PC just won't boot.

[kodiak.pw]

So my system decided to act weird recently, and im in need of some help, some brainstorming at least.

 

The system in question is a Intel C2D E8400 + ASUS P5B Deluxe + HD 7790 1GB + 6 GB DDR2 + 320GB SATA. No peripherals, and runs a windows 7 64-bit.

 

 

Possible issues that i somewhat eliminated so far:

 

- Cooling/overheat. CPU runs under a Zalman 9500 that keeps it low temps, motherboard has dissipation with heatpipe on NB, has southbridge dissipation too. The case has a 140mm case in the front, and 250mm on the side panel, there is plenty of airflow. So i rule this out.

 

- CPU, i tried switching for a E6750, still no boot or even beeps.

 

- RAM, out of the 4 sticks, tried combinations of 2s, tried single sticks, nothing worked, they can't all be bad overnight,

 

- GFX, tried switching it out for an 8800 GT 512MB, no boot regardless.

 

- Re-seating. Done it. All parts have been, no change.

 

- PSU, this was my main suspect, and was beggining to be sure it was the problem. Readings taken:

 

+3.3v = 3.21v idle, 3.34v with system on.

+5v = 5.4v idle, 5.22v system on.

+12v = 12.5v idle, 12.24v system on.

-12v = about -12v on both cases

Power_good = 5v idle, 4.9v system on (from the 3 to 6v range it needs to be at).

 

"Idle" means i had the PSU powering up solely thru bridging black and green cables, and had one case fan on it, nothing else, "system on" refers to everything plugged in and running (altho still not booting). So the PSU seems fine from what multimeter shows.

 

As for mobo, im unsure of how to proceed with further testing on this one, but so far tried clearing CMOS, nothing changed. She now starts like she did clear CMOS (starts, then restarts to apply default settings) but still no boot, or image to screen.

 

 

 

Thoughts, ideas?

[manikyath]

to me this sounds like your mobo died.

 

pretty much any time your computer doesnt beep on startup, its a dead mobo. (or power supply)

[dragoon20005]

if the multimeter test on the PSU shows nothing amiss

 

it mobo already mate

[Captain_WD]

So my system decided to act weird recently, and im in need of some help, some brainstorming at least.

 

The system in question is a Intel C2D E8400 + ASUS P5B Deluxe + HD 7790 1GB + 6 GB DDR2 + 320GB SATA. No peripherals, and runs a windows 7 64-bit.

 

 

Possible issues that i somewhat eliminated so far:

 

- Cooling/overheat. CPU runs under a Zalman 9500 that keeps it low temps, motherboard has dissipation with heatpipe on NB, has southbridge dissipation too. The case has a 140mm case in the front, and 250mm on the side panel, there is plenty of airflow. So i rule this out.

 

- CPU, i tried switching for a E6750, still no boot or even beeps.

 

- RAM, out of the 4 sticks, tried combinations of 2s, tried single sticks, nothing worked, they can't all be bad overnight,

 

- GFX, tried switching it out for an 8800 GT 512MB, no boot regardless.

 

- Re-seating. Done it. All parts have been, no change.

 

- PSU, this was my main suspect, and was beggining to be sure it was the problem. Readings taken:

 

+3.3v = 3.21v idle, 3.34v with system on.

+5v = 5.4v idle, 5.22v system on.

+12v = 12.5v idle, 12.24v system on.

-12v = about -12v on both cases

Power_good = 5v idle, 4.9v system on (from the 3 to 6v range it needs to be at).

 

"Idle" means i had the PSU powering up solely thru bridging black and green cables, and had one case fan on it, nothing else, "system on" refers to everything plugged in and running (altho still not booting). So the PSU seems fine from what multimeter shows.

 

As for mobo, im unsure of how to proceed with further testing on this one, but so far tried clearing CMOS, nothing changed. She now starts like she did clear CMOS (starts, then restarts to apply default settings) but still no boot, or image to screen.

 

 

 

Thoughts, ideas?

 

 

Hey kodiak.pw,

 

You pretty much did whatever could be done to see where the problem is coming from. I would also go ahead and suggest that the problem is probably coming from the motherboard. I would call the manufacturer's support and ask them for some advice on how to test it. 

As @manikyath pointed out, no beep (provided that you do have a beeping speaker) means either a failed PSU or a failed motherboard. Since you've tested the PSU and it works, it's most probably the motherboard. You could try another PSU but I doubt that you would get different results. 

 

Captain_WD.

[mike2156]

Check the capacitors on the motherboard, if they are CrapXon they may well be bad, that's if there are any electrolitics.

Also make sure the cmos jumper is there and in the right place, I've come across none booting machines that simply had missing/wrongly positioned cmos jumpers

[kodiak.pw]

Ty for responses. To try and answer:

 

@Captain_WD the motherboard is beeping now. She was giving me standby light, powerup light, power to the fans, and was responding to the CMOS clear, so i was having a hard time thinking of mobo as the problem. While i was away from home, i thought of the simplest of things, the speaker itself. So i went down to the garage, made a hole in an older case i had lying around so i could connect its beeper thru the back of my current case and into the mobo, just to eliminate yet another possibility, and there ya go, the speaker on my current case is a goner, would be that conclusion.

 

@mike2156 capacitors are fine, or at least they seem to be. Non that i can see is bloated or burst, they seem as new. The P5B DLX was some 200$, it better have some good quality capacitors. Ive also repositioned the CMOS jumper back to pin 1 and 2 after the clear, yes.

 

 

Other info gathered meanwhile:

 

- I thought of checking the battery and its good as new too. Multimeter reads 3.21v out of it.

 

- With beeping, i can assume the E8400 is also working correctly, and seated properly.

 

- The system now beeps if i remove parts (gfx, ram), but with everything on, there is no beeping, and no booting either.

 

- I have tried the GFX card on the second PCI-E slot, no beep, no boot. Tried the 8800 GT as well, same results.

 

 

I have yet to test the RAM ,will try all sorts with it, to see if any conclusion arises. If anyone else would like to pitch in, would be appreciated. Could use all the help i can get.

[mike2156]

if the ram reshuffle doesn't work, maybe try spray air on the ram slots just as a last ditch, it's bugging me that your not getting any beep codes once it's all together as that is often the processor not juicing up or bent pins, is the p4 extra connector on the mobo in good condition?

[kodiak.pw]

if the ram reshuffle doesn't work, maybe try spray air on the ram slots just as a last ditch, it's bugging me that your not getting any beep codes once it's all together as that is often the processor not juicing up or bent pins, is the p4 extra connector on the mobo in good condition?

 

Yes, its in working condition and voltage output at 100%, and processor doesn't have any pins, just contacts, which i made sure are clean and free of fibers (from the q-tip cotton). Ive used a blower on the slots again (had used recently, about a month ago, for entire PC cleanup) just to get it out of the way.

 

What im getting at the moment is:

 

- No video card with (any) RAM installed, 1 long beep, 3 short

 

- No RAM but video card on, 1 long and 2 short

 

From what ive been researching, these seem to be switched, as 1 long and 2 short should be video and 1 and 3 should be RAM, yet they are beeping the opposite. Or maybe the source i checked was wrong and the beeps are correct.

 

But then again, if the components were damaged/malfunctioning, the beeps should be happening with them installed as well, i think. They are not, instead with everything installed mobo starts the system, HDD starts working, the fans start reving, low to high RPMs as if the system is going to startup normally, but it just doesn't go anywhere.

[mike2156]

TBH at this point id normally get the customer to bring the PC to me where i'd dig out an old mobo and try the entire setup in it.

Unless there's anything else anyone can think of chances are that either the NB, the CMOS chip or the VRMS have given out on the board, that's now the only thing I can think of given the tests you have done, could you perhaps get your hands on another mobo even if it's an old one?

[erty176]

<snip>

Ok so the next thing I would do is to remove the cmos battery, get a replacement. Then turn the power switch off on the PSU. Let it sit for a good 15 mins(just to make sure everything is clear) Press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds to discharge the capacitors(shouldn't turn on as the PSU power is off). Then put in a new CMOS battery. Unplug all things except full suite of ram and hard drive. (this includes graphics card, sound card and anything else) plug into the onboard display. If you have a PS2 port capable mouse and keyboard, use these. Then try and boot.  

[Captain_WD]

Ty for responses. To try and answer:

 

@Captain_WD the motherboard is beeping now. She was giving me standby light, powerup light, power to the fans, and was responding to the CMOS clear, so i was having a hard time thinking of mobo as the problem. While i was away from home, i thought of the simplest of things, the speaker itself. So i went down to the garage, made a hole in an older case i had lying around so i could connect its beeper thru the back of my current case and into the mobo, just to eliminate yet another possibility, and there ya go, the speaker on my current case is a goner, would be that conclusion.

 

@mike2156 capacitors are fine, or at least they seem to be. Non that i can see is bloated or burst, they seem as new. The P5B DLX was some 200$, it better have some good quality capacitors. Ive also repositioned the CMOS jumper back to pin 1 and 2 after the clear, yes.

 

 

Other info gathered meanwhile:

 

- I thought of checking the battery and its good as new too. Multimeter reads 3.21v out of it.

 

- With beeping, i can assume the E8400 is also working correctly, and seated properly.

 

- The system now beeps if i remove parts (gfx, ram), but with everything on, there is no beeping, and no booting either.

 

- I have tried the GFX card on the second PCI-E slot, no beep, no boot. Tried the 8800 GT as well, same results.

 

 

I have yet to test the RAM ,will try all sorts with it, to see if any conclusion arises. If anyone else would like to pitch in, would be appreciated. Could use all the help i can get.

 

Good thinking on the beeper! Those are some strange results indeed. I would call the motherboards manufacturer with all those results and ask them for some guidance on what those errors might be. Another thing you can do is to test each hardware part on a separate system and make sure they are working correctly. 

 

Captain_WD.

[kodiak.pw]

I narrowed down the search on the issue.

 

- CPU is ok

- All 4 RAM sticks are ok

- PSU is ok

- CMOS battery is ok

- HDD and Opticals, ok

 

The system will boot with everything installed, as long as the 6 pin gfx power connector is not in. The video card can be on the slot as well.

 

With everything installed and connected as per usual (minus 6pin) system starts, POSTs, beeps for lack of video, and goes on to boot up normally all the way to windows. Soon as i plugin the 6pin, its same ol brain damaged self, and its no POST, no boot, no image, no nothing.

 

I have tested the 6pin from behind the connector with system on once again, and all 3 yellow wires are delivering about 12.25v, so it doesn't seem to be the cable, or PSU. Have also tested PCI-e 16x AND 4x slots, with the 7790 and the older 8800 GT, both fail to respond, but do ok elsewhere. Both slots just frying overnight doesn't seem very plausible, especially when the PC never showed any symptoms beforehand (shutdowns, crashes, restarts, BSODs, nothing)

 

Ive read about possibility of BIOS resetting into PCI-E Disabled or PCI/PEG (instead of PEG as first adapter choice) or something in these lines, all the way down to IRQ conflicts (it is an 08 board, who knows). Even if i end up forced into buying a whole new system (because i wont monetarily support this one anymore) i would still like to understand, discover the actual problem with it.

 

If anyone wishes to throw a few more ideas up in the air, i will certainly read them all. Thanks for all replies.

[dragoon20005]

I narrowed down the search on the PC issue.

 

The system will boot with everything installed, as long as the 6 pin gfx power connector is not in. The card can be on the slot as well.

 

With everything installed as per usual (minus 6pin plugged in) system starts, POSTs, beeps for lack of video, and goes on to boot up normally all the way to windows. Soon as i plugin the 6pin, its same ol brain damaged self, and its no POST, no boot, no image, no nothing.

 

I have tested the 6pin from behind the connector with system on once again, and all 3 yellow wires are delivering about 12.25v, so it doesn't seem to be the cable, or PSU.

 

Ive read about possibility of BIOS resetting into PCI-E Disabled or PCI/PEG or something in these lines, all the way down to IRQ conflicts (it is an 08 board, who knows). Even if i end up forced into buying a whole new system (because i wont monetarily support this one anymore) i would still like to understand, discover the actual problem with it.

 

If anyone wishes to throw a few more ideas up in the air, i will certainly read them all. Thanks for all replies so far.

from the looks of it its a dead GPU slot

[mike2156]

It could even be a defective Northbridge chip.

It could also be a knackered trace between the PCI-E slots and the Northbridge, maybe a short? (This and the dead NB pretty much means the board should head for the bin)

Lastly a ground issue specifically on the 6pin connector. (This one you might be able to test with a Dual molex to 6pin lead)