Mainboard Blown by Bad Shutdown

NickJones · 22-01-2008, 04:00 PM

Okay, this is really bugging me now - even out of the case, I can't get either the old or new motherboards to boot! At one point, the old one booted and gave a two-tone error sound (kind of like a Police car, twice) - sadly this error tone isn't listed among the POST beeps on Intel's web site.

The tests which I have done to date are: swap RAM, processor, power supply (by running two PCs side-by-side, stretching the wires from one case to the other), test the CPU and RAM in a different PC, remove the board from the case completely, turn it on then immediately remove the power switch jumpers. What test have I missed out? I will try pretty much anything now, however random it might seem!

Can someone please tell me what on God's green earth is wrong with this damn PC?!?!

chalkwellstu · 22-01-2008, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickJones

Okay, this is really bugging me now - even out of the case, I can't get either the old or new motherboards to boot! At one point, the old one booted and gave a two-tone error sound (kind of like a Police car, twice) - sadly this error tone isn't listed among the POST beeps on Intel's web site.

The tests which I have done to date are: swap RAM, processor, power supply (by running two PCs side-by-side, stretching the wires from one case to the other), test the CPU and RAM in a different PC, remove the board from the case completely, turn it on then immediately remove the power switch jumpers. What test have I missed out? I will try pretty much anything now, however random it might seem!

Can someone please tell me what on God's green earth is wrong with this damn PC?!?!

sounds like it's broke

seriously i've had this Nick and it turned out to be the power supply

changed it and all ok.

unclebunny · 22-01-2008, 07:04 PM

The siren beep sounds to me like a CPU temperature warning, so it may be worth making sure its properly seated, the fan's powered and the heat sink's secure.

My first thought was that the memory was shorting, but if you've tried both some old and new memory sticks in the board then that's not likely. You could try taking the RAM out completely and trying to at least cause memory beeps. If you get no beeps then its something serious on the board, if you do get beeps then its something to do with the RAM.

I'd say to strip the board down to the bare essentials, and use a known good power supply, processor and single RAM stick. If it still fails to even POST, just take off the components, find out which ones work, and chuck the board itself.

contink · 22-01-2008, 09:56 PM

In the past I've assumed it's the motherboard but I've since learned that even though the PSU may have appeared to have survived, one or more of the power rails has not gone without damage.

As a rule of thumb in something like this a PSU replacement is pretty much mandated otherwise you run the risk of blowing yet another board with bad power.

That said, sounds like you've already gone that route and at a guess the fact that the PSU survived enough is an indicator that it passed on a lot of damage to the other components from RAM on down to HD and motherboard.. I'd ditch it and start over.

NickJones · 23-01-2008, 08:58 AM

@unclebenny - CPU temperature is possible, as the CPU fan wasn't seated correctly but that wouldn't kick in the very second I turn it on, would it? Surely it would take it a little while to get hot enough for it to be a problem??

@contink - sadly, I think you're right. I'm wondering if the PSU is damaged but still able to supply enough power to turn on, and I've gone and stuffed board no.2 as well....

rhyds · 23-01-2008, 09:01 AM

On my 1st day I had a similar issue, PC wouldn't fire and none of the POST beep codes it gave were the same, I decided to try the PSU before declaring anything else dead and lo and behold, she fired

bandgeekmafia78 · 23-01-2008, 11:39 AM

We had a similar problem last week....

We ordered in a new motherboard and the problem didn't go away.
Turned out it was actually the PSU, which was strange. Give it a try!

contink · 23-01-2008, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickJones

@contink - sadly, I think you're right. I'm wondering if the PSU is damaged but still able to supply enough power to turn on, and I've gone and stuffed board no.2 as well....

Could be worse... My father once famously stuffed 3 motherboards in quick succession because he got "angry" and stopped thinking straight.

I, in turn, learned that "I told you so" still got you a clip round the ear even though I was right... or as my father later said when apologising, especially for being right!

Anyways, as a result I always change the PSU first after a spike to ensure he doesn't get on the blower to return the favour

rusty155 · 23-01-2008, 02:45 PM

Have you taken a Voltmeter to the PSU to check everything is reading ok? - Darn sight quicker than replacing it just to check.

http://www.clunk.org.uk/forums/guide...ing-guide.html

markwatkins · 23-01-2008, 02:51 PM

Which make is it, we have had a series of problems with older RMs never have found out what causes it but the board appears to blow PSUs

NickJones · 23-01-2008, 03:40 PM

It is an RM PC, but not that old, less than 2 years. Its the only problem of this nature which we've had, so I think it more likely that the power cut hurt it rather than the board itself.

markwatkins · 23-01-2008, 03:46 PM

Our RMs are approx 4 yrs old and we now just write them off as we no longer use RM and it is obviously a strange mobo fault

NickJones · 23-01-2008, 03:49 PM

I would be tempted to write off a 4-year-old PC if it developed this fault too, but I'm less inclined to do that for a >2-yr-old one.

rusty155 · 23-01-2008, 03:53 PM

If it's less than 2 years old, don't you have hardware warranty?

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Mainboard Blown by Bad Shutdown

22-01-2008, 04:00 PM	#16
NickJones Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Reading, Berkshire Posts: 1,693 Thanks: 54 Thanked 41 Times in 38 Posts Rep Power: 17	Okay, this is really bugging me now - even out of the case, I can't get either the old or new motherboards to boot! At one point, the old one booted and gave a two-tone error sound (kind of like a Police car, twice) - sadly this error tone isn't listed among the POST beeps on Intel's web site. The tests which I have done to date are: swap RAM, processor, power supply (by running two PCs side-by-side, stretching the wires from one case to the other), test the CPU and RAM in a different PC, remove the board from the case completely, turn it on then immediately remove the power switch jumpers. What test have I missed out? I will try pretty much anything now, however random it might seem! Can someone please tell me what on God's green earth is wrong with this damn PC?!?!

22-01-2008, 07:04 PM	#18
unclebunny Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Surrey Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Rep Power: 0	The siren beep sounds to me like a CPU temperature warning, so it may be worth making sure its properly seated, the fan's powered and the heat sink's secure. My first thought was that the memory was shorting, but if you've tried both some old and new memory sticks in the board then that's not likely. You could try taking the RAM out completely and trying to at least cause memory beeps. If you get no beeps then its something serious on the board, if you do get beeps then its something to do with the RAM. I'd say to strip the board down to the bare essentials, and use a known good power supply, processor and single RAM stick. If it still fails to even POST, just take off the components, find out which ones work, and chuck the board itself.

22-01-2008, 09:56 PM	#19
contink Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: South Yorkshire Posts: 3,345 Thanks: 184 Thanked 187 Times in 151 Posts Rep Power: 51	In the past I've assumed it's the motherboard but I've since learned that even though the PSU may have appeared to have survived, one or more of the power rails has not gone without damage. As a rule of thumb in something like this a PSU replacement is pretty much mandated otherwise you run the risk of blowing yet another board with bad power. That said, sounds like you've already gone that route and at a guess the fact that the PSU survived enough is an indicator that it passed on a lot of damage to the other components from RAM on down to HD and motherboard.. I'd ditch it and start over.

23-01-2008, 08:58 AM	#20
NickJones Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Reading, Berkshire Posts: 1,693 Thanks: 54 Thanked 41 Times in 38 Posts Rep Power: 17	@unclebenny - CPU temperature is possible, as the CPU fan wasn't seated correctly but that wouldn't kick in the very second I turn it on, would it? Surely it would take it a little while to get hot enough for it to be a problem?? @contink - sadly, I think you're right. I'm wondering if the PSU is damaged but still able to supply enough power to turn on, and I've gone and stuffed board no.2 as well....

23-01-2008, 09:01 AM	#21
rhyds Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Middle-Wales Posts: 369 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Rep Power: 5	On my 1st day I had a similar issue, PC wouldn't fire and none of the POST beep codes it gave were the same, I decided to try the PSU before declaring anything else dead and lo and behold, she fired

23-01-2008, 11:39 AM	#22
bandgeekmafia78 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Salford Posts: 118 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts Rep Power: 5	We had a similar problem last week.... We ordered in a new motherboard and the problem didn't go away. Turned out it was actually the PSU, which was strange. Give it a try!

23-01-2008, 02:45 PM	#24
rusty155 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Dorset Posts: 105 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Rep Power: 7	Have you taken a Voltmeter to the PSU to check everything is reading ok? - Darn sight quicker than replacing it just to check. http://www.clunk.org.uk/forums/guide...ing-guide.html

23-01-2008, 02:51 PM	#25
markwatkins Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Petersfield Posts: 72 Thanks: 14 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 4	Which make is it, we have had a series of problems with older RMs never have found out what causes it but the board appears to blow PSUs

23-01-2008, 03:40 PM	#26
NickJones Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Reading, Berkshire Posts: 1,693 Thanks: 54 Thanked 41 Times in 38 Posts Rep Power: 17	It is an RM PC, but not that old, less than 2 years. Its the only problem of this nature which we've had, so I think it more likely that the power cut hurt it rather than the board itself.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

23-01-2008, 03:46 PM	#27
markwatkins Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Petersfield Posts: 72 Thanks: 14 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 4	Our RMs are approx 4 yrs old and we now just write them off as we no longer use RM and it is obviously a strange mobo fault

23-01-2008, 03:49 PM	#28
NickJones Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Reading, Berkshire Posts: 1,693 Thanks: 54 Thanked 41 Times in 38 Posts Rep Power: 17	I would be tempted to write off a 4-year-old PC if it developed this fault too, but I'm less inclined to do that for a >2-yr-old one.

23-01-2008, 03:53 PM	#29
rusty155 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Dorset Posts: 105 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Rep Power: 7	If it's less than 2 years old, don't you have hardware warranty?

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Mainboard Blown by Bad Shutdown