Power supply problem? (help) (Reposted In CPU Section)

See if you can swap in one of your friends graphics cards so you can eliminate that possibility. Or make sure that your graphics card is seated in the slot properly.

Also see if you can put your video card in someone elses machine temporarily.

There are tons of things it could be but info from the above could eliminate the big possibility that your graphics card has bitten it under the stress from 3dmark06.

have you ever heard of that happening to a monitor? inactivity upon restart?

what do u mean grounding?

but the mobo was working for like a day...why would it all of a sudden just stop? also keeping in mind that the problem was happening before yesterday

could you tell me what grounding actually is? is it like the mobo metal plate touching other metal or something? how could i fix it?

'if' the motherboard was grounded, shouldn't it not start up right away? and why would it only have this problem when i restart from the desktop 'on occasion'??

Ok, tested my video card at my friends house and it works fine.
Next i'm going to test my another monitor just in case.
If that is not the problem then I will try and test the motherboard out of the case. If the motherboard is grounded would I have to get it replaced, or how could I fix it myself? I will get back to you again after I test it.

Ok, still not working.... Here's what I have so far now:
Video card tested on friends computer: Working
Monitor tested on other computer: Working
Motherboard tested outside of computer case on cardboard: Not working

So from what I interpret there is one of two probable problems left.
1) Motherboard
2) CPU

Now I am going to need your help, even though they are both still under warranty, I would like to try and determine which one is the problem. My guess? The cpu.
Alright here is a recap. When I upgraded to a new video card, I got a new motherboard and CPU as well, along with it. The motherboard that I had purchased had a physical defect, so it was RMA'd. While waiting for the RMA, my retailer of the motherboard loned me the same motherboard (Asus K8N4-E Deluxe). So when I installed that motherboard I installed the new CPU and video card as well. The problem which was, "when the computer was restarted from the desktop, on occasion, the monitor would go inactive, but the computer was still running." This would happen about 4-5 times a week so maybe 1 in every 10 restarts from desktop (just an estimation). This problem would always be fixed by manually turning off the computer and turning it back on. When I recieved my replacement motherboard which was the same one that I currently had, the problem happened still about 1 or 2 times over a time period of two days while installing software and drivers as I did a reformat. On the second day of installing files (Note: I had no driver issues) the problem happened again, but would not turn back on.

So now here we are. Since the mointor is still inactive after all this here are my questions:
1) Do you think it is more likely that a problem with the CPU or the motherboard would elevate over time until it became a permenant problem?
2) Is there any other ways I can find out which of the two is the problem?

Thanks for all your help thus far.

Alright thanks a lot for all your help. I'll get back to you whatever happens.

Yes it is fine to run the MB without memory, and the video card out.

The reason for that, when the bios knows it can't display errors, it then relies on audio beep errors.

In order to understand what the beeps mean, you may have to do extensive searching to find out what they mean, since bios beep codes may not be the same.

Your doing this to see if the bios is working. But if you don't hear beeps, then:

1.) You either do not have a PC speaker hooked up.
2.) The speaker is not working.
3.) The bios is not working.

http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm

Above link can help give some common beep codes, but you need to know which bios your MB uses.

Pretty much means the bios is working.

The next step I'd take is put one stick of memory in. Leave the video card out.

It should say something about the video card perhaps.

Then I'd reinstall the video card to see if the display comes up.

If it still has problems, at least you know the MB looks like it is functional to a point.

I'd have the CPU tested out at the local store.

Deleted my other post, mis read..

Did you try the other memory stick?

And try other slots, to see if the bios would say something about the video?

Well instead of paying like $20+ to get it verified I'll try to find somebody I know with a working S754 system to test out my CPU. That would be weird though if it was a faulty mobo don't you think? Why would there be the same problem 2 times in a row?

Ok, I guess my best way to find the exact problem would be to test the CPU on another working S754 motherboard. That way once i know its either the motherboard or CPU I can RMA/repair accordingly.

I think the MB is having problems, from what I've read. Not sure, but I think your MB should have said something to the effect of, video error, from that one point (left 1 memory module in, left video card out).

Using a PCI instead of PCI-E may work, not sure. Never tried that before (I don't even own a MB with PCI-E), that is if your teacher gave you a reg PCI video card.

From what I understand, anything from ESD to cold solders are to blame for MB problems.

The thing is, the MB itself has different components. Not all components would be effected at the same time.

For example, some MB works fine with RAM/CPU/HD even when the onboard component fails (NIC, video, FDC, and Sound), but may cause the system not to run smoothly.

Which would explain why when people ask, the lights still light up, and the fans run, I hear the HD spin up, whats wrong? Thing is, anything could be wrong without further extensive trouble shooting the system.

Cold Solder would be most apparent condition when the system has ran for awhile, and the fans cause enough vibration to loosen cold solders to the point to where there is no connectivity. Or be a break in the copper traces on the MB from being bent too far, over tighting the screws on the metal plate.

ESD can cause invisible problems, which may take time to be apparent. Chipsets are effected or upset to the point to where they work, but not work properly (reboots, page faults, lockups) and finally fail. Chipsets or sensitive components can be damage to where they don't work at all from ESD, from the very start of installation.

So I hope that helps somewhat of what you maybe going through.

Just basically tell them, once you got your RMA MB, it worked for a day, then the display wouldn't come up. You tested/trouble-shooted the video card, CPU, monitor, and I guess RAM to determine if those parts were having problems. Turns out all those are working fine in other systems. So now you figured its the MB again.

The only real precaution to take, is to read up on, and take more serious look on ESD or Electro Static Discharge. Like the anti-static wrist band you can buy at a local store for around under 5 bucks, can save you some headaches.

I see you live in Canada, so it seems to me, if it is dry and cold, your going to have ESD problems.

That will help keep your components/MB safe from any static discharge from yourself. Just because you didn't feel/hear/see anything that would be static from yourself, doesn't mean you didn't discharge static from your hands.

To give you a clear understanding of that, it takes 3000 volts for you to feel it. So in turn, you could discharge less.. 1000 volts and not know you did. And that 50-1000 volts just went through a component that is only designed to handle 1.2-1.7v/3.3v/5v/12v. (depending on what part your handling)

Hope that helps. GL

Just tell them what you want. I'd take the whole case to them to Trouble Shoot themselves.

The ESD part was advice to you, to prevent it from happening for any other build, by using the anti-static wrist band. That wasn't ment for you to tell them what I explained to you, on what I thought happened.

ESD happens when you handle parts (MB, RAM, CPU, Video Card, ect). Again, I guess your still confused about the proper grounding, ESD, and the way I mentioned MB grounding-out (short circuit) from improper installation. They are 3 separate causes, but can cause the same kind of problems on MB.

As far as determining what caused the MB to not boot up, is for them to figure out. Perhaps they will RMA another board for you, based on what you tell them.

I wouldn't worry about the blame being placed, you still have a non working PC any way you look at it. I was only providing what could or may have happened to you, and how to prevent it, as well as basic trouble shooting tips to help figure out what may be wrong.

he couldn't find out what the problem was, i suppose it was just i got unlucky twice in a row. he put in a new mobo and tested it for a few hours and no problems. I now have my computer back working great. thanks for all your help. Problem finalllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyy solved.