Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Dead motherboard or dead CPU?

  1. #1
    Poster
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    1,037
    Hi, I'm trying to build my friend a computer and all the parts are here. Everything is installed, powered up...nothing. The fans spins, the HSF spins, the PSU fan spins...that's it. The HDD doesnt power up, the CD drive doesnt get power.

    I swapped the RAM/PSU/Graphic card (which I dont believe have to do with anything)...nothing. This is with a Biostar K8VGAM motherboard and an amd 64 3000. I've tried taking out the CPU and putting it back into place to make sure it is seated correctly.

    I have a 939 system so I can't swap motherboard/cpu to see which is dead. From my experiences, even if the CPU is dead, the motherboard should still be able to power up the HDD/CD drive. But with this, the only thing that works are the fans connected to it. The graphic cards in the system has a passive cool heatsink so there is no fan on there for me to be able to tell if the graphic card is at least getting power or not.

    What do you guys think? Replace motherboard or CPU first.

  2. Software & Hardware   -   #2
    micolithe's Avatar Painfully average.
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    NJ
    Age
    36
    Posts
    139
    No POST = motherboard is broken.
    Current Favorite Song
    Exodus Damage by John Vanderslice

  3. Software & Hardware   -   #3
    abu_has_the_power's Avatar I have cool stars
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Posts
    6,447
    normally the cpu doesn't break unless u fry it or u bash it with something, or u bend the pins. this is probably a mobo problem

  4. Software & Hardware   -   #4
    Virtualbody1234's Avatar Forum Star BT Rep: +2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    10,763
    Are these new components that never ran or is it a system that worked but has now failed?

    Clear the CMOS. Disconnect the drives to see if it will boot with only the PSU, mobo, CPU, graphics card and 1 piece of RAM.

    Edit: Upon further research... I have found that the mobo model K8VGAM is a SOCKET 754 board (http://www.biostar-usa.com/mbdetails.asp?model=k8vga-m). It also shows integrated graphics. So maybe you could try removing the graphics card and use the onboard.

    Last edited by Virtualbody1234; 07-14-2005 at 07:59 AM.

  5. Software & Hardware   -   #5
    lynx's Avatar .
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Yorkshire, England
    Posts
    9,759
    Disconnect the HDD and CD from the mobo, but leave power connected.

    If they still don't power up the problem is probably with your PSU.
    .
    Political correctness is based on the principle that it's possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

  6. Software & Hardware   -   #6
    Poster
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    1,037
    Hi, these are brand new out of the box components. CMOS has been cleared several times. The k8vgam IS a 754 board. The AMD 64 3000 I'm building it with is also a s754.

    I thought it might be the PSU, so I swapped it with my 480w PSU and the same thing happen. I tested both the HDD and the CD drive in my system and they worked fine.

  7. Software & Hardware   -   #7
    Virtualbody1234's Avatar Forum Star BT Rep: +2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    10,763
    Did you try connecting the monitor to the motherboard's onboard graphics? You don't need the graphics card in there at all to test.

    You also don't need to have any drives connected to bootup to the CMOS setup screen.
    Last edited by Virtualbody1234; 07-14-2005 at 09:07 PM.

  8. Software & Hardware   -   #8
    clocker's Avatar Shovel Ready
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    15,305
    Listen to the man.
    "I am the one who knocks."- Heisenberg

  9. Software & Hardware   -   #9
    Poster
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    1,037
    Quote Originally Posted by Virtualbody1234
    Did you try connecting the monitor to the motherboard's onboard graphics? You don't need the graphics card in there at all to test.

    You also don't need to have any drives connected to bootup to the CMOS setup screen.

    Just tried it with the integrated graphics, and it still wouldnt boot to bios. Just ordered a new board from newegg.

    Thanks for all the help guys

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •