Damaged 939 CPU Symptoms? Experiences Needed!

[Speed]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for people who have experienced dead or damaged 939 CPUs, basically as some of you may know I've been having problems with a 939 setup, which I've recently replaced. Through testing I've worked out that the cause of it not booting is either a damaged motherboard or a damaged CPU, or both. All of the other parts have been changed out or tested in other systems.

Now in my experience motherboards are more likely to fail than processors, but I know it does happen. From what I've been told about the initial boot process the motherboard does check the processor to a limited degree, so that could be the problem.

So before I RMA the motherboard, do the symptoms described below match up with what other people experienced when they had a dead or damaged CPU and a perfectly functioning motherboard?

The problem is as follows:

After a power cut (in which the system was not on at the time) it wouldn't start, the fans spined up but nothing on the screen. I worked out the power supply was damaged and replaced it. I got the system up and running, the only issue was that the power button on the case (which I tested and was fine, which I guess implies the motherboard was at faulty) wasn't working and I had to use the power switch on the back of the PSU to turn it on. However after a day the system had rebooted itself while I was in the shower and was stuck in what I can only describe as a reset loop. It kept trying to post, but couldn't, nothing was displayed on the screen and it just kept resetting. You can tell it's doing this as the fans have a slight pause when it did and you can hear the DVD drive checking for a disc.

I turned it off, unplugged the hard drives (as I'm sure spinning up like that wasn't doing them any good), did a CMOS reset and tried again, but still had the same problem. I stripped everything off the system that it didn't need, down to a single stick of known good ram, a tested Graphics card and a power supply I tried elsewhere, same problem.



Thanks,

Mark

 

[AgedIdiot]

Only experience I have had of a failed Cpu was that when it finally failed - nothing - no fans lights - nothing.

Do remember that before finally failing I had a number of blue screen episodes but thats all I can recollect.

Cpu was a S754 2.6 - not a Sempron as I remember I 'upgraded' (local shops words)to a 2.8 Sempron - it's a few years ago now so apologies if I've qouted wrong speeds

Sounds more like motherboard problems to me - but what do I know.

p.s. would a surge protector 'protect' in that type of event or would it need to be switched on for it to work?

 

[pingwing]

I say somethings gone on the board (my 939 cpu took half the pins changing direction and lasted a good year or so till i caved in on core2..) especially if your psu took a hit...

 

[Crowze]

In my experience if anything is going to give on a 939 processor it's the memory controller, so try using a single stick of memory in each slot and see if it works. If not, it's most likely the board.

 

[Grimgoth]

I say its the board; my experiences with power surges have been in the bad old days of phone modems and lightning strikes. Modem goes first, if that didn't stop it then the mobo. Coming from the other way, its probably psu and then mobo....

 

[Speed]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Only experience I have had of a failed Cpu was that when it finally failed - nothing - no fans lights - nothing.

Do remember that before finally failing I had a number of blue screen episodes but thats all I can recollect.

Cpu was a S754 2.6 - not a Sempron as I remember I 'upgraded' (local shops words)to a 2.8 Sempron - it's a few years ago now so apologies if I've qouted wrong speeds

Sounds more like motherboard problems to me - but what do I know.

p.s. would a surge protector 'protect' in that type of event or would it need to be switched on for it to work?

Thanks for the info, very helpful! Yes it was plugged into a surge protector which should have helped, but they tend to be a bit hit and miss from what I've heard. It certainally didn't help in this case.

I say somethings gone on the board (my 939 cpu took half the pins changing direction and lasted a good year or so till i caved in on core2..) especially if your psu took a hit...

Yeah the chips tend to be quite hardy like you say.

In my experience if anything is going to give on a 939 processor it's the memory controller, so try using a single stick of memory in each slot and see if it works. If not, it's most likely the board.

I did try a single stick of known good ram as per OP, so like you say it is most likely the board.

I say its the board; my experiences with power surges have been in the bad old days of phone modems and lightning strikes. Modem goes first, if that didn't stop it then the mobo. Coming from the other way, its probably psu and then mobo....

Yeah well the PSU went, so I'm guessing that took out or at least damaged the motherboard.

It seems quite unanimous, the motherboard it is, off back to the retailer it goes! Thanks for the advice guys!

 

[Crowze]

I did try a single stick of known good ram as per OP, so like you say it is most likely the board.

It's the 'in each slot' that I was trying to emphasise But the other symptoms do suggest the board being the culprit.

 

[Speed]

It's the 'in each slot' that I was trying to emphasise But the other symptoms do suggest the board being the culprit.

Ah I see, my apologies. Admittely I only tried it in the main slot for a single stick.