Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
A broken computer and power issues - howto diagnose?
22 views
Skip to first unread message
Veek M
Jul 11, 2015, 9:58:45 AM7/11/15
to
Someone dropped off a broken computer about 15 days ago. The only symptoms
were that it didn't boot-BIOS/no-cpu-fan but greem-led-on-mobo was on.
I swapped out the PSU, etc and end result was that the CPU fan was toast
(didn't spin on a 3-wire header) and so was a gfx card (tried to POST on the
VGA of a working box - PCIe card)
Got it working and sent it back - put in a new fan) - unfortunately today,
the box is dead again. This time: the fan's fine, but the mobo cpu-fan won't
spin at all (no boot-bios) no matter what i do (swapped the PSU, ram, etc).
Green mobo-led is on (same as before).
I tested the cpu-fan (4-wire) on a 3-wire header and the fan spun up but
that doesn't exclude the possibility of a the ctrl line on the fan being
damaged.
1. What should I do?
2. Would it be reasonably honest to tell him to buy a new pc? I'll have to
junk the PSU/mobo/cpu/ and possibly ram too.
3. How do i exclude power issues (bad smps, wall power)? How likely is this
to be the cause of his misfortune?
(it's not a cmos issue, new battery, flushed cmos etc)
were that it didn't boot-BIOS/no-cpu-fan but greem-led-on-mobo was on.
I swapped out the PSU, etc and end result was that the CPU fan was toast
(didn't spin on a 3-wire header) and so was a gfx card (tried to POST on the
VGA of a working box - PCIe card)
Got it working and sent it back - put in a new fan) - unfortunately today,
the box is dead again. This time: the fan's fine, but the mobo cpu-fan won't
spin at all (no boot-bios) no matter what i do (swapped the PSU, ram, etc).
Green mobo-led is on (same as before).
I tested the cpu-fan (4-wire) on a 3-wire header and the fan spun up but
that doesn't exclude the possibility of a the ctrl line on the fan being
damaged.
1. What should I do?
2. Would it be reasonably honest to tell him to buy a new pc? I'll have to
junk the PSU/mobo/cpu/ and possibly ram too.
3. How do i exclude power issues (bad smps, wall power)? How likely is this
to be the cause of his misfortune?
(it's not a cmos issue, new battery, flushed cmos etc)
jurb...@gmail.com
Jul 11, 2015, 12:20:31 PM7/11/15
to
When you have a dead PC start removing things. In fact everything except the processor. With no RAM, no cards, no drives, ANYTHING connected except the processor and the power supply it should beep. Usually like three beeps or whatever in a row, and then it repeats.
If it does not do that, either the power supply, processor or motherboard are bad.
If it does not do that, either the power supply, processor or motherboard are bad.
Veek M
Jul 11, 2015, 10:46:45 PM7/11/15
to
Anyway, yep, that's how i did it (removed all the case wiring/drives). The
thing is, the first time the mobo conked, the fan was defective.. i put in a
new fan and the thing started up nicely.
What I don't understand is:
1. Is it normal for parts to drop dead like this: 1st the gfx card & fan -
which feel like odd components to fail (the gfx card feeds of the PCIe but
the fan ought to be way more robust). Then the mobo|cpu conked - the psu is
fine, i swapped it out so unless it's (psu) generating transients..
2. How do I rule out the psu or wall power. I'll probably tell emm to get an
i5 for gaming etc so obviously I don't want that to conk on my watch due to
bad wall power.
I don't have a data logging multimeter but do those things record
transients?
Also would a mobo tester help (me thinks that requires POST)
0 new messages