Testing a motherboard on a table

[forjonny]

I want to test this motherboard without putting it in a case. Trouble is how do you turn on the power without a power switch? Got everything hooked up now I am staring at all the little pins that go to the case power button.

Do I jumper one to get power?

[Sterling_Aug]

You need to jumper the two that is marked Pwr. You can use a metal paper clip.

[forjonny]

I had jumpered them and left the jumper on and it came on for 6 seconds and shut off. Do I leave the jumper on? Or take it off right away?

[forjonny]

Ok, I used a small screw driver and hit the power switch until the fans spin and then take it off and it stays off. Did this several times and with intermediate taps of these two pins I can get the cpu fan to spin slow then fast but on every time I take the screw driver off of the pins the thing dies.

[forjonny]

I just tried a different PS and getting the same thing.

I talked to the previous owner and he said that the power supply blew out. I have four Dimm DDR slots, two blue and two black. I see that there are two black spots on two of the blue sockets pinouts. Looked at one of the DDRs and there is a matching black pins on them. I am using the black dimm slots instead.

I took out the cpu, Pentium 4 2.66 out of this mobo and put it in my computer and it runs fine. I took my 2.4ghz and am using it in this test mobo. So I know the processors are good.

[Sterling_Aug]

I would definitely clean off the balck residue from the RAM sticks. There is nothing you can do to clean out the RAM slots though.

I use a soft pink pencil erasure (do NOT use a grey ink erasure to clean the contacts).
Make sure you wipe off the pencil shavings with a rag, then insert them to test. The RAM may be bad if it got a hit from the power supply.

[bassinvader]

Have you wired up a speaker?
Any bios beep codes?

Sounds like psu has blown more than itself - memory sockets that have a hit like that from teh psu will probably mean memory bus has gone up the kyhber!

Hook up a monitor first and speaker - does it get to POST?
If it gets to Post I reckon you may hear memory bios error beeps?

[forjonny]

ASUS P4C800 Deluxe is the mobo. Pretty much looks like this:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=p4c800&btnG=Google+Search&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

Got the power supply on alright but don't have the 4 pin power connector for the pinout on the mobo. Got the cpu fan and heatsink on and it spins, for 4 seconds. Video is just a PCI right now so I can read the screen. But can't see the screen if it just shuts down.
Maybe it is the 4 pin connector that is holding me up.

I am not using that ram. I have two sticks of 512 for it. Only one has the burned area on two pins so I set it aside. I did try some other DDR ram from another computer. Got the monitor hooked up but in 3 seconds there is not enough time to put anything on the screen.

I will try speaker next.

[BipolarBill]

If the system shuts down after a few seconds, it can't be the power jumpers. Think. It turns on, doesn't it? The switch works, so let's move on.

Something else is causing the motherboard to shut off. It's either a bad CPU fan/connection or a damaged motherboard.

I talked to the previous owner and he said that the power supply blew out.
When power supplies die, they send surges through the motherboard. My guess is that some of your motherboard components were fried by such a surge. Happens all the time.

If it isn't the CPU fan, you need a new motherboard.

[fizur2002]

sounds like the memory controller and ram were taken out by the PSU. Best bet for your client, get a whole new system.

[bassinvader]

If you dont have a bios diagnostic motherboard tester your only bet is the old bios beep codes.

If it is shutting down even before bios test then in my experience the cpu socket is duff!

If memory controller or bus is damaged you would usually get bios beep.

It is the cpu if I remember my digital electronics that loads the address into the memory controller for the bios and bootstraps the machine - if its not even getting to that then im afraid your cpu socket has gone to the dogs!

[forjonny]

Well like I said the cpu is now in my computer and is running. Could the cpu socket blow out without hurting the Pentium 4?
Do I really need the extra 4 pin connector to be hooked up the the mobo? Or will it start without this 4 pin connection called ATX12v?

Don't have one to test with unless I take it out of my own pc.

Tried another fan/heatsink and got the same thing.

[BipolarBill]

Um, what is it about "blown motherboard" that you don't understand? It's shot. The power supply killed it. Whether it's the socket, memory controller, MOSFET or purple birdcage tranducer, it still needs replacement. Since it does, the 4-pin connector is a non-issue, isn't it?

[forjonny]

I was told that if I don't have the four pin connector that it will not start and that should be checked before I dump the mobo.

I have had other mobos with the four pin connector PS that started from a power supply that did not have the four pin in the past.

Some says that there is not enough power in my older power supplies to get this mobo to keep running.

So at this time I don't have a ps to use except for my own. Maybe I will take out my PS and give it a go. If not then I will send it to the trash.

Just want to be sure. This mobo sold for $170. Got the receipt.

Ya know what I mean?

[BipolarBill]

I know what you mean - the 4-pin power connector that is sometimes grafted onto the main 20-pin ATX motherboard connector.

You can beg or borrow for a loaner to test, but I bet that the motherboard is dead. It's really rare when a blown PSU spares the motherboard.

[bassinvader]

Ah Bpb but you are forgetting the lime-green oscillating twin sprangled flinge flange!
Without this the mosfet hyper birdcage transducer will not give a sufficient output to enable the motherboard to attain hyperspeed velocity and hence enter witch space!

Tut tut!!!

>;O)_

But yes I digress the 4 pin socket from what is See for this motherboard does need to be attached to allow bootup!

Worth a last go but I agree with Bill its probably a goner!
Ive got an oscilloscope , logic probes , multimeter and testing gear if you need it = only $170 a day!
>;o)

[forjonny]

I took a PS out of a pc that I had and got the whole thing spinning. Still nothing at all on the screen. Switched out a few video cards in various slots, pci and agp. Switched out different rams and not a glitch on the screen.

I take it it's toasted.

[bassinvader]

Like a mcdonalds hot and mustardy toastie thing!

You could always stick it on ebay - they will buy anything on there!

Ive just seen some fried laptop hard disks go for $80
I mean what does someone want with that tat?

Sheez!

[BipolarBill]

You could always stick it on ebay - they will buy anything on there!I hope that you're not serious.

[bassinvader]

Advertised as faulty of course...

Have you not seen the number of faulty laptops for sale Bill?

I guess some repair guys make a good living out of it but its too much like hard work!
Revitalising old pcs is a mugs game!

[forjonny]

I have sold some dead junk on Ebay but told them about it.