2 motherboards dead

sswats · 21 Oct 2009 at 14:48

Friend bought his computer to me because windows wasn't loading and would just keep restarting.

i took out the HDD backed everything up and started a fresh windows install.

halfway through it just powered off and refused to switch on. I get a quick flash on the keyboard LED's, and the fan moves half a cm.
I tried a different PSU, RAM and CPU all to no effect.

Apparently this all started after a power cut in his area, so i guessed a cocked up PSU and motherboard and ordered a new one of both. exact same gigabyte motherboard and a new corsair 400W PSU (its a low end PC).

Switch it on with old CPU, memory and HDD's etc and it all works fine. load up windows install and in the exact same place it just powers off and now refuses to switch on.

Faulty HDD, DVD's are unlikely to cause a power faulire on the motherboard as far as i'm aware, any other clues about whats causing this?

Shakeel · 21 Oct 2009 at 16:10

have you tried another hdd

sswats · 21 Oct 2009 at 16:20

I've unplugged the HDD's in attempt to get it to power on. but its not powering on.

sswats · 22 Oct 2009 at 10:46

can a faulty cpu short a whole motherboard?

game4it · 22 Oct 2009 at 11:24

A faulty CPU could cause yours probs so try reseating it.
I know it sounds silly but is the wall socket ok?

niko · 22 Oct 2009 at 14:12

try booting with no cpu

JonJ678 · 22 Oct 2009 at 14:20

It'll do nothing whatsoever with no cpu.

You made the right call by swapping out the motherboard and psu, it's unlucky that this hasn't resolved the issue. I believe you get to try a different cpu and ram again, otherwise I would think your motherboard is doa.

edit: cpu might be damaged, but it is more likely for you to receive a dead motherboard than for a cpu to die. Trying a second cpu pretty much rules this out though.

sswats · 22 Oct 2009 at 15:10

Well i tried a different motherboard. this time going for Asus. same everything else and its worked.
everythings working. I don't know if it was a gigabyte problem, maybe it was incompatible with something or other i dunno. but i need to RMA it.

I still advised him to put in the corsair PSU instead of the Z-power one in there before.

JonJ678 · 22 Oct 2009 at 15:24

DOA motherboard it is then. Return it to the supplier for a refund, or you'll just end up with an extra motherboard.

Yeah, don't use the Z-power