How do i test if a motherboard is broken?

Conrad11 · 10 Dec 2006 at 16:34

How can i test if the motherboard is broken without another CPU or other equipment.

I can get it to boot into windows, if there anything i can run to test the integrity of the motherboard because i have just got this computer out of the cupboard because last time i used it wasnt working after something fell of the motherboard.

Thanks.

touch · 10 Dec 2006 at 16:42

Conrad11 said:
without another CPU or other equipment.

Conrad11 said:
I can get it to boot into windows

i read that first part as "without a cpu" and im thinking..."wtf? how can he boot into windows?"

It might be difficult to tell whats faulty without being able to try other equiptment, but post your symptoms anyway and sum1 might know.

Conrad11 · 10 Dec 2006 at 16:53

Well I mean without any extra equipment. I have a full pc, it boots into windows, but last time i tired (6 months ago) it didnt.

ghgh · 11 Dec 2006 at 09:27

The only way you can test a motherboard is to make a bare bones system out of it with just the CPU, HSF, 1 RAM, GFX and PSU installed, even out of the case would do the job to test it. To test it fully just hook the hdd + CD-ROM up and try and install XP.

If something has fell off the motherboard, namely a capacitor it probably won't work properly if it works at all....ive got an old socket 370 mobo here that has 2 capacitors knocked off it and it will POST and start installing XP but it blue screens half way through, every time.