Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community  

Go Back   Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community > Interests > Tilted Technology


 
 
LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 11-06-2005, 09:11 PM   #1 (permalink)
Détente
 
Bossnass's Avatar
 
Location: AWOL in Edmonton
My verdict= bad mobo. Yours?

I bought and assembled a system about a month ago.

Athlon 3500+ (x64) on a MSI nForce4 Ultra board. 4x512 of kingston ram. MSI 6600GT. 2x Maxtor SATA 200GB. Some generic card reader and dvd burner. Running Windows Media Center.

I played a monster session of games last night. A couple hours of AOE3, followed by about an hour of HL2. I wasn't overclocking, but the system got a little hot, speedfan gave me a warning when I hit 50*C. I didn't think it was a big deal. It shut down without any problems last night.

This morning, it hangs on the inital post. On initial powerup, I get the 'ok beep'. A bit of a header, then a line that reports that my processor is what it is, but doesn't proceed to perform any other checks. I can't hit F2 or F8 to enter boot menu or bios. Nothing happens.

Unseating everything and reseating does nothing. No ram gives me the expected beep error. Minimal system; processor, one stick of ram (checked all 4 individually) with only my master hdd (non-raided) and video card doesn't seem to change anything. Plugging in an old working ide drive. Nothing. Same when trying to boot to a usb jump drive (once I reconnected the front usb port). I don't have another pci-e video card to check, but I am getting a picture on the screen, so I suspect it isn't the problem.

So I think it is something on the motherboard, not entierly dead, but something problematic. I believe that my northbridge was the sensor that was reading hottest.

What else should I think? I want to be pretty sure of myself when I go to exchange the board.
Bossnass is offline  
Old 11-06-2005, 09:15 PM   #2 (permalink)
Détente
 
Bossnass's Avatar
 
Location: AWOL in Edmonton
Oh, I also reset the cmos, both by the built in button and by removing the battery, so now it hangs at a silly splash page, instead of post. And hitting tab doesn't let me switch to the hung post.
Bossnass is offline  
Old 11-06-2005, 09:29 PM   #3 (permalink)
Professional Loafer
 
bendsley's Avatar
 
Location: texas
Removing the battery alone does not necessarily always mean the CMOS is reset. There is usually a jumper with 3 pins, on two of them is the normal position, move it over one to the reset position. Once in the reset position, hit the power button. The unit should not come on. Move the jumper back to the original position and push power. Your computer should now come back on.

When you try this, does it change anything?
__________________
"You hear the one about the fella who died, went to the pearly gates? St. Peter let him in. Sees a guy in a suit making a closing argument. Says, "Who's that?" St. Peter says, "Oh, that's God. Thinks he's Denny Crane."
bendsley is offline  
Old 11-06-2005, 10:09 PM   #4 (permalink)
Détente
 
Bossnass's Avatar
 
Location: AWOL in Edmonton
There is a little red button (SW1) for clearing the cmos. I can't seem to find the jumper you are referring to, although I'll look again in daylight. I can't see it, can't find it in the manual, but there is a 'bigger then life labeled fold out chart' that I'll find and look at tomorrow. It is a MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum.

I had assumed that since it started going to the splash screen, instead of of post, as soon as I reset it, the reset was successful. I had disabled the splash screen when I initiallly assembled.

I have 12 hours of class that start in 8 hours, so I think I'm going to cry myself to sleep and give up until tomorrow evening.
Bossnass is offline  
Old 11-06-2005, 10:34 PM   #5 (permalink)
Adequate
 
cyrnel's Avatar
 
Location: In my angry-dome.
Ouch.

Have you removed all extraneous devices? Disconnect everything that isn't keyboard or video. Traditional non-USB keyboard, if you have one.

I've seen MBs choke in POST with what seemed like normal functioning devices attached. Even something as simple as a misbehaving USB flash drive can cause it. I have a couple Lexar sticks that catch me out when I forget and leave them in machines.
__________________
There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195
cyrnel is offline  
Old 11-07-2005, 06:38 PM   #6 (permalink)
Détente
 
Bossnass's Avatar
 
Location: AWOL in Edmonton
I still can't find any pins/jumper to reset the cmos. I'm starting to suspect that I won't find them on this board.

I had nothing plugged in but a multimedia microsoft ps2 keyboard. I just tried with an older, very basic ps2 keyboard, but still no change.

Thanks for the advice so far. I'm taking all my ram to my friends house to confirm that they aren't in anyway a problem. Normally, we are the people that people go to when they have computer problems, but we are fresh out of ideas, even though neither of us have ever run across a 'partly dead motherboard'.

The board gives me the 'no ram beeps' when I have no ram plugged in and the 'no processor beeps' when I unseat the processor. I'm working on the assumption that since the post does 'post' the processor, that it is functional. Although, since it hangs at that point at well, I guess it could be the problem. Maybe I'll take my processor to check as well...
Bossnass is offline  
Old 11-07-2005, 07:01 PM   #7 (permalink)
Adequate
 
cyrnel's Avatar
 
Location: In my angry-dome.
That button is the correct method. It's an MSI thing.
Quote:
I had nothing plugged in but a multimedia microsoft ps2 keyboard. I just tried with an older, very basic ps2 keyboard, but still no change.
Okay, I had to ask.

You're right. Time to swap MB and/or processor.

A month after assembly is when I think about assembly procedures.

Be sure to unplug the power - or at least discharge the p/s - before removing or installing components like RAM. Many systems don't bleed down the caps or do it too slowly for bench work. I've had many knowledgable customers fry their systems by forgetting.

Then there's ESD damage. It can take a while for the component to degrade and show symptoms.

Hey, you may do everything perfectly but I can't see from here.
__________________
There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195
cyrnel is offline  
Old 11-08-2005, 05:00 PM   #8 (permalink)
Détente
 
Bossnass's Avatar
 
Location: AWOL in Edmonton
Last night, I tried all my components on a similar system, they all checked out, including the carefully swapped processors. I just got back from the local retailer who pretty much asked me every question that I was asked here. It was suggested that I may have a random grounding issue. Then he shrugged and gave me a brand new retail box with a new mobo and all the goodies.

I wasn't thinking when I took it back, but the original purchase came with 4 sata cables, a couple power adapters, a rear panel cover, and a 'd bracket', etc, but I had left all the parts in and around my case when I went to return the board. When I explained, they told me not to worry about it, so I got a free bunch of goodies for my troubles.

I'm up and running now, everything seems fully operational. The little northbridge fan is infinitely more quiet on this otherwise identical board.

Thanks for the help.

So, one thing I still don't understand: I shuffle me feet across the carpet and give a little zap to a component... but it isn't dead, it has just been dealt a mortal injury that will cause death some indefinite time in the future?
Bossnass is offline  
Old 11-08-2005, 08:59 PM   #9 (permalink)
Adequate
 
cyrnel's Avatar
 
Location: In my angry-dome.
Good to hear it's working, whatever the cause.
Quote:
shuffling feet
I can't tell if you're being sarcastic. Shuffling feet aren't required. Touching isn't required. Visible sparks or shocks you can feel aren't required. Electricity is witchcraft.

Even if the damage isn't immediately fatal, ESD causes breakdowns in junctions and insulators that becomes progressive. It accelerates nasty effects like electromigration in which the tiny wires separate or touch where they shouldn't. Open or shorted circuit. Dead logic. It's a natural process but circuits hit by ESD were just pushed over spec. Now they'll get hot faster, leak earlier, and those contribute to further breakdown.

It's cheaper to be careful.
__________________
There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195
cyrnel is offline  
 

Tags
bad, mobo, verdict


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 04:46 PM.

Tilted Forum Project

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2
© 2002-2012 Tilted Forum Project

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360