BleepingComputer.com: Motherboard Dead? Cpu Fried? I Gots No Idea ><

Specs:

PSU: Sparkle Power International LTD 253W
MoBo: ECS RS400-A
CPU: Socket 775 Pentium 4 @ 2.0 GHz ( I think )
RAM: 2x512 DDR400. Aeneon and Kingston KVR
Grfx: PNY old unit.. 64MB video I think
Hard drive: Quatum Fireball (now Maxtor) unknown size

Problem:
PC powers up but wont boot. By powerup I mean the CPU fan spins up, the PSU fan blows air out the back, the graphics card fan spins, the hard drive revs up, the CD searches, the front light turns on, and the little light on the mobo lights up... however nothing shows on the monitor.. It just gives me a blank screen.

Misc info/tested stuff:
I got the Motherboard+CPU for free since the owner was upgrading to an AMD Dualcore system, so obviously I've never tested it before, nor can I contact tech/ECS support
I've tried clearing the CMOS via jumpers on the motherboard to no avail
The components are confirmed not to be the problem. They were switched into functioning PCs, and parts from the functioning PCs were swapped into the "dead" one.
The monitor is fine since I'm using it on this PC as I type ( was loaning it to the new one.. finally wanted a headless server)
Tried using only one RAM stick.
Can't try with another PSU since the ones in my PC don't fit on the other one... however I doubt the PSU is the problem since it was stolen from a salvaged computer which functioned before it's hard drive was removed.
Case is open and setup for optimum flow with least power requirements on the PSU =/
It doesn't beep without RAM

I'm quiet certain it's the CPU however any other ideas are greatly appreciated...

And while you're here, think the motherboard could run a quadcore? I mean aside from the power and fan requirements...

Could be a problem with the video card. Usually you dont get power to the things you said like Hard disk Cd drive and Video card.
Try resetting every thing also. make sure the cables are connected good. When you press the power buttion does the Bios load show up?
usually it will say like Press f12 to choose boot order or f10 to do so and so....
Do you see that?

If everything is loading up, the processor should be fine. This might sound weird, but I actually think its probably a ram problem or maybe a graphics card problem (most likely ram). Can you try any other ram in it? I've had a similar problem when I fried the ram in my friend's computer, everything was booting up but I didn't get a display on my monitor. Also, one time when overclocking (not knowing much of what I was doing) I overclocked my ram too far, and had the same problem of everything booting up, but no display to my monitor.

As already said...
Everything in the computer has been swapped out with parts from a functioning PC... everything except the CPU, MoBo and PSU
And i've made sure all connections are correct and all jumpers in position

pull the agp video card, only a few work with that motherboard

My vote would go to video card, based on the fact that I see nothing indicating that you checked it out in another system.

As for that excuse about not testing/replacing the PS...testing only takes a few seconds and does not require that the PS be screwed into the case. The only requirement is the proper wires in the proper places.

In other words, it appears to me that you haven't tested two of the leading suspects...

Louis

that mobo has a pci express bus with an agp slot, a working agp card will not necessary be able to run on the pci-e bus

the card could be good but incompatible

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?art...1789&page=2

I have already tried other video cards. And the integrated card. both AGP and PCI-e cards too. I know for sure it's not the video card. I've said multiple times that the video card and RAM are all fully functional.
I just cant figure out which to replace and don't have the funds to replace more then one.
I'll try the main PC's PSU later when I shutdown the system to upgrade the RAM again.

Quote

what's with the attitude, I read your posts over twice, you said no such thing???

let's be polite, we are only volunteering our time and trying to help

make sure the power supply is new enough, and/or check with one at least 300 watts, just have it laid next to the computer or on top of it, make sure the 4 pin connector is hooked up, P4's won't boot otherwise

I'm sorry, upon reading my first post I see I never specified what components I swapped in and out... quiet rushed. However I did mention the RAM specifically in the first post.

the PSU is at least 7 years old however it should have theoretically enough power for such low power components running (1 hard drive.. basically the only other thing) however I have no idea how much power the Mobo+cpu requires.
I'll be testing later with a 500+ watt PSU which should easily cover any requirements that single core setup could use.

What 4 Pin connector? =/

the top corner of the motherboard next to the ps2 mouse and keyboard and printer connections

white square and must have power

all we do is guess about this stuff and go on mistakes we have made in the past, sometimes we guess lucky, most times not

well that was a pretty simple problem
simply comparing my PC's connections to the new one could have solved that :D
The cause of the problem?
The old PSU didn't have a power cable for that power connection!
Upon (difficultly) connecting my main PC's PSU to the new motherboard, it powered up nice a quick... And as an added bonus I discovered that the suspected Pentium 4 @ 2GHZ was really a P4 @ 3Ghz :D
And the old PSU did have more then enough power... I tested the system a bit more by "borrowing" a PSU from another machine... it only output 180 but did have the white thing, and the system still booted fine!
:D

So now all I gotta do is go out and buy a PSU and the system's up and running!

Thank you!

First time I ever ran into a mobo with that connection I left it off and spent hours trying to figure out what was wrong and I had been getting power supplies with the square 4 pin connector and wondered what in the heck is that for?



Now, that's the first one that get's hooked up.



the computing school of hard knocks

make every mistake and try not to repeat them, I still manage to repeat a few