Dead Mobo or PSU?

[Blitzkev]

This is a very long story, but after hours of trying to fix and
searching forums, I've decided to ask you guys so please try and
help

1 year ago I built my own computer, worked fine until about this
august, it started to freeze randomly and crash, I figured it was my
processor overheating since speedfan showed it running really hot. I
cleared out a bunch of dust and decided to buy a new heatsink and PSU
fan, and a new case. While I was at it I bought a new video card
because mine was outdated. The video card and case arrived, and I
began to transplant my mobo to the new case. Everything seemed to be
going well, I did lose one insulator washer, so I didn't screw one
screw into the motherboard just to be safe. The first power up didn't
do anything, but I soon found the problem and fixed it, and it booted
up like normal. After about 2-3 minutes of starting vista, while it
was searching for a new driver to the new 8600 GTS, the computer shut
itself down, after turning the screen white. The only thing left was
my mobo led, lit up green. So I turned the PSU off and then back on,
and this time the computer froze while it was loading the bios and
shut itself off again. I was afraid I might have installed the
heatsink on the CPU incorrectly, but I wanted to make sure, and waited
for everything to cool down and turned the PSU on once again. This
time I made it all the way into vista and turned on speedfan to check
the temperatures, it was reading 20 C and 34 C on my two CPU cores
(Pentium D 2.8ghz) but my video card was running at 70 C. I thought
maybe that was causing the system to shut down (made sense with the
screen freezing) and I looked online for answers. I found some sites
that told me to download the newest vista driver, and I managed to
download and install that driver while the system was still shutting
itself off intermittently. After I got the driver installed it seemed
to be working normally, it was going for about 25 minutes without
shutting off, and many tests were showing everything working
correctly. I tried listening to some music but found there was no
sound coming out of the speakers (I use my onboard sound)or my
headphone jack on my case, so I installed a new driver for the onboard
sound. When I restarted my computer, it blue screened loading vista
(IRQL_NOT_LESS_THEN_OR_EQUAL error) and then the next time I tried
starting my computer, everything spun like normal, all fans worked, HD
was spinning, GPU fan was spinning, DVD tray opened and closed, and
the MoBo light was green, but nothing showed up on the screen. My
motherboard wasn't even going through post anymore. I tried my old
video card in both slots, I tried different hard drives, and switching
my ram into the other two slots, I cleared my RTC ram cache, and
nothing could get the bios to show up on my monitor. I went to sleep
after working on it for many hours. This morning the condition hadn't
improved, so I removed my battery and then replaced it. The next time
I powered on my PSU nothing seemed to work, no fans spin at all, HD
doesn't spin when connected. The only thing that has life is my
Motherboards green LED.

I'm not sure what could have caused all this, but I think it's between
the motherboard and PSU. Possibly the CPU.

Thanks in advance.

 

[JAD]

This is a very long story, but after hours of trying to fix and
searching forums, I've decided to ask you guys so please try and
help

1 year ago I built my own computer, worked fine until about this
august, it started to freeze randomly and crash, I figured it was my
processor overheating since speedfan showed it running really hot. I
cleared out a bunch of dust and decided to buy a new heatsink and PSU
fan, and a new case. While I was at it I bought a new video card
because mine was outdated. The video card and case arrived, and I
began to transplant my mobo to the new case. Everything seemed to be
going well, I did lose one insulator washer, so I didn't screw one
screw into the motherboard just to be safe. The first power up didn't
do anything, but I soon found the problem and fixed it, and it booted
up like normal. After about 2-3 minutes of starting vista, while it
was searching for a new driver to the new 8600 GTS, the computer shut
itself down, after turning the screen white. The only thing left was
my mobo led, lit up green. So I turned the PSU off and then back on,
and this time the computer froze while it was loading the bios and
shut itself off again. I was afraid I might have installed the
heatsink on the CPU incorrectly, but I wanted to make sure, and waited
for everything to cool down and turned the PSU on once again. This
time I made it all the way into vista and turned on speedfan to check
the temperatures, it was reading 20 C and 34 C on my two CPU cores
(Pentium D 2.8ghz) but my video card was running at 70 C. I thought
maybe that was causing the system to shut down (made sense with the
screen freezing) and I looked online for answers. I found some sites
that told me to download the newest vista driver, and I managed to
download and install that driver while the system was still shutting
itself off intermittently. After I got the driver installed it seemed
to be working normally, it was going for about 25 minutes without
shutting off, and many tests were showing everything working
correctly. I tried listening to some music but found there was no
sound coming out of the speakers (I use my onboard sound)or my
headphone jack on my case, so I installed a new driver for the onboard
sound. When I restarted my computer, it blue screened loading vista
(IRQL_NOT_LESS_THEN_OR_EQUAL error) and then the next time I tried
starting my computer, everything spun like normal, all fans worked, HD
was spinning, GPU fan was spinning, DVD tray opened and closed, and
the MoBo light was green, but nothing showed up on the screen. My
motherboard wasn't even going through post anymore. I tried my old
video card in both slots, I tried different hard drives, and switching
my ram into the other two slots, I cleared my RTC ram cache, and
nothing could get the bios to show up on my monitor. I went to sleep
after working on it for many hours. This morning the condition hadn't
improved, so I removed my battery and then replaced it. The next time
I powered on my PSU nothing seemed to work, no fans spin at all, HD
doesn't spin when connected. The only thing that has life is my
Motherboards green LED.

I'm not sure what could have caused all this, but I think it's between
the motherboard and PSU. Possibly the CPU.

Thanks in advance.

What PSU is in there?
(IRQL_NOT_LESS_THEN_OR_EQUAL error- this points to hardware conflict at the bios level
reset configuration (ESCD)data in the bios
and/or reset the CMOS

 

[Blitzkev]

What PSU is in there?
(IRQL_NOT_LESS_THEN_OR_EQUAL error- this points to hardware conflict at the bios level
reset configuration (ESCD)data in the bios
and/or reset the CMOS

I have a 600W Xfinity ATX model ULT-XF600

I would mess around with the BIOS but I can't even get to it, nothing
spins, my mobo wont even post.

 

[JAD]

I have a 600W Xfinity ATX model ULT-XF600

I would mess around with the BIOS but I can't even get to it, nothing
spins, my mobo wont even post.

reset the CMOS via the removal of the battery or the jumper

 

[Blitzkev]

reset the CMOS via the removal of the battery or the jumper

Yeah I already did that, but in my motherboard it's called resetting
the RTC ram cache.

 

[w_tom]

I'm not sure what could have caused all this, but I think it's between
the motherboard and PSU. Possibly the CPU.

Add keyboard, any USB device, etc. IOW after all that text, there
is little useful to make a decision. As in CSI - "follow the
evidence". Your list of suspects comes only from speculation.

Start by confirming integrity of the more usual suspects. First is
the power supply 'system'. Note the word 'system'. Power supply is
only one component. To get facts, see "When your computer dies
without warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup
alt.windows-xp at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh
If you want replies from those who even built this stuff, your post
must provide those numbers.

Most important in your case are, first, voltages on the red, orange,
yellow, and purple wires in those two seconds when the system does
start to boot. Also useful are what happens on the green and gray
wire as power switch is pressed and what happens on those wires just
before and just after computer shuts down.

If the power supply 'system' is first not established as
"definitively good", then every other task will only be a maybe
conclusion. Currently everything in the power supply 'system' is
"unknown".

Based upon what I read, that power supply system could have had a
defect even six months ago. Yes, completely defective components in a
power supply system can still boot a computer and then get even worse
over the years. Fans can spin; LEDs light; and still something in the
power supply system can be completely defective. Multiple reasons why
those numbers are so necessary; and to solve the problem in minutes.

 

[JAD]

Yeah I already did that, but in my motherboard it's called resetting
the RTC ram cache.

What are the specs of this rig? mainboard etc.

The PSU just gets an 'ok' rating but has been shown to be substandard on the 12v rail
under a 50w load

 

[Blitzkev]

What are the specs of this rig? mainboard etc.

The PSU just gets an 'ok' rating but has been shown to be substandard on the 12v rail
under a 50w load

Asus p5n32-sli deluxe mobo
2gb patriot ddram 667
8600 gts + 6800 gt (xfx)
two HD's:
-- 250 gb WD
-- 320 gb seagate both use sata power and data cables
pentium D 2.8ghz


I'm going to try and test my PSU/ CPU ?ram etc in someone else's compy
soon

fairly sure it is just the mobo.

 

[Blitzkev]

Ok, after taking my PSU, my ram and my graphics cards to a friends, I
have determined that it is either my motherboard or my PSU. Since I
can get my motherboard replaced/fixed for free, I'll send it in, and
then I'll try my CPU in someone else's computer. I was planning on
buying a new one soon anyway. Thanks for all the help.

 

[w_tom]

Ok, after taking my PSU, my ram and my graphics cards to a friends, I
have determined that it is either my motherboard or my PSU.

Was not possible to have achieved that conclusion based in logic.
That conclusion is only speculation. Your conclusion is based only on
wild speculation and completely ignores how reality works as defined
in that other post. Had you followed that advice, then the defective
part was identified long ago with about 2 minutes of labor. With all
that part swapping, you may have also created more damage or
complicated the problem. The answer was possible without
disconnecting a single cable.

You have assumed that a shotgun test will discover something as
either good or bad. Due to ternary logic; a third condition called
unknown exists. It is why a 100% defective supply can still boot
another system. Your test at a friend's house reported so little
useful information and still leaves nothing but speculation "it might
be this or might be that".

Is that PSU substandard on 12 volts? Again, that two minute
procedure would have also said so without doubt; absolutely no
speculation.