No post - no display - dodgy mobo or graphics card?

[keithlovett]

Hello - this is my first post tho I've benefited from collective knowledge of site members for many years' But now I really could do with some help. Not even sure this is most appropriate forum so if not plz just move it wherever better.

Everything was working absolutely 100% - then nada!
Atm I got a PC that fires up but no post/tbeeps or display.
M/B is T series Biostar TP45 and graphics card a Palit GTS250 Green computer boots fine. Memory seems OK.

Computers guts are sitting on hardboard so less chance of shorts.
Onboard m/board lights stay put after boot. I've swapped a lot of bits about and computer always reboots until I install grafics card then just red Booting with card installed it usually reboots a couple of times before settling down.

And no beeps/posts even when I remove memory.

My gut tells me it's graphics card but could be m/b. I think psu is ok cos comp can power everything I throw at it. Tho I don't have multimeter.

 

[clutchc]

Hello - this is my first post tho I've benefited from collective knowledge of site members for many years' But now I really could do with some help. Not even sure this is most appropriate forum so if not plz just move it wherever better.

Everything was working absolutely 100% - then nada!
Atm I got a PC that fires up but no post/tbeeps or display.
M/B is T series Biostar TP45 and graphics card a Palit GTS250 Green computer boots fine. Memory seems OK.

Computers guts are sitting on hardboard so less chance of shorts.
Onboard m/board lights stay put after boot. I've swapped a lot of bits about and computer always reboots until I install grafics card then just red Booting with card installed it usually reboots a couple of times before settling down.

And no beeps/posts even when I remove memory.

My gut tells me it's graphics card but could be m/b. I think psu is ok cos comp can power everything I throw at it. Tho I don't have multimeter.

Unless you have a different graphics card to test the board with, the most obvious problem would BE the board. I just sent back a new Gigabyte board because the PCI-E slot(s) wouldn't work. Although it could have been the chip set. Eitherway, the replacement board works fine. Btw, Have you tried changing the CMOS battery? If it dies, you won't be able to complete the POST either.

 

[keithlovett]

Thnx very much for reply clutchc. Yes I've cleared pins and actually left battery out overnight.
I have another brand new memory card which behaves in same way - is it significant that the pc tends to re-boot on a couple of occasions before.

I have 4 sticks of memory - a couple are a tad oxidized but I 've cleaned them and graphics card pushing them in and out a number of times. I've also tried innumerable configurations all to same effect.

BTW sorry to overload peeps but there are alongside the onboard lights/switch there are two LEDs which relay 5 options depending on configuration - they indicate memory problem rather than vga but other than that only indicate 'abnormal', 'message' and 'normal'. So my feeling is it's the mobo too. ie PCI-E slots, or chipset.

Guess I'll have to pay a shop just to check it's not memory or psu then I got to see if I'm eligible for RCA or board's under warranty anyway?

Are there any other tests that would help confirm my suspicions? I hope they honour warranty no problem.

Adios

 

[keithlovett]

btw - I just read that cleaning RAM contacts with an eraser might help. Shame there's no way to clean inside PCI-E slots!

OK, strangely when I stick either graphics card in secondary graphic card slot the opposite lights display, indicating vga problem rather than memory. I run PC thru an LCD rather than a monitor and wonder if ther could be problem there.

Is it highly irregular for a to have to boot it a couple of times occasionally. Wish I had a monitor = looks like my shopping basket is gonna be expensive if not careful!

 

[clutchc]

btw - I just read that cleaning RAM contacts with an eraser might help. Shame there's no way to clean inside PCI-E slots!

OK, strangely when I stick either graphics card in secondary graphic card slot the opposite lights display, indicating vga problem rather than memory. I run PC thru an LCD rather than a monitor and wonder if ther could be problem there.

Is it highly irregular for a to have to boot it a couple of times occasionally. Wish I had a monitor = looks like my shopping basket is gonna be expensive if not careful!

Is this your board?
http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=448
Probably not, because it only has 1 PCI-E slot and you mentioned yours had a secondary slot. Did you buy it new or used? As far as the 'VGA' lites indicating abnormal when you put the card in the other slot, I would expect that because with one card, you are required to use PCI-E slot one. And what exactly are you using for a monitor?

 

[keithlovett]

This is my board
http://www.biostar-usa.com/app/en-us/mb/introduction.php..?S_ID=366
and I agree all LEDs are good. I used a putty eraser to clean up RAM and contacts on old graphics card. Then I noticed primary PCI-E allows for some movement which seems to have solved the the main problem.

So far as TV/monitor is concerned it's a pretty decent Samsung and everything worked great before. Recently I've replaced SCART with HDMI leads (to BT Vision box which further complicates matters - guess I should get that out the way next) and although my little jolicloud still works OK my PC doesn't - No Display and then TV shuts down due to inactivity.

I could have set res. inappropriately somehow as I could only see screen on JOLICLOUD for some time and the usb trackball appeared on an otherwise black TV screen. Everything returned to normal after I balanced the settings equally.

My PC once again boots everytime with no other problems so that's sorted - thank you for your support clutchc. I need to see how it performs on another monitor. But everything was cool before so something's misbehaving.

Anyway thanx again. Any other tips warmly appreciated, K

 

[keithlovett]

I just ordered a new PSU. It was a tough decision whether or not to just take whole thing into repair shop but it's I found a CIT 750 for £27 incl p&p so I reckon it's a bargain. Old one is a 550w Corsair but computer was often left on 24/7 and turnover rate on psu's is fairly high - I understand. I'm also building a DDR3 set up so it won't be wasted even if that's not the problem.

I nearly got a cheap little DDR2 mobo for about £40 but only 2 sticks of RAM and not as nice as my T-series so really hope it's not a mobo issue. A second good DDR2 mobo would be wasted, but if new psu doesn't do the job I may have to. I'm sure all 4 sticks of memory can't all be defective.

And it's not the card. So fingers crossed and will post results tomorrow if it arrives by then.