Just wondering if any Dell techs could help me. I am trying to verify whether a motherboard is good or bad. It was used previously.

I installed the CPU, memory, video card, HD and CD-rom. When I boot up I get absolutely nothing on the monitor.

I don't get any post beeps or anything. I see the Fan runs as well as the HD but the LED's on the back of the MB are not lit at all.

I'd like to know if I could boot this into BIOS with no CPU or memory? Anyone can tell me that? Haven't tried it but I thought it should; just that it will error out and show me on the rear 4 LEDs. I am certain the CPU and memory are good but I would like to eliminate anything that can be.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

DR

Computers won't power on at all without a processor, so the processor is probably good.

I'm not really sure about the ram though. I remember one time I fried the ram on my friends computer and it seemed to turn on, but with no display. His uncle added new ram later and I guess it worked. I think the one slot the stick was in got fried too though.

Lastly, you might already know this, but you don't need a cd/dvd drive or a hard drive to have a computer boot on.

You might want to see if switching around the ram affects anything. If you have more then one stick try one stick at a time in different slots.

These are Rambus RAM, which must be used in pairs. What a dumb thing.

I figured that those 4 LEDs Dell uses shoulld do something, no?

I would think it would start beeping if the RAM was bad. You know, each error has a different number beeps, usually.

DR

Would you please tell us what motherboard that is and what CPU you installed? Have you changed any other components, like the PSU?

Well, as the title suggests, it is a Dell Dimension 8200 motherboard. They only used one, I believe, with or without an additional lower section. This one does not have the lower riser.

I am using a P4 2.8GHz CPU that I was using in an XPS Motherboard.

Yes, the Power Supply is good. Also used with the XPS, as well as the HD and CD-Rom.

I just returned everything to the XPS board and everything works. Boots up fine.

Only difference is the RAM. The 8200 uses RAMBUS. I have 2 modules and 2 blanks loaded. I would think if the memory was bad, I would get the POST but also some beeps. I get nothing. And none of the LEDs on the back light up at all.


I hope this helps.

DR

Here's a thought. Why don't you just remove the ram of the XPS. See if it boots.
Not really something I payed any attention to. Like to know what you find out.

I was hoping that you would know which motherboard was being used so as to save me the time of looking up, which I did. That 8200 only used one motherboard which is the 7E598, I wanted to know because Dell is well known for using non ATX PSUs. This motherboard is one of the exceptions, it has a ATX PSU.

Thanks for checking. I wasn't sure what you meant by which board as there is nothing on it with that number. I believe it is 7E598 or 0F141, no? They are both supposed to be the same except for the PCI riser card, which mine does not have.

I received the power supply from a customer's new DELL that had a video card upgrade. The video upgrade required him to get a bigger power supply. He gave me the original. Nice guy.

I will try it without the RAM and see if I get a POST.

I went back and reinstalled my XPS board with the same CPU and it took off fine. I have another P4 1.7 that I will try in the 8200 board.


DR