Is the Motherboard Fubar??

[-=CrAnSwIcK=-]

Hey, my girlfriend's computer kinda died the other day, and her parents asked me to have a look at it...so i brought my rig over to do some testing...the problem was that:It would not post, or even display anything, no beeps, nothing....It will power up, so i crossed off PSU(i even tested it on my PSU just for fun) nothing displays when you power on, it's not the video card, cause it worked on my motherboard...crossed off video card...then i ran her HD off my mobo, booted fine...now here's the trouble...her computer runs on SDRAM, where as i'm running DDR, so i couldn't test the ram, could the ram be the problem?? nothing showing up when you power on, is it possible that it's the CPU as well?? Or would it most likely be a fried motherboard?? also when i hooked my HD, which i know works, up to her motherboard, it didn't even sound like it was booting, or loading anything...

So correct me if i'm wrong, i mean i'm no expert, i'm still learning myself...as i've never had this problem myself, i'm not sure as to what the cause could be, but i have 3 thoughts...

1. motherboard's fubar

2. CPU is fried

3. bad memory

I'm not sure of the specs...cause it wouldn't start up, but by looking at it...i never took the HSF off the CPU but it appeard to be a socket 370...most likely celeron, as her computer isn't a high end rig by any means...maybe 700-800mhz....now i'm kicking myself now, cause i forget the mobo...but it was Epox somethin or other, VIA chipset...3 ram slots...iunno, but then there was a maxtor 20gig, geforce 2 somethin' AGP...some crappy PSU...and the ram was a single stick...i'm pretty sure she said it was 64mb

[Crax]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that it's either the mobo or psu... Maybe try hooking her mobo up to a different psu to cross that off the list too...? Otherwise it sounds like it's the mobo. I've never tried it, but I think you should at least get it to post if there's no ram at all? Like I said though, I've never tried that and have never heard otherwise. Heck, I'll even go so far as to say it could be the cpu. I dunno, maybe it's time for a new cpu/mobo combo :)

[-=CrAnSwIcK=-]

It will power up, so i crossed off PSU(i even tested it on my PSU just for fun)

I've never actually tried...so, it will POST without ram?? and has anyone ever tried it without a CPU...or is it still only down to the motherboard or CPU??

[Rudegar]

no it require psu, reset and power sw set, cpu, ram and video to post

[therealwesty]

You can usually POST a board without RAM. It won't pass POST or display anything on screen usually, just give you three beeps. If there is more than one piece of RAM than you can try them independantly. Have a close look at the motherboard to see if there are any swollen capacitors (the larger cyclinders) or visible corrosion on the PCB. If you see anything like that than the board is dead.

[Crax]

It will power up, so i crossed off PSU(i even tested it on my PSU just for fun)

Being able to power up doesn't necessarily mean the psu is just fine and dandy :p It may be quite fried but still allow you to power up, but that could be about it. Do as Westy suggested and test the ram individually if there is more than one. I'm still leaning towards the mobo/cpu on this one though.

[-=CrAnSwIcK=-]

I don't have any sdram...and there was only one stick in there...and i'll take a closer look at the mobo....

[C_Roc]

Great timing :( I have the Exact same problem this morning. CPU just died 10 mins after boot. Now I've changed psu,vc, hd & ram... all are good, BTW I don't have any beeping either when there is ram or is not installed. I'll post after I change the cpu.

[MD_Willington]

Visually inspect the mainboard for failed components, I have a IBM netvista S370 733, same symptoms, needed a couple new caps...recapped them and it's running linux just fine...

[Skorp]

You should be able to plug her RAM in your motherboard (QUIET, YOU AT THE BACK), as DDR is simply SDRAM minus one notch. You'd end up with a slow but perfectly stable system if the RAM is good, if not, thats the problem.

[Assimilator87]

You should be able to plug her RAM in your motherboard (QUIET, YOU AT THE BACK), as DDR is simply SDRAM minus one notch. You'd end up with a slow but perfectly stable system if the RAM is good, if not, thats the problem.

Dude, SDRAM is 168 pins and DDR-SDRAM is 184 pins so even if one could insert SDRAM into a DDR-SDRAM socket, which he can't because the notches don't line up, the contacts wouldn't match and it would probably fry the RAM or something.

Cranswick, try hooking up your PSU to her motherboard like someone suggested earlier. If it works then that means it's her PSU. If it doesn't work then you're down to motherboard, CPU, and memory.

[Zefram]

LOL, that is the first time i've heard someone asking to put SDRAM into DDR RAM.......... well, if it does fit, SDRAM requires 3.3V and DDR works at 2.5V.......... that alone will makes the slot or RAM fries.........

[Assimilator87]

Well someone posted a long time ago that some old lady was using an open CD-ROM drive as a cup holder so he's not alone in his antics ;)

[-=CrAnSwIcK=-]

Yeah, i did all that...tested everything, my PSU didn't work...i had it all laid out on a mobo bag, and everything, so i narrowed it down to dead mobo or CPU caused by PSU...

Since then, i found it weas infact the motherboard, and so we baqsically just chucked everything out, got a new CPU, PSU and Mobo, so now she's running an AMD K7 1.1ghz, with 256mb ram...she's still got the geforce 2 mx (eww)better than the pentium 3 800mhz and 128mb ram though, but i'll get her somethin pretty when i can afford it...maybe i'll give her my 9600 pro when i upgrade at christmas...

anyway, so it's all upgraded and running fine, put win xp on it and everything...so it's all good guys...thanks for the input...

[therealwesty]

Nice that everything is up an running. Depending on what she's doing with the PC the videocard might not matter. If she's not playing games that the gForce2 will work just fine.

[-=CrAnSwIcK=-]

she plays Soldier of Fortune 2 (yeah, it's sexy :o ) and goes on msn, and like surfs the net...so yeah it's great for her...