Way to check for dead mobo without swapping it out?

[gbudsefm]

I recently built a custom pc and it won't POST. All lights/fans/HDD etc start up and stay on fine but nothing else happens. I have done several things to diagnose this but i can't seem to fix it no matter what i do.

Now I guess I'm looking for which of my parts is dead. I would hate to send me mobo back for RMA and when it comes back it still doesn't work.

Is there going to be any lights directly on the mobo or would that be brand specific?

My mobo is a Gigabyte GA-965P-S3.

Thanks in advance

 

[miahallen]

Some mobos have a speaker header built into them that connects to your case's speaker. Normally, if the mobo has a problem, it will give you an error code with a series of beeps. I have found through experience that this is about the only troubleshooting guide I will ever use in regard to computers. See if it will give you an error tone, and look it up in the motherboards owner's manual. If it won't, you can pretty much rule out the video card as the culprit (otherwise the mobo would sense the issue with teh video card and tell you). So it's probably a problem with the CPU, mobo or PSU. Try testing the PSU, and CPU in other systems, if they both work, you have narrowed it down to the mobo...then RMA.

 

[gbudsefm]

I have the little case speaker hooked up, no beeps .

I've also tried replacing my PSU with a spare 480w antec, same results.

Unfortunately though, my only other computer is 5 years old, so the PSU is the only item I have that i can swap out.

 

[shamoo]

question
what type of motherboard is it
next

take out all expansion cards video audio network the works
disconnect all drives

now

take out memory and cpu
get compressed air clear cpu and ram sockets
next reinsert cpu heatsink + memory

connect power connecters for mobo only

connect power button reset botton and speaker


remove cmos battery and let sit for 10 minutes

reinsert battery


try to boot

if you get any noise

reinsert video card turn on


if you get video contiune on with drives and extra cards.

good luck

 

[tiger131]

First off, take EVERYTHING out except for the cpu, and also take the motherboard out of the case. Now plug in the power and everything and see if it will post. If it doesn't POST then its a dead board. If it does, it sounds like a problem similar to mine, it was the board shorting out on the case somewhere. Make sure you test as many ocmponents as possible, adding them in one at a time. Also, only put 1 stick of ram in, and test it individually in each slot, and do it for every stick you have, then a combination of them just to rule out any hardware issues or slot issues. Then after all that its still working, it might be just a short. In which case you can take a piece of thin foam (like the one that came with the motherboard) and put it under the motherboard and on top of the standoffs (which you should check to make sure you have all the standoffs in the correct place) and screw the screws into the foam. Good luck, sorry about the very lengthy post.

 

[shamoo]

come to think of it...
the above post remove everything from case get a wooden table or something similar
install the cpu and take the psu out of the case lay it on table next to mobo
once connected up apply power and short the power pin for the power switch with a screwdriver shortly.

make sure you have the speaker from computer attached somehow

if it just keeps beeping you know the board is not totally toast.

 

[gbudsefm]

Well I bit the bullet and took it someone who fixes these types of things as their job...I should know what was wrong by tommorow and if they can fix it or i need a RMA.