, but no go. Plus something was bothering me, but I couldn't put a finger on it.

Then I thought it might be the power supply but all the drives were getting power and the fans and water pump were all getting juice.

I then yanked the video card and realized that even though the case speaker was hooked up I wasn't getting any warning beeps. Somewhere along the line I forgot to hook the keyboard back up the system didn't notice since I wasn't even getting to setup.

I stripped out everything but the cpu, no change, I stripped out the cpu, no change. At this point I figure its either the motherboard or the CPU. So I order a new mb just in case and find an older CPU.

When the new mb (w/onboard video) comes in I just install the cpu, ram and nothing else. I get nada. Swap in the backup cpu (which worked when I took it out of another computer), same deal. No beeps, no video, nothing.

I power down a newly built machine working machine and grab its power supply (500w), it has more than enough to handle the old machine, but I get the same issue. Power comes on, the fans spin up the water pump gets going, heck even the probe on the water block is registering temperatures.

On visual inspection neither CPU seems to be fried.

I hope someone else has some ideas because my last one was punt the entire thing into the garbage can.

 

[vulefu]

Try cleaning CMOS.

 

[kcorman]

Since last time (w/the new motherboard) I've tried :

1) Clearing CMOS
2) Swapping out memory from another system
3) Trying 3rd brand new CPU; double checking the thermal paste and making sure the waterblock is secure.
4) Booting with and without the old video card (mb has onboard video).

The screen is still blank with no signal on booting. I used the same keyboard/mouse/monitor cord for the system next to it that works just fine.

I'm beginning to wonder if it might be the case, since its the only thing that at some point hasn't been replaced. But I'm not sure how that could be a problem. The power comes on when I tap the power button, the dvd drives light up and the pump gets going and the readings from the cpu temperature block probe show up on the case readout.

 

[PKRipper1]

I could be the case. Are there MB standoffs that aren't used that don't line up with the MB screw holes? I've seen this and the symptoms were the same as yours. The standoffs can touch MB circuits that shouldn't be grounded.

 

[vulefu]

Try to do it out of a case.

Get everything out and assemble and power it.

If that dont work try if U can to put everything on another mobo.

Its tricky i know.

 

[kcorman]

I could be the case. Are there MB standoffs that aren't used that don't line up with the MB screw holes? I've seen this and the symptoms were the same as yours. The standoffs can touch MB circuits that shouldn't be grounded.

There are three metal MB standoffs that are used by the newer smaller board, and three plastic ones that are used. There are two holes in the mb, that I did't have stand offs for because the case requires a plastic stand off for one hole and the second one spot doesn't have a hole on the case for that position. In both cases the MB is secure and no where near touching any metal.

I'll try taking it out of the case and see if that makes a difference.

 

[vulefu]

Oki Doki.

Dou you hear those beeps when it boots.

Meyby monitor is faulty.

 

[nmsumike]

this may sound stupid but make sure your reset button isnt stuck pushed in, or slightly in. That causes it to hang at boot (my sisters comp did this).

probobly not it but meh just check.

 

[vulefu]

Everything is possible now

By the way how much your ballistix go up in Mhz?

I got one stick and he goes to 311 on 2,5 3 3 5 2,9V "Taht ram ROX!"

I will not be here for few days 4 or soo so i think you guys will solve the problem.

Ill be back 8)

 

[kcorman]

The reset button seems to be fine as the power cycles when I push it.

I took it out of the case and for the first time I started getting beeps. At this point i have also removed memory, ide cables, audio card and video card.

So I started putting it back in and cycling the power after every screw.

Got all of them in with it still giving me beeps because I didn't do the keyboard and no ram.

Added ram, no problems.

Attached ide cables connecting my DVD rom drives...no boot.

Detached the ide cables and it booted up.

So one or both of them are dead.

Then I set it to check agp port for video first, then I put in my video card and sound card and got a blank screen.

I took out both cards and everythings fine.

Put the video card back in and blank screen (GPU fan powers up no problem though).

 

[Flakes]

lol wierd sounds like the controllers on the motherboard have blew out. i would try all the stuff in a different motherboard just to check its not the components. but it pretty much sounds like a controller issue on the motherboard, probably an incompatability somewhere.

 

[hashv2f16]

have you tried a new differnt video card? you do need one of those in to be able to boot.

 

[kcorman]

The new motherboard has onboard video and its what I've been using to test the components. I don't have another agp videocard around.

This is what is fried (after testing on two computers):

The videocard that isn't even 6 months old yet
1 512k stick of DDR400 ram
The primary IDE port on the motherboard.

If I attach anything to the IDE port on the motherboard or install the video card or the ram I get a blank screen with just power cycling through the components.

If I attach the CD/DVD-rom drives to the secondary port I boot and the bios recognizes both devices

Still too chicken to put the hard drive back in. But it looks like if I do I'll need to have it share an ide cable with the DVD-rom drive and leave the CD-burner out all together.
:?

Hmm, and this was going to be my HTPC.

 

[hashv2f16]

hmm ok first thing to do if you havent already, which i'm guessing you have, is to remove all the accessories you don't need (optical drives, hard drives, floppy, pci cards and the monitor, keyboard or any usb devices) until you have the following: psu, mobo, cpu, memory and video card.


on observation:

1) you've found it's not the power supply
2) it aint the mobo cos u got a new one
3) it aint the vid card cos u hav onboard
4) it probably is not the cpu since you used an older one and even a third one which was brand new.
5) it can't be the memory either since you've replaced that
6) can't be the peripherals, you've changed them.

is this right?

so it seems everything is working fine. it must either be the combination of parts or something, the switch on the case, or the water cooling setup.

what about the cabling and connections?

 

[kcorman]

on observation:

1) you've found it's not the power supply
2) it aint the mobo cos u got a new one
3) it aint the vid card cos u hav onboard
4) it probably is not the cpu since you used an older one and even a third one which was brand new.
5) it can't be the memory either since you've replaced that
6) can't be the peripherals, you've changed them.

is this right?

Yes, the only accessories at this stage are the sound card (which as of this writing has been permenantly moved to another computer that needed a replacement and is working happily), one Dvd-rom burner, and one hard drive (also currently working in another machine).

so it seems everything is working fine. it must either be the combination of parts or something, the switch on the case, or the water cooling setup.

what about the cabling and connections?

The only liquid cooling block on is the CPU atm and its been checked and reseated several times and the pumps/fans are working as the liquid is circulating through the system.

The primary ide connector doesn't like anything connected to it (on the new mb) but the secondary connector works fine.

The only other wires connect to the motherboard at this time are power and the power switch.

Minimum working booting configuration so far appears to be new mb, new ram and seconadary ide in use only.

This is practically a new machine and yet I still have the primary ide and can't tell if my video card is dead or just doesn't like the mb not.

 

[vulefu]

f*u*c*k*

Men get rid of old PSU.

When you look at everything meyby your PSU fried everything.


Aaaaaaa.

I had beed on lan party,and i connected my 521 stick on some winfast s754 mobo and she fried it

 

[jammydodger]

He tried a different PSU on it I think, I get the sneaking suspision that one of the components you were using was deffective and might have actually damaged some of the others.

Have you tried building the entire system out of the case (on a piece of wood or summik) just to confirm that grounding is not the problem?

If I were you I would test each component seperatly in a completly different system (if you or a friend has one).

 

[kcorman]

Yep I did try a different powersupply. The only thing left from the original machine is..um the DVD drive.

Its possible the original PSU fried a lot of things and possibly part of the new one as well.

Since this was supposed to be a HTPC, I'm at the point where I'm trying to decide if I get another video card and hope everything sticks together or just buy a new upgraded system.

 

[hashv2f16]

so you haven't taken the DVD drive out for testing already?

 

[pcrig]

I had a computer recently just drop on me. NO warning just one day it shutdown and wouldn't come back up. Or rather it would power on, but never make it to bios.

Specs:
Athlon 2200
Gigabyte 7vax
1 Gig ddr RAM
Nvidia 6200 AGP
2 Dvd-roms
WD 300 GB hd.
Sound blaster Audigy.
450w power supply

I removed the audio card and random memory chips since I've had both of those drop a computer before, but no go. Plus something was bothering me, but I couldn't put a finger on it.

Then I thought it might be the power supply but all the drives were getting power and the fans and water pump were all getting juice.

I then yanked the video card and realized that even though the case speaker was hooked up I wasn't getting any warning beeps. Somewhere along the line I forgot to hook the keyboard back up the system didn't notice since I wasn't even getting to setup.

I stripped out everything but the cpu, no change, I stripped out the cpu, no change. At this point I figure its either the motherboard or the CPU. So I order a new mb just in case and find an older CPU.

When the new mb (w/onboard video) comes in I just install the cpu, ram and nothing else. I get nada. Swap in the backup cpu (which worked when I took it out of another computer), same deal. No beeps, no video, nothing.

I power down a newly built machine working machine and grab its power supply (500w), it has more than enough to handle the old machine, but I get the same issue. Power comes on, the fans spin up the water pump gets going, heck even the probe on the water block is registering temperatures.

On visual inspection neither CPU seems to be fried.

I hope someone else has some ideas because my last one was punt the entire thing into the garbage can.

power supply calculator

You can not always tell by visual inspection if CPU is fried ...

first of all it appears that you might have either short or BIOS PROBLEM.

Do you get any bips?
Most likely problem with BIOS (setting or bad chip) I had a brand new board with bad BIOS, getting the bips indicating the problem was with RAM.


ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVE might be THE THE PROBLEM WITH JUMPERS SETTING.

SO FIRST REMOVE MOBO FROM THE CASE and assembly all outside the case.

1. Check the setting of all jumpers on MoBo.
2. replace the flat 80 wires ribbon cables, they might be defective!
3. set the jumpers on drives master/slave as needed.
Do not use CS.

download and burn CD from iso of: KNOPPIX_V4.0.2CD-2005-09-23-EN.iso

you might use it instead with CD rom set to boot from, instead from Hard Disk Drive after PC will boot/work.

If I attach anything to the IDE port on the motherboard or install the video card or the ram I get a blank screen with just power cycling through the components.

so have you checked the BIOS setting (clear the BIOS) and reset it.
check setting of all jumpers one by one.

This is what is fried (after testing on two computers):

The videocard that isn't even 6 months old yet
1 512k stick of DDR400 ram
The primary IDE port on the motherboard.

If I attach anything to the IDE port on the motherboard or install the video card or the ram I get a blank screen with just power cycling through the components.

If I attach the CD/DVD-rom drives to the secondary port I boot and the bios recognizes both devices

If I attach the CD/DVD-rom drives to the secondary port I boot and the bios recognizes both devices

what evidence you have it is fried? any "cigarette burns" on it?

have you replaced the flat 80 wires cable?
it might be a cable not IDE port!
Test the cables!

450w power supply - always buy best you can afford PSU well known brand CPU. I recomend only ENERMAX.

enermax

Athlon 2200

Gigabyte 7vax

1 Gig ddr RAM > use only one 512 module for start up

Nvidia 6200 AGP

2 Dvd-roms - > use only one DvD on secondary PCI set as master, with CD in KNOPPIX_4.0.2CD - set to boot from CD.

WD 300 GB hd. > no need for start up

remove for now:
Sound blaster Audigy > some systems have problem booting with (specialy when installed Digital) before the drivers are loaded.

NOW

I took it out of the case and for the first time I started getting beeps. At this point i have also removed memory, ide cables, audio card and video card.

So I started putting it back in and cycling the power after every screw.

Got all of them in with it still giving me beeps because I didn't do the keyboard and no ram.

Added ram, no problems.

So so far so good.
Not PSU, not MoBo, not CPU, not RAM .. is booting with BIOS as set.

Attached ide cables connecting my DVD rom drives...no boot.

Detached the ide cables and it booted up.

So one or both of them are dead.

IT MIGHT BE but doesn't have to be a SHORT!
Can not initilaize .. check jumpers, any CD inside?

Then I set it to check agp port for video first, then I put in my video card and sound card and got a blank screen.

I took out both cards and everythings fine.

Put the video card back in and blank screen (GPU fan powers up no problem though).


Check instructions if you need to disable the ON BOARD VIDEO when VIDEO card. Check compatibility of the card voltage.

Who said debugging and troubleshooting is easy?

 

[hashv2f16]

what evidence you have it is fried? any "cigarette burns" on it?

You can not always tell by visual inspection if CPU is fried ...

does anyone know how sensitive CPUs are to ESD?

 

[1Tanker]

The primary ide connector doesn't like anything connected to it (on the new mb) but the secondary connector works fine.

The only other wires connect to the motherboard at this time are power and the power switch.

Minimum working booting configuration so far appears to be new mb, new ram and seconadary ide in use only.

This is practically a new machine and yet I still have the primary ide and can't tell if my video card is dead or just doesn't like the mb not.

Sounds like the IDE cable. You said IDE controller seemed suspect, but you

switched out the mobo, and the same prob. Not likely that IDE controller

is gone on both boards. :?

 

[pcrig]

what evidence you have it is fried? any "cigarette burns" on it?

You can not always tell by visual inspection if CPU is fried ...

does anyone know how sensitive CPUs are to ESD?


ESD? You are damn right!

However FRIED mean BURNED.

My ONLY point is that you CAN NOT tell at by ANY visual inspection if CPU is good or lost.

On another hand ESD can easily damage CPU as the very high skin effect may result in VOLTAGE higher than 50,000 Volts.

While I have never tried it is not as easy as one can think to allow ESD damage CPU. You really must "want to do it".

CPU packaging i quiet good. Unless you handle CPU like a BLOND by the legs!

 

[kcorman]

The primary ide connector doesn't like anything connected to it (on the new mb) but the secondary connector works fine.

The only other wires connect to the motherboard at this time are power and the power switch.

Minimum working booting configuration so far appears to be new mb, new ram and seconadary ide in use only.

This is practically a new machine and yet I still have the primary ide and can't tell if my video card is dead or just doesn't like the mb not.

Sounds like the IDE cable. You said IDE controller seemed suspect, but you

switched out the mobo, and the same prob. Not likely that IDE controller

is gone on both boards. :?

I've used the same IDE cable on both boards and on the new mb it works fine when pluged into the secondary ide controller, but the machine refuses to boot when its in the primary one.

 

[apache_lives]

KIA KT400, i dont own via boards for a reason.

I had a computer recently just drop on me. NO warning just one day it shutdown and wouldn't come back up. Or rather it would power on, but never make it to bios.

Specs:
Athlon 2200
Gigabyte 7vax
1 Gig ddr RAM
Nvidia 6200 AGP
2 Dvd-roms
WD 300 GB hd.
Sound blaster Audigy.
450w power supply

I removed the audio card and random memory chips since I've had both of those drop a computer before, but no go. Plus something was bothering me, but I couldn't put a finger on it.

Then I thought it might be the power supply but all the drives were getting power and the fans and water pump were all getting juice.

I then yanked the video card and realized that even though the case speaker was hooked up I wasn't getting any warning beeps. Somewhere along the line I forgot to hook the keyboard back up the system didn't notice since I wasn't even getting to setup.

I stripped out everything but the cpu, no change, I stripped out the cpu, no change. At this point I figure its either the motherboard or the CPU. So I order a new mb just in case and find an older CPU.

When the new mb (w/onboard video) comes in I just install the cpu, ram and nothing else. I get nada. Swap in the backup cpu (which worked when I took it out of another computer), same deal. No beeps, no video, nothing.

I power down a newly built machine working machine and grab its power supply (500w), it has more than enough to handle the old machine, but I get the same issue. Power comes on, the fans spin up the water pump gets going, heck even the probe on the water block is registering temperatures.

On visual inspection neither CPU seems to be fried.

I hope someone else has some ideas because my last one was punt the entire thing into the garbage can.