As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

PC Won't POST - Which Part is the Bad One?

Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat PersonBostonRegistered User regular
My rig was purring like a kitten for the longest time. One night, I boot it up, things are going well, I log in to my guild's Mumble server and BOOM... the whole system shuts off. Initially, I would turn the system back on, it would POST, both screens would come on for about 5-10 seconds, then the screens would shut off, but the machine would continue to load the OS. Drunkenly frustrated, I decided to just turn the computer off and deal with it later so as to avoid causing damage to the machine (I completely ruined a CPU once by trying to fix a PC once while drunk).

Later came and the same thing would happen. So I began unplugging everything and only had the mobo, CPU, RAM, PSU, and graphics card installed. Now it won't even POST. I've removed all but 1 stick of RAM (doesn't matter which stick) and the same thing. I've cleared CMOS, yet nada. The fans start up and the lights look all pretty, but the monitor just says it's going into standby and no POST.

So with those three crucial parts, which could it be? I could see a close-to-dead PSU giving me a problem by not providing enough juice (it's a 750w with no newly added hardware). I could also see that the mobo finally bit the dust on me, which would cause that, but there are no blown capacitors to indicate a dead mobo. I doubt all 4 of my RAM sticks are causing a problem, although I've read about how high-performance RAM can cause issues on mobos which doesn't have the setting in BIOS set to use such voltage by default (I reset CMOS, so it could be the case). I also don't think it's the GPU, because the damn system won't even POST. Or is it my CPU that actually shit the bed? I know a dead CPU is rare, but I'm completely at a loss right now and I spend every night looking over at her, hugging her and telling her it'll be okay.

Aside from the obvious problem of not being to use my computer, each of these parts is at least $100, and I'm not too keen on the idea of replacing more than one (unless needed). If I do that, I might as well just rebuild from scratch.

Anyone have any ideas? I don't care how novice or silly of an idea/suggestion it may be. I'll take anything at this point. Maybe I missed something really stupid and over looked it because I was over thinking the whole problem. I do this a lot and typically play dumb so that I hear all suggestions, from most simplistic to more advanced. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
Le_Goat on

Posts

  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    edited March 2013
    Does it give you a beep code? Have you tried reseating the processor (fixed one of my issues this way, believe it or not)?

    urahonky on
  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    No beep code because it won't POST. I even reseated the internal speaker in case it came loose while I was removing all the cables.

    I have not reseated the processor yet. Every time I have gotten to the point of deciding I may try that, I'm already pissed off, which is never a good time to handle sensitive equipment. May I'll try that tomorrow.

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    edited March 2013
    Try reapplying thermal paste. Most of that points to an overheating issue. That being said, I discovered I recently received a DOA vidcard; which I discovered because the computer wouldn't POST.

    You didn't list HDD on the list above. Do you have the OS hard drive attached?

    Mugsley on
  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    edited March 2013
    I don't have any spare paste, but it's cheap and easy to get. Maybe I can try that when I reseat the CPU.

    For the video card, I can always borrow one from work to test out, and then bring my card into work to test. Wouldn't hurt to cross that off of the list. However, I don't think a bad GPU would cause the system to not POST; I very well could be wrong.

    I didn't list the HDDs because I unplugged them from the system to test the core parts. Even without the HDDs installed, the system should still POST and then say that no disk was detected. Currently, I can't even get into BIOS to even mess around with RAM voltage setting to cross that off the list.

    Le_Goat on
    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • AiouaAioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    Does your graphics card draw power directly from the psu, or get it all from the motherboard?

    My money's on the power supply. Can you get another to test with?

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    @Aioua It draws directly from the PSU. I'm honestly hoping the problem is just with the PSU, partly because I've wanted a new one for a while. I'll have to dig through our old machines at work to see if there is a spare PSU I can use for testing purposes.

    Thank you guys so far for your input; it is greatly appreciated. Hopefully I'll be able to test your suggestions this weekend.

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • Bendery It Like BeckhamBendery It Like Beckham Hopeless Registered User regular
    Aioua wrote: »
    Does your graphics card draw power directly from the psu, or get it all from the motherboard?

    My money's on the power supply. Can you get another to test with?

    Second

    reseating the processor probably won't fix anything if it's been working fine for such a long time. My money is on the PSU.

  • SoggybiscuitSoggybiscuit Tandem Electrostatic Accelerator Registered User regular
    I had a similar problem to this happen to me a couple of years ago. Do you have a graphics card laying around that you could try (or borrow)? I thought it was the PSU in my case and I even bought a new one. It turn turned out to be the graphics card.

    Steam - Synthetic Violence | XBOX Live - Cannonfuse | PSN - CastleBravo | Twitch - SoggybiscuitPA
  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    My dumb ass forgot to bring home the spare graphics card this weekend. Maybe I can test that tonight while watching Game of Thrones S3:E1 for the fourth time.

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    Le_Goat wrote: »
    For the video card, I can always borrow one from work to test out, and then bring my card into work to test. Wouldn't hurt to cross that off of the list. However, I don't think a bad GPU would cause the system to not POST; I very well could be wrong.

    I've built systems for over 10 years and I thought the same thing. Then I got a DOA 7950 that wouldn't show a picture on the monitor at all. Pop my old 4850 back in: boot up no prob.

    Good luck!

  • KharnastusKharnastus Registered User regular
    my experience with things not posting has normally ended up with dead motherboards...

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Another vote for GPU issue--even if you have a good PSU, a GPU that's too power-thirsty will keep you from POST, so a sudden PSU failure or something wrong with the GPU could be the culprit.

  • DockenDocken Registered User regular
    I have had this problem once - it resulted in a blown out CPU and Mobo... happened just like you - everything was fine until it suddenly died.

    You may not see any blown capacitors, but check to make sure they are all the right shape... my problem was essentially a short in the board which blew out the CPU. Hard drives, GPU and RAM were all fine and were slotted into a new system.

  • DraygoDraygo Registered User regular
    Le_Goat wrote: »
    No beep code because it won't POST. I even reseated the internal speaker in case it came loose while I was removing all the cables.

    I have not reseated the processor yet. Every time I have gotten to the point of deciding I may try that, I'm already pissed off, which is never a good time to handle sensitive equipment. May I'll try that tomorrow.

    Primary cause of such things can be the PSU very easily. Had something similar recently. Specifically it was a PSU cable that was the problem.

    May I ask what your motherboard model number is?

  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    I'm trying to find spare parts still, so I haven't been able to do thorough testing yet.
    Draygo wrote: »
    May I ask what your motherboard model number is?
    Gigabyte 890FXA-UD5

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • EnderEnder Registered User regular
    This is funny, since I'm having the same problem. I don't mean to hijack, just seems like the place to put it.

    I just upgraded my mobo, CPU and RAM. I used my working video card from previous. I installed everything, and I get nothing as well. No POST, no beep, nada. I know one of the case fan ports wasn't working, I swapped the fan to another port and that one worked.

    There's a diagnostic LED on the board, but that isn't even lighting up. I unplugged everything from the PSU except the mobo, and still nothing. I'm doubting the PSU, since it was working fine right before I took it apart. I do know the CPU fan and all fans plugged into the mobo are working, so it's getting power.

  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    @Ender I looks like our problems are very much related. The vote tallies so far are the PSU, which I think I'm going to try first. The problem I have right now is funding issues, so if you try a known good PSU with enough juice, feel free to share your results.

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • FoomyFoomy Registered User regular
    edited April 2013
    Did you already make sure that there isn't something that is grounding out the motherboard somewhere?

    try taking everything out of the case and run it on top of a piece of cardboard to remove any chance that something could be grounding to the case.

    even something as small as a fan or usb header wire that's slightly worn and rubbing against the case can cause a weird grounding issue that will prevent the computer from post.

    and then also see if you can get access to a multimeter, then take the psu on it's own without plugged into anything and then follow this guide to check on what your psu is outputting: http://www.ochardware.com/articles/psuvolt/psuvolt.html

    Foomy on
    Steam Profile: FoomyFooms
  • EnderEnder Registered User regular
    edited April 2013
    Bah. I'll have to figure that out. I might go out tonight to get one, otherwise I'll have to order online and wait a few days. I'll let you know what I find.

    edit: yeah, I live in a goddamn podunk town, that doesn't have a good computer store. I'll have to wait until next week for a new PSU to show up.

    Ender on
  • DraygoDraygo Registered User regular
    Le_Goat wrote: »
    I'm trying to find spare parts still, so I haven't been able to do thorough testing yet.
    Draygo wrote: »
    May I ask what your motherboard model number is?
    Gigabyte 890FXA-UD5

    I don't see a buzzer on the schematic, I could be overlooking it - but I don't see it. See if you can get a case buzzer and plug it into the speaker pins on the motherboard (in the F_Panel pin block). Its possible its trying to emit a beep code, but with no buzzer you cant hear it.

  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    @Draygo It's plugged in, but I'll reseat it again. Couldn't hurt to try.

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • EnderEnder Registered User regular
    So, as a final update, it does appear it was my power supply. Just installed my new one, and after a few fits and starts, got everything working.

  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    @Ender Thanks for the update. Maybe I'll buy one this weekend. Maybe get one of those nice ones with detachable cables so you only have the ones you need plugged in instead of causing a jumbled mess inside... there goes my funds for my next batch of homebrew...

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    edited May 2013
    SHE LIVES!!!!!!!!! It was the PSU.

    A big thanks to everyone who contributed.

    Le_Goat on
    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • FredZ89FredZ89 Huehuehueh Registered User regular
    Sorry to revive an old thread, but thanks to everyone on this thread, I might be able to fix my PC. I have the exact same problems as Le_Goat was having, and I was starting to think it might be the PSU dying. I'll try a new one this weekend and hopefully my PC will live once again! :D

    Currently Playing: MH4U
    My Steam profile
    3DS: 1435-3951-4785
  • urahonkyurahonky Registered User regular
    Keeping a mental note for next time. :P

  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    FredZ89 wrote: »
    Sorry to revive an old thread, but thanks to everyone on this thread, I might be able to fix my PC. I have the exact same problems as Le_Goat was having, and I was starting to think it might be the PSU dying. I'll try a new one this weekend and hopefully my PC will live once again! :D
    Hey, if it helps you fix your PC, revive what you need to. I hope that it's just your PSU.

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
  • FredZ89FredZ89 Huehuehueh Registered User regular
    Well the new powersupply didn't fix my PC, so my guess is that the mobo is dead. I knew I would have to change it sooner or later, so I'll probably buy a new mobo / CPU in a few months.

    I'll stay on my 2010 Macbook and game on my PS3/3DS for a while I guess, maybe play a few games here and there on the Macbook (with crappy settings).

    Currently Playing: MH4U
    My Steam profile
    3DS: 1435-3951-4785
  • Le_GoatLe_Goat Frechified Goat Person BostonRegistered User regular
    @FredZ89 Are there any blown capacitors that you see on the board? Usually a dead mobo won't even let the PC turn on at all, so if it is coming on and just not POSTing, it may not be the mobo. I just personally hate replacing the mobo as it's a royal pain in the ass.

    While I agree that being insensitive is an issue, so is being oversensitive.
Sign In or Register to comment.