Dead PC - poss Mobo issue?

Hi all,

I replaced my Gigabyte X38 motherboard in December last year after having a run of problems with my computer turning on and off constantly. (Turns out it may have been the memory)

Now, the replacement motherboard, an ASROCK P43DE, seems to have died as well. I thought it may be the memory again (Corsair 2GB sticks) but when I took the memory out, it still just turned on the fans (at full chat too!) but didn't beep cos of no memory. (Bizarrely, I turned it on for the hell of it this morning, and it gave me the memory missing beeps from POST!)

So, to summarise, the machine didn't turn on (apart from the fans) with and without memory installed, yet this morning, it beeped at me due to no memory.

Any ideas what could be causing this? Should I try my old X38 mobo in it's place? I really can't afford to buy a new motherboard again.

TIA

Andy

Can you post the full spec (including PSU) please and if it is set to stock speeds?

Intel Core 2 Quad 6600
Innovision 8800GTS 512MB
4xSATA HDD
2xoptical drives
4GB Corsair memory (XMMS I think, it has gold heat spreaders anyway).
Noctua NH-U12P HSF
525W Enermax Pro 82+ PSU (new in December)
ASROCK P43DE mobo, also new in December.

Thanks

Andy

If you can get it running with the memory, try testing it with http://www.memtest.org/

If not, suggest you find some other memory which will help eliminate the memory from the equation. Are your memory voltages set in the BIOS, and can you get to the BIOS with the memory? If so, it might be worth loading the failsafe BIOS (if offered) to see if that works.

I can't even get to the BIOS when it doesn't turn on. I'll see if I have time to work on it tonight. Luckily, I backed it up this weekend, so I shouldn't have lost too much data if it has gone T's up.

Everything is set at stock values, I've not messed with it at all. I am definately thinking it is the mobo, not the memory. When the memory failed last time, the system would boot up for a few seconds and then die, repeatedly. It wasn't until I reduced the memory on the system from 8GB to 4GB that it worked, leading me to assume that it was a memory problem.

Andy

Hmm.

You really need to suss out the memory. Know anyone that can try your memory or do a temporary swap for testing? Other things I'm guessing at (in hope) would be the CMOS battery. Generally things either work or they don't. Intermittant problems tend to be due to (but are not limited to) removable parts.

It might even be a power issue, but the odds are less if that's a new part too. A bare bones power up might yield a result.

Perhaps give the memory contacts a wipe with an isopropyl swab and try alternating the sticks in the various options. First swap them. If no joy, try them in the alternate slots (see your manual). Failing that, swap them in the alternate slots. That will at least remove the RAM slots from the equation.

If the memory is one of the common parts between the two failed mobos, it's the more likely suspect.

Well, it does indeed look like this memory may be faulty. I put the memory back in and the system didn't POST, it just spun the fans.

I'll be doing more investigation tonight, but I think it may be the memory not the mobo.

Any recommendations for 2GB DDR2 sticks around (I was thinking about getting 4GB sticks, but they're horrendously expensive).

Andy

Perhaps?

I've used Orca Logic on a number of occasions and have never had a problem. 2Gb DDR2 800 are £26.99 here.

I have found Crucial to be good as well as Corsair

I made a mistake, it wasn't Corsair, it was OCZ 6400 stuff. I've just tried booting with 4GB, 2GB and 0GB and there was no change.

I really need to get my old mobo out of the loft and try that.

I'll let you know what happens when I replace the memory and/or mobo.

Thanks for the tips on the memory. I had seen 4GB sticks on the crucial web site. Very expensive. I'll have to shop around, but I do like Ebuyer.

Thanks guys.

Andy

Had a problem like that with a new computer a few weeks back. someone else got the bits and I put them together, but when I switched it on, all I got was the cPU fan spinning and that was it.

I also took memory out and had no bleep either.

so it was either CPU or Board, i swapped the CPU over with one I had here and still no go, their CPU worked in my old board.

they sent the board, memory and CPU back as it was a bundle, but I have not heard anything since and I still got the case and power supply over here, I must get in touch to see what they are doing.

Well, I was partly successful with replacing the old (Gigabyte) mobo back into the case. Everything seemed to be okay, but when I powered it on, it POSTed fine, then went into the Intel Storage Manager screen to detect the SATA drives, and hang while trying to detect my 320GB Samsung F1 drive on SATA-2 (the numbers stop at 23 after detecting my two 200GB drives).

I suspect the intel controller chip is either damaged (it has been in the loft for the last 8 months) or the HDD has failed. I'll be trying to boot with just the 200GB OS disk in place tonight.

I'm going to RMA the ASROCK board because it is less than 12 months old. We'll see if they've still got any in stock...

Andy

I've experienced something similar before, it was really strange because I was repairing a computer with the same reported fault. When I got the computer it was working fine, but when I returned it to the customer it wouldn't boot or just hung in post. In the end it turned out to be a faulty usb keyboard as I was only testing the tower with my ps2 keyboard the first time.

@zyborg, sounds like you didnt plug the 4pin 12V cable in.

Well, got it fixed and working by unplugging the 320GB drive. Looks like it's dead. I changed the port and changed the cable, no change. Unplugged it completely and the computer is working again.

Oh well, new hard drive here I come.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

Andy

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

I've experienced something similar before, it was really strange because I was repairing a computer with the same reported fault. When I got the computer it was working fine, but when I returned it to the customer it wouldn't boot or just hung in post. In the end it turned out to be a faulty usb keyboard as I was only testing the tower with my ps2 keyboard the first time.

@zyborg, sounds like you didnt plug the 4pin 12V cable in.

Oh it was certainly plugged in.

i have done that before now and at first thought that what it might have been. i tried two power supplies so I would certainly plug it in at some point.

the strange thing was it worked for about five mins here, but when i switched it off and tunred it back on again I had no luck.


Maybe it was a 12volt fault, but on the board.

Still not heard from the people if they have got the bits back or not, still got case and PSU here, so I will have to send them a text.

In reply to a post by Shielder:

Well, got it fixed and working by unplugging the 320GB drive. Looks like it's dead. I changed the port and changed the cable, no change. Unplugged it completely and the computer is working again.

Oh well, new hard drive here I come.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

Andy

I am glad you found out the fault, nothing worse than having a problem and not knowing what it is.

Fault wth my computer crashing was my Seagate momentus XT drive, a hybrid drive, 2.5inch 500Gb drive with 4Gb of memory bolted on. Flipping thing kept going to sleep and the computer kept tripping up.

I Solved the problem by putting a jumper to lower the speed to Sata 1 instead of sata 2. even a firmware update did not help, not impressed with Seagate. Never buy another Seagate drive and this time i mean it.


i certainly solved the problem now, I received yesterday a 120Gb Sata 3Corsair SSD, the seagate is now back to Sata2 and is being used as a data drive.