Unknown power/hardware problem

[andr3]

Hello everyone, this is my first here and i really need some help because i'm getting mad here...i'll follow with what's going on on my computer.

FIRST NOTE: I know you'll find what i'm going to state familiar but trust me...i ranned Google upside-down, read topics all over and nothing helped...please read the following...i'm desperate =/


A few days ago, with no previous reason or justification for it, when i pressed the "Start" button on the case something awkward happens since then, computer turns on normally, after 3 seconds more or less it shuts down and again, automaticly, after being shut down for a couple of seconds it starts up alone and then keeps working but without any boot or system activity, screen led is orange, no activity, no message. All case fans, PSU, CPU, GPU are working, no strange sounds on them...just stays there with power on, working but no movement or activity, it's like it's just connected to power without any work from hardware/software/BIOS at all.


Details, besides what was mentioned above:


Computer specs are:
- Motherboard ASUS P5Q PRO TURBO;
- Intel Core 2 Duo Skt775 E8200 2.66Ghz @ 1333Mhz FSB;
- ATi EAH5670 PCI-E 1Gb GDDR5;
- 4Gb RAM DDR2 Dual-Channel Kingston @ 1066Mhz (4 slots of 1024MB);
- HDD Seagate Barracuda 250Gb 7200rpm SATA2;
- LG DVD Drive 16x;
- ASUS DVD-RW Drive 16x48x;
- Case Tacens Audeo with 1 front fan, 1 back fan, front Firewire port + USB 2 ports + Audio pannel (input and output);
- Screen/Monitor ASUS LCD 19" VGA/DVI connection (DVI adaptor connected to GPU);
- Keyboard Logitech 600 USB corded;
- Mouse Logitech Laser USB corded;
- Win 7 64x i was using (for months without a single problem).


After starting, shuting down after 3 secs +/- and restarting automaticly and then staying like idle just powered with no activity:

1. Motherboard LED shows green light
2. PSU, CPU, GPU and case fans work properly, lights on the fan on and LED keeps on - except front pannel lights, POWER GREEN LIGHT doesn't turn on, the YELLOW PROCESSING LIGHT works for a few moments then turns off aswell - but then again, there's no activity;
3. HDD vibrates and seems to work, but nevertheless, as long as it gets power supply it can function but not work;
4. There are no beeping sounds - apparently RAM, GPU, HDD and CPU are working fine - although there is no beeping sound at all when starting both times;


SO FAR THIS IS WHAT I TRIED:

A. Tested a new PSU - same problem persists;

B. Got a new motherboard, the one i mentioned above (previous was ASUS P5K-EPU) - same problem persists;

C. Removed all the cables leaving only the PSU connections to the motherboard, HDD and DVD drives - this includes the USB (mouse, keyboard, external HDDs, print, speakers, microphone, LAN cable) - leaving only on the back the power cable and monitor cable at GPU connected - same problem persists - with the new and old motherboard;

D. Internaly removed the front pannel audio, USB, 1394, PWR LD, HDD LD and SPEAKER cables from the motherboard - leaving PWR SW and RESET SW - (yes no beeps even with the SPEAKER CABLE connected, i tested it ) - same problem persists - with the new and the old motherboard;

E. CPU with the old motherboard and the new motherboard was the same, even changed the heatsink and got it thermal pasted again to check (confirmed that is correctly inputted and held) - same problem persists;

F. PSU same issue with the motherboard and components before as with the new motherboard - same problem persists;

G. Changed DVD drivers cables with a new one, the one that came with the new motherboard - same problem persists;

H. Changed HDD SATA cable with the new one that also came with the new motherboard - same problem persists;

I. Tried even running the computer without GPU and HDD - same problem persists - with the new and old motherboard;

J. RAM was changed into the new motherboard when changed, no issues with it apparently, before and after the new motherboard, same thing basicly - same problem persists;

K. Checked both motherboards for burnt parts or slots, nothing found - same problem persists;

L. Tried my old GPU ASUS ATi EAH3850 PCI-E 512MB GDD3 with side power connection on (it has a side powersupply connector at the edge of it) - same problem persists - with the new and old motherboard;

M. Removed the B-channel RAM from the slots, running only A - same problem persists;

N. Removed the A-channel RAM from the slots, running only B - same problem persists;

O. Removed all the 4 RAM from the channel slots - same problem persists - strange finding, there are no beeps! - onboard SPEAKER CABLE is connected before these RAM tests;

P. Tried starting without HDD - same problem persists - no beeps;

Q. Tried starting without GPU - same problem persists - no beeps;


Is the speaker creating a shortcut as a problem? If so the system should be continuously shutting down and restarting which just happens one time like mentioned above several times.



Honestly guys i'm gettin desperate cuz i can't find the problem...and no freakin solution

Thank you all from the start...i'm really hoping someone can help me with this...my guts tell me it's some electric/electronic issue...but can't solve it...

Cheers

 

[Emerald]

so you installed the CPU and HeatSink into the old MOBO, connect the internal speaker and PSU, and it is not beeping?

sounds like your CPU.

 

[andr3]

so you installed the CPU and HeatSink into the old MOBO, connect the internal speaker and PSU, and it is not beeping?

sounds like your CPU.

Then again it should beep without the RAM, GPU and even without the CPU in case it was a problem with it. Thing is there are no beeps with the SPEAKER CABLE connected or not to the motherboard, both old and new one.

I know it can get confusing but trust me...my head is spinning 180º each minute i keep trying to find out the cause and a solution for it.

 

[andr3]

Ok, some updates.

I've tested everything again basicly and make sure nothing changed. Considering and by exclusion i ended up with a triangle of posible causes: PSU-SPEAKER-CPU.

Why ended at this point?

My thoughts are:

PSU - as the computer starts after pushin the power switch working all leds, fans, hardware apparently but it shuts down automaticly after 3 secons restarting on itself after a couple of secons and then stays on with electric current going all the circuit like everything is working just fine but there's no system running, not even BIOS start screen where it should show any error message. Why does it start and goes off then runs not going off again? Probably a defective component that is blocked/auto switched off by the motherboard and then restarts with it disconnected. One other hypothesis could be somehow power is feeding some parts and not all of them for some reason - but then again, before with the previous board (P5K-EPU) i tryed a different PSU with same 550W and same happens.

SPEAKER - the power source is just fine, electric circuit complete with no shortcuts as everything is fed and electricly speaking everything is working. Why the speaker? Every hardware problem results in one or several beeps, being either RAM, GPU, CPU, HDD...but there's no beep at all - doesn't beep when i take off the RAM, doesn't beep when i remove the GPU and doesn't beep without HDD - only thing i miss to try like said before is running without CPU which i can't, nevertheless it should beep with a CPU problem.

CPU - All of this said so far here and on my first post brings us to CPU. After ruling out the first and main option which is the motherboard once i bought a brand new one as i was almost sure it was the motherboard as there was no beep (no board working so no response), no BIOS start, screen/messages, basicly only electric power supply working which should rule out PSU but then again, it's awkward and could still be the PSU somehow. Bottom of it, CPU failure or defective should beep like an alarm when trying to run the computer but it doesn't, although there's also the chance that as the CPU is the main logic processing unit, if it fails it can't process its own failure, but the motherboard should which doesn't, not both of them, previous and the brand new - motherboard ruled out.


Opinions? Ideas? Thoughts?

Thanks!

Cheers

 

[saaiello]

Stupid question but I have to ask are you sure you have all the power cables connected to the motherboard rite? Should be 1 4 pin to the CPU and the 24 pin to the main power connection I am pretty sure you know better then to miss this but I have to ask.

Basically the only other thing it could be is the CPU sounds like it might have died. 1 last thing try reseting the bios I know its new motherboard and all but give it a try take the battery out for a few minutes other then trying another CPU I am at a loss for what is going on since it sounds like you have done everything rite in trying to figure out what is going on.

Forgot to mention that most ASUS boards when you power them on from power being off it will pulse for a second turn off and then continue onto post. I have the same P5Q motherboard and that is exactly what it does every time I start from cold boot its apparently normal.

 

[andr3]

Stupid question but I have to ask are you sure you have all the power cables connected to the motherboard rite? Should be 1 4 pin to the CPU and the 24 pin to the main power connection I am pretty sure you know better then to miss this but I have to ask.

Basically the only other thing it could be is the CPU sounds like it might have died. 1 last thing try reseting the bios I know its new motherboard and all but give it a try take the battery out for a few minutes other then trying another CPU I am at a loss for what is going on since it sounds like you have done everything rite in trying to figure out what is going on.

Forgot to mention that most ASUS boards when you power them on from power being off it will pulse for a second turn off and then continue onto post. I have the same P5Q motherboard and that is exactly what it does every time I start from cold boot its apparently normal.

Yup, all cables are correctly set despite the times i removed and putted them back on on the try-outs.

Regarding the CMOS reset don't think it would make any difference honestly as the same issue persists without a chance with both previous P5K-EPU and new mobo P5Q PRO TURBO. And as you said, being brand new opened it myself from the box it doesn't even start but i'll give it a try.

Happened to me too with the previous one, dunno about this new cuz i couldn't use it yet xD lol

 

[andr3]

Alright guys...new CPU, PSU and SPEAKER tested...problem persists!

Any awkward/weird suggestions? Cuz it's really getting weird this situation...

 

[Kazaki69]

I have a Possible solution to your fubar problem..

now we have the same problem.. Practically same specs for system and exact same problem...and it died just before my fall term started... Now we tried everything within piss poor budget...

we feared the worst... Motherboard? cpu? Psu? we all hoped it was the last of the 3... but even that wasnt it as a friend tried his 750 watt in it and it still gave the same effin problem...


so I went half a year on my dying laptop..(it also had a near death experience just before school started)

And i find this post today in boredom as a possible hopeful solution as well as a few others...

I also find a post talking about batteries and such..so with nothing to lose I removed the motherboard battery..

and.. VOILA... It turns on fine..mobo screen shows its happy smiling face..

for the first time in half a year my desktop is now back upon its throne as the top computer in our household.. I couldnt help but go the Frankenstein cliche and scream "ITS ALIVE ITS ALIVE"... hehe

Good luck with it. hope my excited ranting helps you in some way..

~Jack
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Post Thought Edit\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Resolution: its a combination of two things.. A: battery failure.. and B: faulty wiring... Ive found the problem persisted after a weekend of use..however after swapping the battery and disconnecting/reconnecting everything that qualifies as wires... It starts up no problem.. I find that the wires from the USB slot on this particular motherboard seem to have some sort of issue, upon disconnecting and reconnecting them that such problem seems to cease.. it can have issues starting up (mainly when its reading the USB areas during boot) but the dreaded power on-off-on-eternal Idle seems to be gone..

So my suggestion is make sure every wire is properly connected, Every last one.. change the motherboard watch battery... and give it a test run.. if problem persists replace the wires that go from the motherboard.. (USB,power sw,reset sw,etc)

Having the same exact motherboard, only differentiation in setup being mine is a quad not a duo.. This is what it took to overcome the exact problem you are talkin bout..

Good luck..