Solve : Computer Death...Attempting CPR..Please help?

1.	Solve : Computer Death...Attempting CPR..Please help?
Answer» Hi, I pieced TOGETHER my own computer. I have an AMD 64 3400, on a socket 754 Gigabyte Triton mobo, 1 GIG Corsair PC 3200 DDR, a Maxtor 7200 RPM 150 Gig hard drive, a Sapphire Radion 9600 Pro with 256 mb mem video card, and a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card. Here is the story, recently the computer has been freezing and locking up. This has happened before and is usually caused by some windows files fraggin on the hard drive. So I'm thinking I'm going to have to reformat soon. Then one night, the whole thing just died. Like it is not getting any power. Since I have an UPC, i know that it is getting power. But, I did plug it into other sockets just to make sure. I changed out the power supply. When i turn it on on the back of the power supply, the light on the fans blink on and off and the fans start to spin. There are some black squares and rectangle on top of the mobo that also get warm. I'm thinking its the mobo. I looked at all the circuits that I can see, don't see any burnt areas. I can get a new mobo for 50 bucks, but was wondering if I'd be better of upgrading. If i buy a 50 buck mobo and thats not my problem, then i'm out 50 bucks and my computer still doesn't work. What can I do to diagnose the problem? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks EZ EZFrag ........ Quote I pieced together my own computer ...... How long ago was this ? Did we use new parts ? Whats a "UPC" or do you mean a "UPS" ? Quote There are some black squares and rectangle on top of the mobo that also get warm. ........ Black squares and rectangles......are you refering to chips ? Have you tested any of the components to make sure they are working ? dl65 I pieced this computer together about 2 years ago. I used new parts. I followed the value guide at www.sharkeyextreme.com. I've been totally happy with it. The UPC was a typo, you're right it was supposed to be an UPS, universal power supply. I do not know what the black squares and rectangle are on top of the mobo. They are not the cpu. The more I think about it, the more i am leaning that my problem is my mobo. I do not know how to check the other components when the cpu will not boot. Any sugestions would be appreciated. Thanks.To diagnose the culprit start with only the following installed: CPU 1stick of RAM Vid card and monitor Mouse and Keyboard. Boot up and see what happens...Did this. All that happens is that when I turn the switch on on the power supply, the lights on the fans blink on and off and start to spin, briefly. The squares and rectangle on top of the mobo close to where the power hooks up get warm. Thats about it Anyway, if you could get the pictures to work. There are some black squares and rectangles close to where the power attaches. They get hot after attempting to turn computer on.Busy forum...I'm already on page 2 Can you borrow a PSU to swap out?Quote Can you borrow a PSU to swap out? I had an extra power supply that I switched out. No change. Any other suggestions? Thanks. Do you see anything display on the monitor? Any letters at all or a blinking cursor, or is it completely black? Do you hear any beeps codes? If so, how many beeps do you hear? If you hear any beeps, try replacing the RAM sticks with the same kind recommended by the manufacturer of the motherboard. Also, let us know how many beeps you hear. If you do not hear any beeps, see if you can reset the BIOS back to it's default settings. Read the manual that came with the motherboard to see how to do this, or remove the battery next to the BIOS chip for a few minutes and then replace the battery and try powering up the computer once more. My guess: The fans have failed to cool the motherboard adequately and the chips on the board (and perhaps even the CPU) have overheated and failed. When you rebuild your next computer, make sure the CPU and case have an adequate number of fans and that none of the vents are blocked or covered with dust.PCDoc, thanks for the tips. There are not beeps, no involvement with the monitor or anything such as that. I have 4 fans in the case. I have an aspire II case that has a probe on the chip to monitor temp. I'm just stumped. I have a gut feeling it is the mobo. I'll have a new one on Thursday. Hope that is the problem. I appreciate your tips. Thanks for helping.Quote To diagnose the culprit start with only the following installed: CPU 1stick of RAM Vid card and monitor Mouse and Keyboard. Boot up and see what happens... Try the above with the MBoard removed from the case before you pronounce the MBoard dead...<---- Agrees with Patio. Also, put the motherboard on paper (not metal or plastic) to protect it from ESD.New Motherboard is in. Hooked everything up. Got power. NOTHING on monitor screen. Hard drive doesn't seem to be rolling. I couldn't find a speaker wire for the case, so I don't know if there are any beeps. I ran out of time. Today after work, I will re-seat everything again. Add things one at a time. See if I can find a problem.Did you follow Patio's advice? "To diagnose the culprit start with only the following installed: CPU 1stick of RAM Vid card and monitor Mouse and Keyboard. Boot up and see what happens... " If so, the power supply is or video card or RAM is to blame. Try replacing each one, one at a time, until the system starts up. Regarding the power supply: Be careful! If it fried your old mobo, it could fry this one, too.

Answer»

Hi, I pieced TOGETHER my own computer. I have an AMD 64 3400, on a socket 754 Gigabyte Triton mobo, 1 GIG Corsair PC 3200 DDR, a Maxtor 7200 RPM 150 Gig hard drive, a Sapphire Radion 9600 Pro with 256 mb mem video card, and a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card.
Here is the story, recently the computer has been freezing and locking up. This has happened before and is usually caused by some windows files fraggin on the hard drive. So I'm thinking I'm going to have to reformat soon. Then one night, the whole thing just died. Like it is not getting any power. Since I have an UPC, i know that it is getting power. But, I did plug it into other sockets just to make sure. I changed out the power supply. When i turn it on on the back of the power supply, the light on the fans blink on and off and the fans start to spin. There are some black squares and rectangle on top of the mobo that also get warm. I'm thinking its the mobo. I looked at all the circuits that I can see, don't see any burnt areas. I can get a new mobo for 50 bucks, but was wondering if I'd be better of upgrading.
If i buy a 50 buck mobo and thats not my problem, then i'm out 50 bucks and my computer still doesn't work. What can I do to diagnose the problem?
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks
EZ
EZFrag ........ Quote

I pieced together my own computer

......
How long ago was this ?
Did we use new parts ?
Whats a "UPC" or do you mean a "UPS" ?
Quote

There are some black squares and rectangle on top of the mobo that also get warm.

........ Black squares and rectangles......are you refering to chips ?
Have you tested any of the components to make sure they are working ?

dl65
I pieced this computer together about 2 years ago. I used new parts. I followed the value guide at www.sharkeyextreme.com. I've been totally happy with it. The UPC was a typo, you're right it was supposed to be an UPS, universal power supply. I do not know what the black squares and rectangle are on top of the mobo. They are not the cpu. The more I think about it, the more i am leaning that my problem is my mobo. I do not know how to check the other components when the cpu will not boot. Any sugestions would be appreciated.

Thanks.To diagnose the culprit start with only the following installed:
CPU
1stick of RAM
Vid card and monitor
Mouse and Keyboard.

Boot up and see what happens...Did this. All that happens is that when I turn the switch on on the power supply, the lights on the fans blink on and off and start to spin, briefly. The squares and rectangle on top of the mobo close to where the power hooks up get warm. Thats about it

Anyway, if you could get the pictures to work. There are some black squares and rectangles close to where the power attaches. They get hot after attempting to turn computer on.Busy forum...I'm already on page 2
Can you borrow a PSU to swap out?Quote

Can you borrow a PSU to swap out?

I had an extra power supply that I switched out. No change. Any other suggestions?

Thanks.
Do you see anything display on the monitor? Any letters at all or a blinking cursor, or is it completely black? Do you hear any beeps codes? If so, how many beeps do you hear?

If you hear any beeps, try replacing the RAM sticks with the same kind recommended by the manufacturer of the motherboard. Also, let us know how many beeps you hear.

If you do not hear any beeps, see if you can reset the BIOS back to it's default settings. Read the manual that came with the motherboard to see how to do this, or remove the battery next to the BIOS chip for a few minutes and then replace the battery and try powering up the computer once more.

My guess: The fans have failed to cool the motherboard adequately and the chips on the board (and perhaps even the CPU) have overheated and failed. When you rebuild your next computer, make sure the CPU and case have an adequate number of fans and that none of the vents are blocked or covered with dust.PCDoc, thanks for the tips. There are not beeps, no involvement with the monitor or anything such as that. I have 4 fans in the case. I have an aspire II case that has a probe on the chip to monitor temp. I'm just stumped. I have a gut feeling it is the mobo. I'll have a new one on Thursday. Hope that is the problem. I appreciate your tips. Thanks for helping.Quote

To diagnose the culprit start with only the following installed:
CPU
1stick of RAM
Vid card and monitor
Mouse and Keyboard.

Boot up and see what happens...

Try the above with the MBoard removed from the case before you pronounce the MBoard dead...<---- Agrees with Patio.

Also, put the motherboard on paper (not metal or plastic) to protect it from ESD.New Motherboard is in. Hooked everything up. Got power. NOTHING on monitor screen. Hard drive doesn't seem to be rolling. I couldn't find a speaker wire for the case, so I don't know if there are any beeps. I ran out of time. Today after work, I will re-seat everything again. Add things one at a time. See if I can find a problem.Did you follow Patio's advice?

"To diagnose the culprit start with only the following installed:
CPU
1stick of RAM
Vid card and monitor
Mouse and Keyboard.

Boot up and see what happens... "

If so, the power supply is or video card or RAM is to blame. Try replacing each one, one at a time, until the system starts up. Regarding the power supply: Be careful! If it fried your old mobo, it could fry this one, too.

Solve : Computer Death...Attempting CPR..Please help?

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