Testing if mob is damaged or the cpu

[lawrence281]

So a while ago, when I tried to boot a new build up, around the cpu socket, I smelt a bit of smoke, and it didnt boot. But like 3 of the spikes on the socket where you place the cpu weren't entirely alligned, but I think it should still have contact.

Is there a way to test if the motherboard is faulty, or the cpu? The cpu was a cheap £50 one i got, mainly for browsing and typing for my mothers build.

I would try the cpu on my build, but i've got a liquid cooler installed, and it's tedious to take it apart and then reapply paste etc.

 

[FloppyPoppy]

The pins need to be aligned perfectly boss, you can straighten them out. There are a lot of videos demonstrating doing this.

 

[FatRakoon]

Sometimes a quick basic test - And this by no means makes any real difference - is that if it powers on and when you hold the power switch, it powers off after a few seconds...
If that happend, then the motherboard is not entirely dead... It does at least try to POST.

That often means that the CPU is to blame.

Again, not gospel, but it has been a rule of thumb that I have gone by and every time bar a couple, that this has happened, replacing the CPU has reulted in a working setup again.

The times when it did NOT result in the CPU, was when I double-checked the Mobo very very closely, I found a track that was blacked out and a simple ( simple? - listen to me FFS ) but tracing the start and end of a burned track, and soldering a tiny wire, has resulted in the board living again.

I have had to also replace a resistor, diode of capacitor here and there for various reasons, but there has NEVER been a time, when I have not been able to recover dead motherboard, from a part that has fried.

All it takes is patience.

You did however say that a few pins were not aligned and its a possibility then, that there was some power going through them for them to release the smoke pixies and if those have gone, they wont be coming back. Possibly its time to renew the CPU with all new fresh pixies in it.