PC not working after house move (gfx card related?)

Paul_Canning

Paul_Canning

Paul_Canning

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Ok, little bit of info to help set the scene.

Moved house very recently, PC was working fine just before the move. Few days after being in the new house, I set up the PC and it failed to boot (CPU fan kicks in, PSU works, no video output on monitor)

Looked inside the case and discovered the fan on the GFX card was not spinning.

I have removed everything bar the GFX card, RAM and CPU and still not luck. Oddily though, I can see the fan twitch as I turn the machine on, but it never actually spins.

I tried an older PSU (admittably a 20pin, not 24 pin) same deal though, tiny twitch on the GFX fan, but no luck

Now, I can not see any burn damage on the GFX card (that said, this card replaced a card that also suddenly died with no visible damage) and whilst the fan isnt spinning, I am in two minds as to what the problme is: is it a borked GFX card, or could there be some minute damage on the motherboard meaning that no power is reaching the card?

Any ways to test this? (Sadly I do not have a second pci-e card or compatible motherboard to test with :( )

Hope someone can shed some light on this, no matter how small.

Paul
 
Try reseating the gfx card and ensure that the fan connector is correctly plugged in to the relevant plug. And obviously make sure that nothing is obstructing the fan.

I think that for the most part even if were just the fan that was gone there would still be some sort of display on your screen.

If you manage to get a display by reseating and are sure that the fan is broken you could always go for 3rd party cooling.
 
MY bad, I forgot to mention a few things:

No on-board video to test
GFX card fan is plugged into the card itself and draws power form the motherboard

I have reseated the card several times, and tried both DVI connections, but to no avail.

That slight fan twitch makes me curious though. It suggests power is reaching it, but for some reason the fan will not spin. In any case, I get zero output on my monitor :(
 
Will try CMOS now. Sadly no secondary PCI-E.

I just need a way to find out whats defective - GFX card or MOBO. Uber fustrating.

EDIT - What is also confusing me is there are no beep codes at all. Looking on google this means it could be a system board (motherboard?) problem... Bummer
 
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You could try to induce beep codes from the mobo to see if the mobo is b0rked. Take out the gpu and all of the ram and if I'm correct when you turn it on the mobo it SHOULD beep like a mofo :p

EDIT: that's assuming you have a pc speaker (not typical speakers per se but a small one just for system codes that's housed in the case. My last two cases didn't come with one so I don't get beep codes.)
 
Just leaving the button battery out for 10 mins.

However, interestingly, with no GFX card or RAM, or even CPU attached to the mobo, there are ZERO beeps. I even plugged the speaker in both ways (not that it should make a difference, correct me if im wrong)

Is it safe to assume my mobo is the defective part?
 
Did you try it without memory first before taking out the CPU? As this is a more definitive test - lack of everything may confuse it.
 
Plec said:
Did you try it without memory first before taking out the CPU? As this is a more definitive test - lack of everything may confuse it.
Click to expand...

I remember on an old build of mine the (P4 skt 478) the cpu had popped out and whenever the pc was connected to the mains it wd just power up on its own (bypassing the power button). It also made a helluva racket via mobo beeps and scared me ********.

I dunno if it applies to newer systems but on the ol Intel P4 compatible chipsets there were definitely beeps in the absence of a cpu :p

Back to the main topic though, it does give me the impression that the mobo is down :(
 
Yes, first I took out the RAM and GFX, so only the CPU was seated, no beeps. Removed CPU next, still no beeps.

About to replace CMOS battery incase that miraculously does anything
 
shoved the CMOS battery back in, tried with just the CPU seated in the mobo, nothing else, still no beeps.

Will try plugging in a different PC speaker just to double check.
 
killari said:
I dunno if it applies to newer systems but on the ol Intel P4 compatible chipsets there were definitely beeps in the absence of a cpu :p
Click to expand...

I agree totally in principle – but have been on a thread where the MB decided not to play ball with the CPU removed. (They are strange beasts after all.)


Paul_Canning said:
Yes, first I took out the RAM and GFX, so only the CPU was seated, no beeps. Removed CPU next, still no beeps.

About to replace CMOS battery incase that miraculously does anything
Click to expand...


Doesn’t look good but just in case your case speaker isn’t working…

These are long shots but worth trying as your PC worked fine before the move – so it may be house/third party related rather that the PC itself:

Have you considered that the plug socket in the new house may be flaky? If not it may be worth trying out a different socket.

Or have you had to use an extension lead for the PC in the new house because of lack of sockets? If you have - try plugging the PC directly into the wall socket.

Are there any other third party factors that you’ve had to introduce to the PC since moving?..
 
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I tried a different wall socket when the problem first arose.

I have also tried a different power cable.

Pretty sure I have eliminated all 3rd party issues like those you mentioned.

One thing I would mention, is that there was a small loose screw in the case and its been there some time. Now I doubt this would have caused the damage as it was lying on the bottom of the case and wouldnt be able to touch the motherboard, unless in transit it manage to bounce and hit the mobo and somehow cause partial damage that is causing these issues.

My next step is to try and see if the fan on the GFX card does indeed work but hot wiring it to a battery.

One small thing, not sure if it is relevant - I spotted one of those cylindrical shaped capacitors(or resistor, i know not which) had a slightly rounded top, when all others are flat and every so slightly concave in appearance. It also seems to be hot to the touch, with others being cool. Any relevancy?
 
Paul_Canning said:
One small thing, not sure if it is relevant - I spotted one of those cylindrical shaped capacitors(or resistor, i know not which) had a slightly rounded top, when all others are flat and every so slightly concave in appearance. It also seems to be hot to the touch, with others being cool. Any relevancy?
Click to expand...

It's a capacitor - and it probably is relevant given your symptoms. They should all be even/comparable in shape - can you see any residue at all?
 
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I cannot see any residue on the capacitor, but it is defineatly quite warm to the touch, even with the PSU plugged in at the mains, but not turned on.

Seems it may be the mobo to blame then. Although I hope my GFX card is ok, I reflowed it in the oven this morning, thinking it was to blame. I'm sure it'll be fine :)
 
Paul_Canning said:
Seems it may be the mobo to blame then. Although I hope my GFX card is ok, I reflowed it in the oven this morning, thinking it was to blame. I'm sure it'll be fine :)
Click to expand...

As you're savvy/nuts (take your pick ;)) enough to stick your gfx card in an oven to reflow solder joints - you've probably made the right call in blaming the MB. It certainly appears to be from your troubleshooting and is Killari's credit.

I've only read about reflow never had the need to risk it - although i have done the other extreme and chucked a failing HDD in the deep freeze (equally savvy/nuts) - and the drive engaged just long enough to get my most important data.

Good luck with it.
 
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