Desktop

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Sudden death

0 helpful
15 replies

by escofalles 1 view

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
I built a PC with the following specs: 6VIA81P ATX m/b from acorp, Pentium III 800 MHz EB processor, 128 MB PC 133 RAM, ATI Rage fury maxx AGP video card, US robotics 56k winmodem, vortex advantage soundcard and a netgear etherfast 10/100 nic card.The problem is that the system that has worked great for 2 weeks suddenly died today! I shut it down to take out the nic card that wasn't working properly and when I went to turn it back on it started to go through the BIOS and then shut off (I don't know when in BIOS it shut off because I wasn't paying attention). So when I tried to turn it on again nothing happened. I replaced the power supply and nothing happened still. I took out all the cards except video and nothing. I don't get a beep or fans but sometime the HDD LED on the front panel lights up for a split second. One time when I wiggled the little power switch wires in the front panel it seemed like it was going to start but then stopped again so I took the little switch outand put one in from my other computer but nothing...put the old one back and nothing..........I'm hoping the m/b is not bad.............HELP!

15 replies

by craig haunch

It does sound like the m/b has blown but you can try this out.
On the m/b there are connectors for things like the hdd led, speaker, power led and one for power. If you take all the connections off these and then place a screwdriver over the 2 pins that are for the power, this gives power to the motherboard (like an on/off switch) This might work as could be faulty cable to the power pins. If it doesn't work then the m/b is duff as this does work on working m/bs.
Hope this helps

by escofalles

I tried the screwdriver thing and several other things so I'm assuming the M/B is bad. I'll just have to get a better one! Who's ever heard of Acorp anyway?!?!

by espet

Try unplugging everything except the video card and the memory stick. Reseat the power plugs and the memory. See if you can at least get into the bios at this point. If you are still dead in the water, then I would contact your vendor and start the RMA process. Good luck.

by mm212

It could be the motherboard, but I'd bet on the power supply. Change that out with a spare or else buy a new case with one built in and you should be back up and running.

by retrojohnny

I noticed you said you had already replaced the power supply. You can test the power supply while it is OUT of the system to see if it is even sending power. Just plug it in and plug in a spare 80mm case fan and see if it spins.

It -does- soundlike a problem with the motherboard. Another good thing to check is to make sure the wires and solder points on the BACK of the board aren't too long and touching the case (grounded)... this could short the board and anything connected to it.

Inregards to answer #1... a SCREWDRIVER to substitute for a power switch? Never heard that before, and don't think I'd want to try it, either, IMHO...

by it admin

My friend in my opion try changing the Graphic card cause mine is the same and it gives me a lot of trouble even if for testing you get a simple 8MB agp card to start.

If not try these three clean the contacts of the RAM module and the Graphic card nad try it again on, if nothing happens try to with another CPU.

Good luck for now.

by dave mccann

I had a simular problem with my system at home. It ended up being the power switch. Most power suplies come with a new switch so if yours did when you replaced it just ignor this reply. If not, try pulling one from another computer to see if thats it. New switches are only a couple bucks each...

This discussion is closed to new replies.