Computer not booting :'-(

[CaneyJ]

Ok about a month ago I was playing a bit of GTA SA MP and the computer locked up. Nothing out of the ordinary, I expect a small prob every once in a while and do a manual restart. The computer powers back on but refuses to boot even to basic bios screen level.
The power is running as the fans are spinning like crazy as it usually does on immediate power up but usually it follows with a post bleep, the fans cranking down in rpm and a boot screen but nothing, just the fans continuing to spin like mad with a black screen, no keyboard lights.

Having just returned from uni I left this problem for a month being content with use of the families PC back home but now seeing the need for my comp to be working when going back to uni I need to sort this out.
I have dragged all my important data from the hard disk by plugging it as a secondary to the family PC and dragging the data off so at least I imagine it works to an extent but possibly a window corruption? Still wouldn’t explain why it refuses to even see bios.

I have tried another hard drive connected to the computer but no joy. I’ve also removed and put back in the mobos bios battery but still get no active response when powering up. The spec is as follows.

• Foxconn 915 P7AD Motherboard
• Pentium LGA775 Prescot-T 3.6Ghz (non-clocked)
• 1 GB (2 x 512mb) Samsung 3200 CL3 RAM
• ATI Powercolour X850XT PCI-E
• Nebula DigiTV Card
• Hitachi Deskstar 250GB SATA Hard Disk
• Hiper Type-R Series 480W PSU
• Generic DVD-RW
• Generic Case
• Generic Floppy
• Window XP updated

I haven’t been up with the computer scene for a bit so have lost a bit of knowledge (so treat me like a noob as I'm sure it's a perfectly simple solution I've overlooked ) so all help would be appreciated.

 

[Admiral Huddy]

It sounds like a either a PSU or motherboard problem to me.

Firstly, check that the PSU is upllying correct and stable voltages using a motherboard monitor or using a multimeter..

If they look as if they are within the allowable tolerences, then it could be the Motherboard.

Check all your connections and expansion cards are securely fastened.

Do you get any diagnotic beeps?

 

[CaneyJ]

No beeps; nothing. The PSU and GFX card where new but had been in my machine a good few months without problems. Before that it had a FSP Sparkle 300W PSU and a Geforce FX5500 but replaced both as the GFX was rubbish and the comp needed more power for the new ATI.

 

[xirokx]

I would be thinking either a) dead mobo or b) faulty gpu...

Even if the mobo is dead the fans would spin and the lights on the mobo would be lit...

Before you assume that the mobo is dead does your current mobo have an onboard gfx card you can try plugging your monitor into? if not try testing with a replacement gpu...

I know you mentioned taking the battery out of the mobo but did you reset the CMOS when you did this? sorry to ask the obvious..

Also before replacing mobo and after trying a diff gpu you could try booting with the minimum, i.e. 1 stick of RAM, CPU, PSU and GPU...

Have you tried the gpu in another system?

 

[Admiral Huddy]

so did you use a driver cleaner / CAB cleaner to remove all the Nvidia drivers before installing the ATI drivers?