ASRock Board Dead

[wolv_aaron]

I have an ASRock K8-Upgrade-VM800 board that I want to figure out what is wrong with it. I hook everything up like normal(HDD, CD, Floppy, Power, Keyboard, etc) and push the power button and nothing happens(no lights, no fans, no beeps--nothing). I go back and dismantle things and look to see that both ATX connectors (main and CPU) are hooked up, the front panel connectors are all plugged in, memory seems to be seated, and CPU is in. I dismantle further and remove the board from the case and test the power supply to see if there is even power. I jumped pins 15-16 on the ATX connector and the supply turned on, and I checked voltages at each pin, and they were all within range of what they should be. The ATX 12v was putting out 12v as well. I figure that the power supply is not an issue, so it must be something in the board. I had brought it to a computer shop and they said the board was shot, but I don't necessarily want to give up on it this quickly and was wondering if there would be a process to figure out what might actually be shot and if it is replaceable. I have done a little bit of checking on the capacitors on the board and none of them appear to be bulging or oozing. I am at a loss for something to try to look at to see if I can get the board back up and running. I would appreciate any input as to what to try next. Thank you.

 

[o1die]

I would get another 754 board while you still can. Ebay has some new gigabyte boards with the same chipset as your old board.

 

[wolv_aaron]

Here is a little more info that I found out upon more research. I looked a little bit better on the underside of the board and found what appears to be an arc (of the electrical type) between one leg of the P-LED and one leg of the HDD LED. I have a good suspicion that this is the root of the problem. I tested the Power Good line with PS_ON and it was at +5 volts (like it should be), but when I press (or short) the power or reset switches, no voltage change at all. In a nutshell, is it possible to repair an arc between to places that shouldn't be arced? Or is it burned through enough on the board that it is just a paperweight?

 

[o1die]

I don't recommend trying to fix it. You may be able to find another board for around $30. I recommend you get one now. As they become more scarce, the price will continue to rise. Restoring full function to your board is unlikely. I worked with printed wire bare boards at an IBM plant for nine years. We had to scrap out alot of product with defects less damaging than yours.