BB: Dead computer, to replace mobo or buy a new one
Morgan
POST beeps, keyboard lights flash, but nothing else. After trying all
sorts of things (including disconnecting the HDs, RAM and CMOS battery),
I've determined that the motherboard is dead. Given that this is a
four-year-old box, I'm not too surprised, so the only thing left to decide
is what to do about it.
My sister, the Mac-person, tried to sell us on a Mini, but comparing it
with what I can get in a PC for a similar price point (especially since
the price of a Mac would include buying Windows to install as a dual
boot), I'm sticking with a PC. The one I found first, that can be used as
sort of a benchmark for roughly what we're looking for, is:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227184
I'm also considering just replacing the mobo, which of course means new
CPU and RAM (the 184-Pin DDR I just bought a few months ago won't work in
any of the new boards). I probably wouldn't be considering this option if
I hadn't just got a GeForce 8400 GS video card in August and a 500W PSU in
September. The board I'm replacing (eMachines T6524) is:
http://www.e4allupgraders.info/dir1/motherboards/socket939/msi7184.shtml
so a new board can't be any bigger than 24.4cm X 24.4cm.
Advice sought: pros and cons of replacing the mobo/CPU/RAm as opposed to
buying a whole new computer, and definitely advice on choosing a mobo and
CPU.
Thanks!
Morgan /|\
David
<ljw-mot...@invalid.invalid> typed:
That's the way that I went. I had a case with a power supply and
simply added the M/B, CPU, RAM and, in my case, a video card. I also
had to purchase a new HDD since the M/B supports SATA rather than
PATA. It only has one PATA port and six SATA ports.
All up it cost me around $AU1200.00 to which I would have had to add
another hundred dollars or so for a case if purchasing a complete
machine.
--
David
No email replies please.
Tomorrow, this will be part of the unchangeable past but fortunately,
it can still be changed today.
Marten Kemp
If you get keyboard lights I'd suspect that your board may be good
and only the CPU has been fried. You might look into going to eBay
for a compatible CPU. Make sure your CPU fan spins freely and
replace it if it doesn't - the fan might have allowed the CPU to
get fried.
I'm assuming you don't have a 'known-good' CPU to swap in for testing.
--
-- Marten Kemp (Fix ISP to reply)
You can't help being ignorant 'cause there's always
something you don't know; what you can't be is stupid.
Desideria
Morgan, I've sent this question (and Marten's reply) on to Denny. As
he builds our computers, he may have some other ideas.
Desideria
Hanging Jester
news:op.u3ve9ql26isimy@chozo:
Are you certain that it isn't a bad power supply? You could always
borrow one from another computer to check that first. On the other hand,
if it is a bad motherboard on a fairly new computer, you may be able
find the same or a revision (preferably from the same maker,) of your
motherboard online, and you wouldn't have to go through the possible
hassles of making the old hard-drive/operating system work with a new
motherboard. (I've run into a few motherboards that refuse to boot with
a transplanted hard-drive/operating system from an older computer.)
~ Jester
Marten Kemp
> borrow one from another computer to check that first. On the other hand,
> if it is a bad motherboard on a fairly new computer, you may be able
> find the same or a revision (preferably from the same maker,) of your
> motherboard online, and you wouldn't have to go through the possible
> hassles of making the old hard-drive/operating system work with a new
> motherboard. (I've run into a few motherboards that refuse to boot with
> a transplanted hard-drive/operating system from an older computer.)
Jester, I think that the keyboard lights blinking indicates
that the PSU is probably working. The lights blink when the
keyboard controller's reset which happens when the board
gets the power-good indicator from the PSU. Of course, the
various voltages could be too low to make things run but IME
that's less likely if the power-good signal's being generated.
David
typed:
>On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:23:40 -0800, Morgan <ljw-mot...@invalid.invalid>
>wrote:
>
>
>>Advice sought: pros and cons of replacing the mobo/CPU/RAm as opposed to
>>buying a whole new computer, and definitely advice on choosing a mobo and
>
>I've personally had good luck with Gigabyte and Asus motherboards. I wouldn't
>touch an Abit motherboard.
>
I've had good results with all of those but I keep coming back to
Gigabyte.
--
David
No email replies please.
There is a 20% chance of tomorrow.
Sean Cleary
> On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:11:59 -0500, Mike Huskey <mike...@nospam.com>
> typed:
>
> >On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:23:40 -0800, Morgan <ljw-motzare...@invalid.invalid>
> >wrote:
>
> >>Advice sought: pros and cons of replacing the mobo/CPU/RAm as opposed to
> >>buying a whole new computer, and definitely advice on choosing a mobo and
>
> >I've personally had good luck with Gigabyte and Asus motherboards. I wouldn't
> >touch an Abit motherboa
>
> Gigabyte.
> --
> David
> No email replies please.
> There is a 20% chance of tomorrow.
You can get someting that will do most jobs and gaming on ebay for
less than $200.
Sean
Morgan
I forgot to mention that all the fans are also working just fine, so I
know it's getting at least some power. It just doesn't boot.
Morgan /|\
Desideria
<ljw-mot...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
Morgan, Denny's email reply is below, interspersed with your original
post and Marten's' reply:
> Morgan wrote:
> > On the 13th of all days, our computer shut down and won't reboot -- no
> > POST beeps, keyboard lights flash, but nothing else. After trying all
> > sorts of things (including disconnecting the HDs, RAM and CMOS
> battery),
> > I've determined that the motherboard is dead. Given that this is a
> > four-year-old box, I'm not too surprised, so the only thing left to
> > decide is what to do about it.
> >
> > My sister, the Mac-person, tried to sell us on a Mini, but comparing it
> > with what I can get in a PC for a similar price point (especially since
> > the price of a Mac would include buying Windows to install as a dual
> > boot), I'm sticking with a PC. The one I found first, that can be used
> > as sort of a benchmark for roughly what we're looking for, is:
> >
> > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227184
graphically, that machine is underpowered; it claims to be for gaming
but games need a lot more graphics power than it has.
Not that your 8400 GS says "I'm a hardcore gamer"--so I suspect that's
not your concern.
> >
> > I'm also considering just replacing the mobo, which of course means new
> > CPU and RAM (the 184-Pin DDR I just bought a few months ago won't work
> > in any of the new boards). I probably wouldn't be considering this
> > option if I hadn't just got a GeForce 8400 GS video card in August
> and a
> > 500W PSU in September. The board I'm replacing (eMachines T6524) is:
> >
> > http://www.e4allupgraders.info/dir1/motherboards/socket939/msi7184.shtml
> >
> > so a new board can't be any bigger than 24.4cm X 24.4cm.
> >
> > Advice sought: pros and cons of replacing the mobo/CPU/RAm as
> opposed to
> > buying a whole new computer, and definitely advice on choosing a mobo
> > and CPU.
Assuming, as I do, that your 500W power supply is a good one, I'd do
the
transplant (mobo/cpu/RAM).
You could, as Martin suggests, try finding a replacement socket 939
cpu,
but frankly, I have a very low opinion of the motherboard you have
now.
I don't know the current AMD cpus and chipsets well enough to make any
specific suggestions there; I do know the Intel stuff.
My recommendation would be--and of course there's the financial side
of
things to consider--a board built on the P55 chipset (socket 1156),
which means the cpu would be one of the new Core i5 ones. Only one of
those on the market right now, but you'd be good for quite awhile.
Uses
DDR3.
You'll likely sooner or later want to go with a 64-bit OS (Win 7
64-bit,
frex) if for no other reason that you can then use more than 3 GB of
memory.
(you can install more than 3 with 32-bit OS, but can't USE more than 3
of it)
-denny-
(not really 'here')
Desideria
Marten Kemp
More evidence pointing to a failed CPU and not the board.