How do you know if you CPU came dead

[silentdream]

Hi everyone,

I built a system and everything comes on except I don't hear a Post, I put the speaker wire both ways on the board and nothing. When I hook up the computer to my monitor I don't get anything on the screen, just a flashing light on the monitor power button. I reseated RAM, Video card and made sure all connections are okay. I even removed the processor and reseated it, just fastening the heatsink/Fan enough to start the system to hear a beep, but nothing. By the way, what are all those connectors with the label "Vcc D D GnD?" Those are connected as well. The reason I think the CPU might be dead is that with my AMD system, about 3 weeks ago, I had the same symptoms when I tried to install the CPU after straightening out some pins on the CPU. With that system I got No beep. I replaced the CPU and the system worked. So is my CPU dead? Unfortunately I waited too long to start putting the system together due to things that needed to be taken care of, so I can't return the CPU to newegg for replacement. The CPU is intel E4300. Before I purchase another one, I would like to know what you guys think.

Please help as soon as you can as I am looking to order the processor and finish setting up before I leave town in about a week. I will be gone for 3 weeks.


Thanks

Ron

 

[leo2kp]

Did you plug in the CPU fan by chance? Most boards will not even let you boot without having a fan plugged in for your CPU. I wouldn't do "just good enough" as far as seating the CPU HSF either. Do it all the way or don't do it at all (thus leaving it off). That's a sure-fire way to fry your processor with or without the fan plugged in.

If it was plugged in and everything is fastened correctly, try resetting the BIOS, using one stick of RAM, and keeping anything unnecessary unplugged (i.e. hard-drives, CD-ROM, floppy). Process of elimination You may also want to check your power cables and make sure you have the auxiliary power for your processor plugged in as well. Just as a side-note, the extra 4-prong plugin that comes with many boards nowdays (the one that is added to the large main power plugin) also fits there, but won't work. I accidentally plugged that in once and it started smoking on me! Try other RAM slots and try the other stick as well. Eliminate everything you can as a possibility. Try another PSU too if you can.

Good luck

 

[maverick7]

sounds like a power supply problem if the system wont even start at all

 

[Cybercraig]

The Vcc-d-grnd is probably your front USB ports. Default you BIOS and start again with one stick of memory. Make sure the aux power cpu plug is plugged in. If your video card needs an aux plug it should be plugged in too. It's a process of elimination.

 

[silentdream]

Did you plug in the CPU fan by chance? Most boards will not even let you boot without having a fan plugged in for your CPU. I wouldn't do "just good enough" as far as seating the CPU HSF either. Do it all the way or don't do it at all (thus leaving it off). That's a sure-fire way to fry your processor with or without the fan plugged in.

If it was plugged in and everything is fastened correctly, try resetting the BIOS, using one stick of RAM, and keeping anything unnecessary unplugged (i.e. hard-drives, CD-ROM, floppy). Process of elimination You may also want to check your power cables and make sure you have the auxiliary power for your processor plugged in as well. Just as a side-note, the extra 4-prong plugin that comes with many boards nowdays (the one that is added to the large main power plugin) also fits there, but won't work. I accidentally plugged that in once and it started smoking on me! Try other RAM slots and try the other stick as well. Eliminate everything you can as a possibility. Try another PSU too if you can.

Good luck

I tried everything you suggested. However, how can I reset the BIOs when I get nothing on the screen?

 

[silentdream]

sounds like a power supply problem if the system wont even start at all

The system does start, everything thing starts up, case fans, Video Card heatsink/fan, processor heatsink/fan and power supply fan, just nothing on the screen and no beep for the POST.

 

[silentdream]

The Vcc-d-grnd is probably your front USB ports. Default you BIOS and start again with one stick of memory. Make sure the aux power cpu plug is plugged in. If your video card needs an aux plug it should be plugged in too. It's a process of elimination.

I can't default the BIOS, I get nothing on the screen. The 8 pin aux power for the CPU is plugged in. There is no aux for the video card.

 

[bfellow]

If system starts up with no beeps or video then I'm guessing its the CPU. I've seen this happen on a Dell (multiple times).

 

[Onus]

You know your CPU came dead if it was carried in by six somber little guys in dark suits.




(Sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[jitpublisher]

To reset the BIOS, simply short the jumper on the board. You know, the same way you do if you set something in the BIOS incorrectly and your PC won't boot............????
Your PC does not even need to be turned on to reset the BIOS.
I doubt that is your immediate problem, but it's worth a shot.
Sounds to me like you have something connected incorrectly, or not connected at all.
A bad CPU is very unlikely, unless you did something to this one as well while installing it........it's really hard to damage a cpu if you install it correctly......

I would enlist the help of a savy friend to come over and take a look at everything up close before you start spending money needlessly.

 

[silentdream]

To reset the BIOS, simply short the jumper on the board. You know, the same way you do if you set something in the BIOS incorrectly and your PC won't boot............????
Your PC does not even need to be turned on to reset the BIOS.
I doubt that is your immediate problem, but it's worth a shot.
Sounds to me like you have something connected incorrectly, or not connected at all.
A bad CPU is very unlikely, unless you did something to this one as well while installing it........it's really hard to damage a cpu if you install it correctly......

I would enlist the help of a savy friend to come over and take a look at everything up close before you start spending money needlessly.

It is a Core 2 Duo system, so my question is: is it easy to mess up the contacts on the processor if I touch it by accident or if it touched the socket plate a few times while I tried to aligned it?

 

[jj14]

Does any case fan work? Just trying to figure out if your PSU might have a problem... Do you have a spare PSU that you can try using?

 

[silentdream]

Does any case fan work? Just trying to figure out if your PSU might have a problem... Do you have a spare PSU that you can try using?

All the case fans work, CPU heatsink/fan spins, graphic card heatsink/fan works. Everything powers up.

 

[Cybercraig]

You can kill a CPU by a high static discharge. If you were rooting around in the case you probably touched metal and released any built up charge that could have hurt your CPU. Bad CPU or even bad MB come into play here but without any way to test anything you are just guessing.

 

[Newf]

Not knowing what ram and motherboard you are using makes this harder, but try to POST using only 1 stick of ram.
Make sure it is seated correctly and is in the #1 slot (look it up in the manual).
Sometimes fast/enthusiast ram will not POST until you reset vdimm. It may POST on only one stick.
If memory is a problem, you could get the symptoms as described.
If this does not work, switch the ram stick you tried for the one you didn't.
Still no joy?
Publish full system specs here and we can try other test options.

 

[notherdude]

It could be RAM, and possibly a RAM voltage issue as Newf said above.
Do as he said. Also be sure no peripherals such as hard drives or sound cards are in system as you sort this out.

In addition to RAM it could be motherboard and it could be PSU. Of all those CPU is least likely to be culprit by far, IMHO. But if you must test it you will need to put it in a known good system. Since you likely do not have this you can take it to a PC shop and get them to test.

Please list your detailed specs incluning RAM brand and model num, mobo, and PSUbrand and model.

 

[ryanthesav]

just give ur comp a good kick... then get a new psu

 

[silentdream]

I would like to thank all of you who are responding. Thanks.

Here are my specs:

Case:
LIAN LI PC-60USB B2 Silver Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Motherboard.
MSI P6N SLI Platinum LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU.
Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Allendale 1.8GHz 2M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor

CORSAIR XMS2 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

Graphics
MSI NX7600GS-T2D256E GeForce 7600GS 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card


Let me know if you need the hard drive or DVD Rom.

I do now remember that one reviewer said the board is very picky with RAM. I will have to check MSI's site. Of if one of you guys come across it, that would be great.

Thanks again.

 

[skittle]

my guess would be bad motherboard, ive had those symptoms before... new motherboard fixed it right up.

 

[sailer]

I've had bad ram and still gotten as far as the BIOS screen. If you can, try the cpu in a different machine, a friends computer for instance. If the second machine doesn't start, then you have a confirmation of a dead cpu. Some of what's been described does support the idea of a bad cpu. It possible that you killed it when you touched it by accident or touched the socket plate a few times. Besides static discharge, you might also have also have bent a pin or something. A cpu should slip into place easily, no force being needed. If it feels baulky, then something isn't right.

There is the possiblity that the motherboard died or a critical wire got disconnected. Recheck all the wires. But that goes back to testing the cpu in a different machine. If the cpu doesn't work elsewhere, then nothing else can be tested until a good cpu is available.

 

[rwpritchett]

Is it possible that your motherboard is grounding out on the case? Maybe an extra standoff was overlooked? To check, you'll have to remove everything from the case, set the motherboard on a non-conducting surface like cardboard with everything connected and try to bootup. You can bridge the pins with a metal screwdriver to initiate startup.

 

[notherdude]

Bad RAM or incompatible ram CAN do this. So can a bad MOBO or PSU. Bad CPU is unlikely, but a remote possibility. Will look over your specs later but you might try Googling your RAM and MOBO together to see if anyone else has reported problems.

Build this thing out of case with nothing connected but barebones while testing! Re-seat VIDEO card and use 1 stick ram only and if you can get it use a stick of RAM from another machine. Also try another PSU if youcan. If none of that helps 99% bad MOBO.

 

[Spidubic]

I've always found the CPU to be the most reliable piece of hardware in the computer. Never had one fail out of the box. So my bet is bad motherboard or power supply. Had a few power supplies where the 5v Standby was bad. The computer would run but it was flaky.