i have been having makor problem with a computer i am trying to build. I build the computer but as soon as i try to start it i get no beeps and can not get an image off the graphics card. i have tried all the other component apart from the MB on a different computer, i am now wondering if my problem could be caused by a faulty psu damaging the MB.The strange bit is the fans work and drives start to spin but i am now on my 4th MB other have all had damaged bios. so i am at my wits end as to what is doing the damage
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Can a Faulty PSU cause this
- Thread starter bigteduk
- Start date
Accessdabbler
Technical User
Never hurts to check or replace the PSU. However, have you considered bad memory?
Try booting with only 1 memory stick and the video card. If that doesn't work, use a different memory stick (in a different slot if you wish).
Testing the PSU is relatively easy if you have a volt-ohm meter. It should be outputting 12V, 5V and 3.3V (with a variance no more than 8% to the high or low side).
Try booting with only 1 memory stick and the video card. If that doesn't work, use a different memory stick (in a different slot if you wish).
Testing the PSU is relatively easy if you have a volt-ohm meter. It should be outputting 12V, 5V and 3.3V (with a variance no more than 8% to the high or low side).
bassmanadz
Technical User
Hi dude!!!
In all the cases I have had this problem its been down to bad memory!!!!
In all the cases I have had this problem its been down to bad memory!!!!
And check the input voltage switch. They will partioally work on 125v with the switch set on 220 Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.
gargouille
IS-IT--Management
1st of all, what KIND of board is it? Each presents its own set of problems/challenges.
The ECS K7S5A is well-known to have a stoopidity with the manual being incorrect. Others ship with the BIOS jumpered to clear to preserve the battery. Powering up this latter example has disastrous results.
ESD is also something you want to guard against. I once reached into a case with a machine running to gather some wires from the PSU together and had not touched the case to ground the static and it killed the machine. Instantly powered off, and very obviously from what I'd been doing when it went down. From then on, IF you hit the reset switch on the box, the board wouldn't power up at all UNTIL you cleared the CMOS with the jumper. I was, of course, lucky the board worked at all. More dire things may happen from ESD.
(Should also be said, here, that it's MOST IMPORTANT to spend some time reading the manual, making sure you understand the few jumpers modern boards come with and how they're set and in general absorbing as much as you can about the board and how to make it work.)
I prefer to mount a board OUTSIDE the case on a non-esd surface, start with the board and the memory and the CPU and hook it up to a monitor...and try the boot. (this eliminates any questions of grounding...or at least may make you suspect it if it boots here and then fails when you put it in the case.)
Beeps may or may not tell you what difficulties you need to address...and the beeps vary with the BIOS mfr.
You may also remove the memory, leaving the CPU and video card, and get a beep message from the motherboard.
If the video card is bad, you may or may not get beeps but you won't, of course, get a video signal from the monitor. In fact the monitor will be seen to go to NO SIGNAL and the LED will change.
The 1st thing I usually do in the latter case is to power down and remove the AC lead from the power supply then jumper the board to clear the BIOS and restore the defaults.
If you can't boot at this stage, there's no sense in going on until you can correct what's wrong. Getting the board to boot at this stage is exhilarating when you can...stressful when you can't.
IF you get a display and can see to get into the BIOS it's usually best to set the defaults if they're not.
Some boards give you the luxury of diagnostic LED's to troubleshoot booting stops, although their accuracy isn't entirely foolproof. In much the same way as software errs without REALLY telling you why, a motherboard may say a CPU is bad, when really it's just not compatible.
I'm wondering if the 1st part of my response isn't the case...
Let us know.
The ECS K7S5A is well-known to have a stoopidity with the manual being incorrect. Others ship with the BIOS jumpered to clear to preserve the battery. Powering up this latter example has disastrous results.
ESD is also something you want to guard against. I once reached into a case with a machine running to gather some wires from the PSU together and had not touched the case to ground the static and it killed the machine. Instantly powered off, and very obviously from what I'd been doing when it went down. From then on, IF you hit the reset switch on the box, the board wouldn't power up at all UNTIL you cleared the CMOS with the jumper. I was, of course, lucky the board worked at all. More dire things may happen from ESD.
(Should also be said, here, that it's MOST IMPORTANT to spend some time reading the manual, making sure you understand the few jumpers modern boards come with and how they're set and in general absorbing as much as you can about the board and how to make it work.)
I prefer to mount a board OUTSIDE the case on a non-esd surface, start with the board and the memory and the CPU and hook it up to a monitor...and try the boot. (this eliminates any questions of grounding...or at least may make you suspect it if it boots here and then fails when you put it in the case.)
Beeps may or may not tell you what difficulties you need to address...and the beeps vary with the BIOS mfr.
You may also remove the memory, leaving the CPU and video card, and get a beep message from the motherboard.
If the video card is bad, you may or may not get beeps but you won't, of course, get a video signal from the monitor. In fact the monitor will be seen to go to NO SIGNAL and the LED will change.
The 1st thing I usually do in the latter case is to power down and remove the AC lead from the power supply then jumper the board to clear the BIOS and restore the defaults.
If you can't boot at this stage, there's no sense in going on until you can correct what's wrong. Getting the board to boot at this stage is exhilarating when you can...stressful when you can't.
IF you get a display and can see to get into the BIOS it's usually best to set the defaults if they're not.
Some boards give you the luxury of diagnostic LED's to troubleshoot booting stops, although their accuracy isn't entirely foolproof. In much the same way as software errs without REALLY telling you why, a motherboard may say a CPU is bad, when really it's just not compatible.
I'm wondering if the 1st part of my response isn't the case...
Let us know.
- Thread starter
- #6
Very well written, gargouille. One thing I'd add is to visually check each and every jumper and dipswitch (if applicable). No matter what the manual says is the default, go through the list of jumpers 1 by 1 and make sure they are set where they should be.
gargouille
IS-IT--Management
Just took a look at the manual.
There's an LED on board for diagnostics?
No messages from it?
(or is it an option that didn't come with the 1 you're working with?)
There's an LED on board for diagnostics?
No messages from it?
(or is it an option that didn't come with the 1 you're working with?)
- Thread starter
- #9
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