I have a HP M1270N Media Center PC with a Puffer M-UL8E [proprietary ASUS PTGD1-LA] mobo. It ran flawlessly for about 1-2 yrs. Then it started acting up with various black screen Windows Boot “config sys” error messages, and finally failed with no POST/Video/boot at all. Only the PS/fans came on.. After T/S for obvious PwrSupply/Video Card/etc issues, I tried replacing the P4 LGPA-775 3.0GHz processor.It booted right up, as if nothing had happened. I tried rebooting and entering BIOS, to verify settings were still correct. At that point the screen froze, even though everything still appeared to be running. Subsequent boots resulted in no POST/Video/boot at all. Only PS/Fans came on.
I totally opened up the PC so I could closely inspect the Mobo/etc, as I suspected dirt/paper clip/etc. [I had gotten the PC free from a friend only VERY slightly used, but stripped of Processor/HDD/Ram/CMOS battery–the battery tells you something!!–anyway, gave to my best friend-78yrs old for Xmas. Now jhe has a replacement, but need to get this put to bed.]. It was then that I noticed the two electrolytic capacitors next to the two RAM slots [PC3200] had bulging tops and one had a leaky bottom. All other caps on the Mobo appear normal/good. I assume the capacitors are used for RAM refresh, as there is one by each slot [the reason the screen froze, it the RAM was not being refreshed, so all the video buffer has was its last input]. I will have to determine if capacitor replacement [personally or professionally done], is an option at all, somewhere down the line, but that is not germane to my question. I am inquiring if the processors are any good at all [the original and replacement]. Morever, if I install them into a good Mobo as a test will they do any damage to the mobo. I am building a new PC for myself with an Intel D915GEV mobo that uses a 775 processor.I have read a lot of documentation on the web about the 3.3V regulators in the processor/etc, but nothing definitive beyond that. If not, does anyone know another site to inquire at. [Not to blow smoke up your ***. but T/R forum IS the best !!]. I’ve looked at badcaps.com and capacitorlabs.com, but no luck. In any event, thank you all in advance for your time and consideration to this issue.
Sam [just another “OF”]