Bad PC (CPU?) - No boot, no beep, pls help!

[Mista Fadedglory]

OK, so here's the situation:

I left for work on saturday with the computer running, came home and
there was just the orange light on the monitor (novideo light). The PC
was still running, but I was getting nothing.

the Motherboard LED is on, the fans are spinning, but no drives are
powering up (not even floppy). I get nothing on the screen.

I have a good PC shop, so they have let me put in the old CPU into a
new mobo. Same problem...

I added new RAM and even ran it without RAM, but got no beeps and no
fix.

New vid card, still no workie.

I have basically switched everything to new except for the CPU. Since
I have tried the "old" CPU in multiple mobos to no avail, do you guys
think that it's a pretty good bet that it's the CPU? Can the CPU
damage subsequent mobos if it's faulty? Anyone have a similar
situation?

thanks in advance,

mfg

 

[Mike T.]

OK, so here's the situation:

I left for work on saturday with the computer running, came home and
there was just the orange light on the monitor (novideo light). The PC
was still running, but I was getting nothing.

the Motherboard LED is on, the fans are spinning, but no drives are
powering up (not even floppy). I get nothing on the screen.

I have a good PC shop, so they have let me put in the old CPU into a
new mobo. Same problem...

Ok, so what's the question, if you already know the answer?

FWIW, CPUs almost never go bad unless acted on by other bad components. As
a minimum, I would suggest replacing the power supply and CPU. -Dave

 

[Bob M]

OK, so here's the situation:

I left for work on saturday with the computer running, came home and
there was just the orange light on the monitor (novideo light). The PC
was still running, but I was getting nothing.

the Motherboard LED is on, the fans are spinning, but no drives are
powering up (not even floppy). I get nothing on the screen.

I have a good PC shop, so they have let me put in the old CPU into a
new mobo. Same problem...

I added new RAM and even ran it without RAM, but got no beeps and no
fix.

New vid card, still no workie.

I have basically switched everything to new except for the CPU. Since
I have tried the "old" CPU in multiple mobos to no avail, do you guys
think that it's a pretty good bet that it's the CPU? Can the CPU
damage subsequent mobos if it's faulty? Anyone have a similar
situation?

thanks in advance,

mfg

Bad caps on the motherboard or a bad PSU.

Bob

 

[Rod Speed]

I left for work on saturday with the computer running, came home
and there was just the orange light on the monitor (novideo light).

Presumaby that last means that the monitor led is orange
but there is nothing on the monitor itself, no image.

The PC was still running, but I was getting nothing.

the Motherboard LED is on, the fans are spinning,
Fine.

but no drives are powering up (not even floppy).

Not clear what that bit means. Presumably you mean that
you get no activity on the leds when you try to do something.
The hard drives should be spinning if the fans are, the floppy
wont spin when its not in use.

I get nothing on the screen.

I have a good PC shop, so they have let me put in
the old CPU into a new mobo. Same problem...

Its very uncommon to have a cpu failure, unless its been run without
a working heatsink/fan etc or grossly abused by overclocking.

I added new RAM and even ran it without RAM, but got no beeps and no fix.

New vid card, still no workie.

I have basically switched everything to new except for the CPU.

No you havent, you havent tried a new power supply or motherboard.

Since I have tried the "old" CPU in multiple mobos to no avail,

Was that tried using the same power supply ? If so, try a new one.

do you guys think that it's a pretty good bet that it's the CPU?

Like I said, they dont usually die.

Can the CPU damage subsequent mobos if it's faulty?
Nope.

Anyone have a similar situation?

Yes, power supplys can fail like that.

So can motherboards.

 

[Mista Fadedglory]

Presumaby that last means that the monitor led is orange
but there is nothing on the monitor itself, no image.



Not clear what that bit means. Presumably you mean that
you get no activity on the leds when you try to do something.
The hard drives should be spinning if the fans are, the floppy
wont spin when its not in use.



Its very uncommon to have a cpu failure, unless its been run without
a working heatsink/fan etc or grossly abused by overclocking.




No you havent, you havent tried a new power supply or motherboard.


Was that tried using the same power supply ? If so, try a new one.


Like I said, they dont usually die.


Yes, power supplys can fail like that.

So can motherboards.

OK, so I was incomplete, sorry. I also have installed a new 500W PSU,
and have the same issue. So, new mobo, new PSU, same old CPU, still no
problem. I'm suspecting the HDD and floppies aren't lit becasue none
of their lights are working and I hear no movement.

 

[JAD]

OK, so I was incomplete, sorry. I also have installed a new 500W PSU,
and have the same issue. So, new mobo, new PSU, same old CPU, still no
problem.

problem solved? ; ) seems somehow you killed the CPU. OC'd?

I'm suspecting the HDD and floppies aren't lit becasue none

 

[Mista Fadedglory]

problem solved? ; ) seems somehow you killed the CPU. OC'd?

I'm suspecting the HDD and floppies aren't lit becasue none

whoops i meant that it still is a problem.

No, not OC'd. it's configured right out of the box. ASUS A8V SLI
Deluxe, AMD 3000+. I have another CPU coming on order tomorrow, so I'm
hoping that's it. For God's sake, the rest of the computer is freaking
brand new at this point.

I guess the case could be grounding it or something, but i haven't
touched the case in months and it had run fine.

I appreciate the help guys and anything else you can provide.

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

OK, so I was incomplete, sorry. I also have installed
a new 500W PSU, and have the same issue.
Fine.

So, new mobo, new PSU, same old CPU, still no problem.

Presumably you mean still no fix.

I'm suspecting the HDD and floppies aren't
lit becasue none of their lights are working
Unlikely.

and I hear no movement.

Doesnt prove anything much except that the system isnt booting.

Your post is now so confused its not at all clear what works and what doesnt.

 

[Rod Speed]

JAD wrote

whoops i meant that it still is a problem.

No, not OC'd. it's configured right out of the box. ASUS A8V SLI Deluxe, AMD
3000+. I have another CPU coming on order tomorrow, so I'm hoping that's it.

Its possible, particulary if the heatsink wasnt installed properly.

For God's sake, the rest of the computer is freaking brand new at this point.

OK, you should have said that earlier because it makes a difference to the possibilitys.

I guess the case could be grounding it or something,

Yeah, thats certainly possible initially but unlikely with a new motherboard.

but i haven't touched the case in months and it had run fine.

That isnt that uncommon with a short to case.

I appreciate the help guys and anything else you can provide.

Dont forget to say what happens with the new cpu, tho its
unlikely you wont say anything if it makes no difference |-(

 

[Michael Hawes]

Presumably you mean still no fix.


Doesnt prove anything much except that the system isnt booting.

Your post is now so confused its not at all clear what works and what
doesnt.

To test, you only need PSU, motherboard & PSU. Disconnect EVERYTHING
else. System should give No Memory and video error codes. If no beeps, one
or more of those 3 is duff! If beeps, add memory and test again, then add
video card etc....
Mike.

 

[Tomcat (Tom)]

Dont forget to say what happens with the new cpu, tho its
unlikely you wont say anything if it makes no difference |-(

I'm glad you mentioned this. So many times a topic goes on forever
trying to fix a problem, and then you never get to hear what ultimately
resolved the problem because the person never reports back on what the
final solution was.

 

[Mista Fadedglory]

Its possible, particulary if the heatsink wasnt installed properly.


OK, you should have said that earlier because it makes a difference to the possibilitys.


Yeah, thats certainly possible initially but unlikely with a new motherboard.


That isnt that uncommon with a short to case.


Dont forget to say what happens with the new cpu, tho its
unlikely you wont say anything if it makes no difference |-(

Sorry to have been so convoluted, I do really appreciate your help
though.

So, basically, i'm running:

- a new motherboard
- a new PSU
- old case
- old CPU.

That's it!

I'm still getting the same results as before (fans whirring, no
beeping, no response from any of the drives and no booting). I
stripped everything out except for those four things. Even removed the
RAM.

As I say i have a new CPU coming tomorrow, but I don't know if it's
foolish to hope that's it or not...

So, here are my questions now:

1. When the button is pushed to turn the computer on, what is hit
first in the POST, the mobo BIOS/CMOS, or the CPU brain giving
instructions?

2. How would i check to see if there is a short or grounding issue?
I'm not an electronics guy, is that something that can be easily fixed?
Ive built a number of PCs and have never had a shorting problem...

thanks

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

I'm glad you mentioned this. So many times a topic goes
on forever trying to fix a problem, and then you never get
to hear what ultimately resolved the problem because the
person never reports back on what the final solution was.

Yeah, particularly when its a less common situation than is usually seen
like in this case the real possibility that its actually an unusual cpu failure.

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

Sorry to have been so convoluted, I do really appreciate your help though.

No problem, it isnt always that easy to keep the story clear thru lots of changes.

So, basically, i'm running:

- a new motherboard
- a new PSU
- old case
- old CPU.

That's it!

I'd certainly be trying a new cpu now myself, tho I would have
tried the motherboard loose on the desktop first to eliminate the
small possibility of a short to case with two different motherboards.

I'm still getting the same results as before (fans whirring, no
beeping, no response from any of the drives and no booting).

OK, thats nice and clear now too.

I stripped everything out except for those four things.
Even removed the RAM.

As I say i have a new CPU coming tomorrow,
but I don't know if it's foolish to hope that's it or not...

It'll certainly be interesting if a new cpu doesnt fix it.

So, here are my questions now:

1. When the button is pushed to turn the computer on, what is hit first in
the POST, the mobo BIOS/CMOS, or the CPU brain giving instructions?

First the motherboard tells the power supply to start, and
waits for a power good signal from the power supply to say
that the rails are all above the specified minimum voltages.

Then the cpu attempts to start running the bios, to run the POST.
It looks like the cpu isnt running at all for some reason.

2. How would i check to see if there is a short or grounding issue?

Run the motherboard loose on the desktop with the speaker connected
if it doesnt have an onboard piezo for a speaker. No need to have anything
plugged into that except the cpu, to see if it will even beep, complaining
about the lack of ram. Not all systems will beep with no ram so if you
get no beeps with no ram, try with ram too.

I'm not an electronics guy, is that something that can be easily fixed?

Yes, its usually a metal stud used to mount the motherboard into the
case shorting on a pcb trace where the head of the stud touches the
motherboard. You can get that effect you got, with the system working
fine for a while and then shorting later, because it can take a while for
the stud to cut thru the insulation of the trace thats shorting.

Not likely now that you have new motherboard, but possible if you
have screwed that stud screw down a bit tighter the second time
with the new motherboard so its shorted quicker than the first one did.

Ive built a number of PCs and have never had a shorting problem...

Yeah, most motherboards have a decent metal land around the mounting
hole thats meant to make good contact with the top of a metal stud when
you screw the motherboard onto the mounting studs. A few arent as well
designed and dont like metal mounting studs at all mounting holes.

I prefer to use all metal mounting studs and no plastic standoffs myself
but not all motherboards are designed for that type of mounting.

 

[Mike T.]

So, basically, i'm running:

- a new motherboard
- a new PSU
- old case
- old CPU.

That's it!

I'm still getting the same results as before (fans whirring, no
beeping, no response from any of the drives and no booting). I
stripped everything out except for those four things. Even removed the
RAM.

As I say i have a new CPU coming tomorrow, but I don't know if it's
foolish to hope that's it or not...

So, here are my questions now:

1. When the button is pushed to turn the computer on, what is hit
first in the POST, the mobo BIOS/CMOS, or the CPU brain giving
instructions?

None of the above. The mainboard passes through a signal to the power
supply to turn on. The power supply turns on, and sends power OK to
mainboard. When Power OK is received, CPU should turn on and try to run
POST, which is a program stored in mainboard BIOS. If you are not getting
any error beeps from the mainboard, that means that either the CPU is not
running POST, or it never received Power OK from the power supply. Given
your other symptoms, and the fact that PSU and mainboard are new, you are
probably looking at a defective CPU.

2. How would i check to see if there is a short or grounding issue?
I'm not an electronics guy, is that something that can be easily fixed?
Ive built a number of PCs and have never had a shorting problem...

thanks

The easiest way would be before the mainboard is installed. Make sure that
there is a standoff to match each mounting hole in the mainboard AND NO
EXTRAS. -Dave

 

[Mista Fadedglory]

None of the above. The mainboard passes through a signal to the power
supply to turn on. The power supply turns on, and sends power OK to
mainboard. When Power OK is received, CPU should turn on and try to run
POST, which is a program stored in mainboard BIOS. If you are not getting
any error beeps from the mainboard, that means that either the CPU is not
running POST, or it never received Power OK from the power supply. Given
your other symptoms, and the fact that PSU and mainboard are new, you are
probably looking at a defective CPU.


The easiest way would be before the mainboard is installed. Make sure that
there is a standoff to match each mounting hole in the mainboard AND NO
EXTRAS. -Dave

You guys are great. Should hopefully have a solution soon today. By
the way, if there is a short between case and board, does that destroy
the board?

 

[Mike T.]

"> You guys are great. Should hopefully have a solution soon today. By

the way, if there is a short between case and board, does that destroy
the board?

It could, easily

 

[JAD]

You guys are great. Should hopefully have a solution soon today. By
the way, if there is a short between case and board, does that destroy
the board?

if this were a brand new build i would suspect a short (case to board)
however its been running for some time and the odds of it being a short
'now' is slim. Not that it can't happen but unless you were mucking around
inside, I don't see how it could manifest itself now.

 

[Mista Fadedglory]

if this were a brand new build i would suspect a short (case to board)
however its been running for some time and the odds of it being a short
'now' is slim. Not that it can't happen but unless you were mucking around
inside, I don't see how it could manifest itself now.

Yeah, this system was built in June and has had no problems up to now.
I would think that if there was a short, I wouldn't get fans running,
etc, I thought that the mobo would just be dead...

 

[JAD]

Yeah, this system was built in June and has had no problems up to now.
I would think that if there was a short, I wouldn't get fans running,
etc, I thought that the mobo would just be dead...

a short can be pretty unpredictable as far as its symptoms and what it
destroys (or the lack of distruction)