Sudden stop in display

[Kickn]

My other computer has been running fine for the past 4 days (since it's been built). This morning after I moved the mouse (to take it out of standby) the screen shows my desktop as normal, but after about 3 seconds the monitor returns to standby mode. The POST code on the motherboard reads 85, I've tried hitting F1 on the keyboard, which in turn supplies a code of 87. The main post cost (85) seems to indicate some "soft-error message", whatever that means.

I have tried the following methods to obtain video:
1) Use a different monitor
2) Move the video card to a different PCI slot
3) Tried a different video card in each of the PCI slots
4) Removed/Rearranged RAM sticks
5) Removed the motherboard battery for several minutes
6) Used the clr CMOS button
7) Unhooked the hard drive and tried to boot from the windows 7 CD, then tried the CD that came with the motherboard

All of these methods provided similar results. None of them displayed anything on the monitor. It should be noted that when I power on the computer, the screen seems to flash a hardly noticeable different shade of black each time the monitor power LED flashes.

I've checked all the obvious, including wire connections. I just really want to avoid the 'take it apart and build it again' method that I've seen suggested.

My system stats:
ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler

Western Digital Caviar Green WD5000AADS 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 140W Quad-Core Processor

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V

XFX GS250XZDFU GeForce GTS 250 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP

MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD

 

[mo0]

hm, it does indeed sound like a MOBO issue...or something is conflicting hardware wise. have you flashed the BIOS or researched a bit more on the error msg provided online?

 

[Kickn]

I've flashed the BIOS several times, and the error messages are very vague, something along the lines of "hey theres an error somewhere!"

The more I think about it, I think its a motherboard issue just because of the fact that I've tried different a video card and different pci-e slots. Any way to tell for sure so I don't RMA the wrong part?

The comp ran for several days, and I didn't change any settings the night before the issues, so I'm not sure what hardware conflictions there can be.

 

[Kickn]

For whatever reason my MOBO has stopped with the error code 85 and now fluctuates around the 20's and 30's in sequential order

the code reads:

26 Global for keyboard controller tested
27 Perform setups for vector table initialization
28 Monochrome video mode tested
29 Video (CGA) color mode tested
30 Video adapter tested
31 Alternate video memory tested
32 Alternate video adapter tested
33 Video mode tested
34 Video mode tested
35 BIOS ROM data area initialized
36 Power on display cursor set
37 Power on message displayed
38 Cursor position read


I have tried the video card out of this computer, which is working, but to no avail. The same post codes for that one as well, with no monitor activity.

Anyone have any ideas? If it was the motherboard would it still give these diagnostic numbers like its giving me now?

I made two threads out of uncertainty on topics, but to prevent further double posting I'll be viewing this thread primarily: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/276059-31-sudden-stop-display#t2029623