mobo or CPU failure?

damo' · 9 Mar 2006 at 09:49

Got home last night to find my computer wont even post so i'm trying to pin it down to something.

I suspect its the mobo because i have had some wierd problems recently. A couple of weeks ago i started having a prob with cold boot. I would push the power button and there would be no response. I put this down to the power supply so i tested an old one. That worked but frazzled a couple of days after. I bought a new antec truepower II and that sorted the prob. However, two days ago i hit the power button and no response again. I switched off at the plug, then back on and it was fine.

Yesterday I turned it on and it all powered up but there was no POST bleep and no signal sent to the monitors. I have tried swapping out GFX and ram to no avail. I have tested the PSU on a diff comp and it works fine. I tried the CPU (2800+ barton) on my old kt7a but it didnt work (i'm guessing the two probably arent compatible anyway). I also tested my old duron 800 on the board in question (NF7-S) and it did the same as before (no post bleep etc). On both boards i reset cmos, then tried removing mobo battery etc when testing cpus. I cant determine if I have a CPU issue because I dont expect the duron to be compatible etc. I removed the CPU completely hoping that i would achieve some kind of error bleep but I got the same reaction as if the CPU was in.

So i've pretty much pinned it down to the mobo or CPU but i cant take my testing any further without some suggestions or new hardware. I dont wanna buy a new mobo and then find out its the cpu because i'm not looking to upgrade my whole system yet. I just wanna get the same gen if its just the mobo or just the cpu that needs replacing. If both are shot then i'll look at upgrading the lot but there goes my plans for a new car.

Any help appreciated

WJA96 · 9 Mar 2006 at 10:21

this might sound like heresy, but have you considered taking it to a computer shop? Let them diagnose the fault - they usually do it for free if you buy the new part from them. You will pay slightly over the odds for the new part, but you'll only be buying the bit you need.

damo' · 9 Mar 2006 at 10:24

hehe i see your point, they'll have a load of parts on hand so it could save in the long run.

ted34 · 9 Mar 2006 at 16:51

As far as i was aware computer shops charge a lot just to diagnose the problem. Make sure its free for the diagnostic first. It sounds like a motherboard problem. Do you know if the board you tried the cpu on does definitely work?

damo' · 9 Mar 2006 at 22:51

yeah the board i tried the cpu on does defo work cos i tested the duron on it too. I am taking my CPU to a friends 2mora so i can see if it works ok. Then i can pin it down to the mobo. I'm thinking its the mobo more and more. Ebay got some nice deals too

w3bbo · 10 Mar 2006 at 08:15

Sounds like a dead CPU to me. Same thing happened to me when I killed my opty 165. No post, no beeps but fans and motherboard LCD lit up np.

damo' · 10 Mar 2006 at 10:53

damn

Might of known it would be the more expensive of the two hehe. Hopefully my buddy can try it in her machine 2nite and then i'll let you know if you're right.

damo' · 16 Mar 2006 at 22:22

managed to test the CPU the other day. Its still working so i ordered a new mobo. It arrived today so i stuck it in and tested it. It worked! I closed up the case and put it back in its normal place and its doing exactly the same again!! arg!

I changed the power switch to the reset switch and it worked for a lil while but its stopped working again so i'm guessing its just coincidence. (i tried another switch too). Tried diff power cables, unplugging as much as poss etc to no avail. I think i am gonna RMA my 1month old Antec PSU because theres not much else it can be. Taking it into work 2moro to test another decent PSU. gaaaawd damn

marinecommando · 17 Mar 2006 at 10:32

I had a similar problem yesterday setting yp my new amd system. Fans started, hard drive spun but no post. In the end i realised that altough id plugged the 24pin atx powerinto my mobo i hadnt plugged the 4 pin processor power plug in. maybe thats the one that has gone?. Do you have an adapter that will let you use a differnet plug to power the cpu maybe?

Soul Rider · 17 Mar 2006 at 15:01

damo' said:
I tried the CPU (2800+ barton) on my old kt7a but it didnt work (i'm guessing the two probably arent compatible anyway).

marinecommando said:
In the end i realised that altough id plugged the 24pin atx powerinto my mobo i hadnt plugged the 4 pin processor power plug in. maybe thats the one that has gone?.

Wrong processor. The 2800+ Bartons are 32-bit XP processors and don't have the extra power socket. That's only on the new A64 939 chips.