Possible PSU failure?

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kaen

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my computer boots up and everything inside seems to be running ok but nothing comes up on my monitor and it doesn't beep or anything. I've swapped videocards and memory but didn't help. I've tried resetting CMOS, unplugging everything except PSU/CPU and nothing. Fans, lights, etc seem to be all running though. I don't have a spare PSU around to test out.

Gigabyte 965P-DS3
C2D E6300
Xcilio Greatpower 550W
2GB G.Skill DDR2 800
Radeon x1950pro
seagate barricuda 250GB
 
K

kaen

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Checked all the connections and it seems to be fine..tried turning it on without hard drive and memory connected and it's not giving me any type of beeping response
 
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kaen

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So the LED on my case works, the fans in my PSU, CPU heatsink, 2 case fans, and video card fan work, I can feel my hard drive spinning, and I have 2 brand new sticks of memory. I can't get anything to come up on my monitor (tried 2 video cards), and my computer won't post/give any beep responses. Is my mobo toast, PSU toast, or both??

edit: when my computer did run, I would usually have to reset it a couple times after booting to get it to post which makes me think the PSU is screwed up
 
pshrk

pshrk

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I've seen cheap PSU testers that might help you figure out what the problem is.

It sounds like a motherboard problem to me. I had a similar problem and the cmos got corrupted and it wouldn't reset no matter what i did, I finally fixed it but I'm not sure how.

Try unplugging your computer and taking the battery out for several hours. Try one memory stick in different slots. Do you have a PCI graphics card you could try? Make sure your heatsink/fan is installed correctly. It could be a short of some sort, try rebuilding the comptuer outside of the case.

What happens if you try to boot the computer with no memory and/or no video card? Does it beep then?
 
pshrk

pshrk

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So the LED on my case works, the fans in my PSU, CPU heatsink, 2 case fans, and video card fan work, I can feel my hard drive spinning, and I have 2 brand new sticks of memory. I can't get anything to come up on my monitor (tried 2 video cards), and my computer won't post/give any beep responses. Is my mobo toast, PSU toast, or both??

edit: when my computer did run, I would usually have to reset it a couple times after booting to get it to post which makes me think the PSU is screwed up
Click to expand...

Hmmm... perhaps it is the PSU then. When I had a similar problem I took my computer up to the network admins at school and they let me use some of their parts to help me figure out what was wrong. Perhpas you can do the same with your work/school or ask a friend to let you borrow their power supply. You don't even need to take their PSU out if their case if the cables are long enough to reach (should work if you put the computers close enough).
 
K

kaen

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Feb 8, 2005
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I've seen cheap PSU testers that might help you figure out what the problem is.

It sounds like a motherboard problem to me. I had a similar problem and the cmos got corrupted and it wouldn't reset no matter what i did, I finally fixed it but I'm not sure how.

Try unplugging your computer and taking the battery out for several hours. Try one memory stick in different slots. Do you have a PCI graphics card you could try? Make sure your heatsink/fan is installed correctly. It could be a short of some sort, try rebuilding the comptuer outside of the case.

What happens if you try to boot the computer with no memory and/or no video card? Does it beep then?
Click to expand...

Yeah I've tried PCI-e, PCI, and integrated video cards, tried leaving the battery out for around 30 minutes, reinstalled heatsink twice (stock and my aftermarket one). Don't want to risk more damages building it outside the case.

With no memory/video card the computer still makes no beep. Thinking about just replacing my mobo and PSU
 
dg6464

dg6464

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Being a computer tech for a few years, and having to diagnose infront of customers on the spot I have a few quick tips for you to test your stuff. The first thing you would want to do is try with a different PSU, it is unlikely that it has failed, and is still powering the system on, but as everyone here knows; you cannot eliminate anything until you try it (because I have seen one or two cases where that had occured). Just as a quick test without replacing the power supply (which I DO NOT suggest replacing the power supply...), would be:

To test the motherboard; make sure you have the mini-speaker plugged in on your Front-Pin-Headers, or that there is one integrated into the board first (most have an integrated speaker(well intel boards anyways..)).

1) Completely pull out the RAM and videocard both at the same time (obviously while the system is off...). If the system beeps and complains that is has no video or RAM when you turn it on; your issue is not your motherboard or CPU. If it does NOT complain and beep like crazy, then there IS an issue with either your CPU or board.

2) Testing a CPU is impossible without having either another motherboard to plug it in to, OR having another CPU of the same socket to try in your motherboard (although this doesn't help you with the fact that BOTH may possibly be dead...) Depending on the area you live in, if you take the CPU into a local PC shop, they may have a "Test Bed" motherboard that they use when fixing PC's to plug the CPU into to verify functionality.

3) Good luck with that :p. No POST issues are very easy to fix if you have lots of spare parts lying around, but at home they are very difficult.

4) I'd say about 90% of the time I run into a NO POST (unless it is a newly-built machine), the problem is the motherboard, just like most of the other people in this forum have stated.

5) Sorry for the long-winded post, that's just me.

Best Regards and God Speed!
 
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kaen

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Thanks for all the tips..only "tech" shop around here is the Best Buy and most of the guys I've talked to have down syndrome (no offense to anyone). I've ordered a new mobo and PSU..praying my CPU is fine. Appreciate all the help..just wish I had a bunch of spare parts to test with.
 
K

kaen

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Yeah only thing essential connected to my mobo was my PSU and CPU with heatsink fan and it gave me zero beeps even though it turned on
 
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