So if your computer's processor dies...

[Newc]

...what's the first thing you'll notice?

So far in the last month I've replaced my power supply (cut off by itself and didn't come on till I bumped a wire while removing a drive), replaced my video card thinking it was toast because the monitor would not come on when I turned the computer on (monitor checked fine with my Laptop's Monitor Out - I'm using it now), then I replaced the motherboard and moved the CPU from the old board to the new one.

Still get the same thing - I turn the computer on, the drives spin up like they should, but the monitor never shows a pic - just the yellow sleep light. If I turn the monitor off and back on, it says "No Signal", but as I said, I have the monitor in question conected to my laptop right now and it's fine, so it's not the monitor.

I'm thinking it's the CPU (P4 2.8GHz 478 pin jobby) or my main drive is toast (with 7 hard drives, I'm sure it's easy to miss one).

I'll test the main drive after this, but does anyone have any ideas on this? I'm about to go Namesake on this thing [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[ApeDosMil]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

If the processor is fubered that sounds like what it would do. For the pc to fully function it needs a processor so it will not get far.

Unplug EVERYTHING except videocard, ram, processor and NOTHING ELSE.

Have you resetted the bios? Does it make any beeping noises? Is your internal speaker even plugged in to the motherboard?

Try one stick of ram if you have more than one as well than switch if it doesn't work.



There are a lot of possibilites, just need to cancel everything out.

[sully]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

you've got 7 hard drives in there? crazy, man.

[DonP]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

7 hard drive and a high current CPU - are you using a good powersupply? How many watts? If you replace the blown PS with an underrated one, it might do as you are saying.

Do what Michael says. If you get it to boot, start adding in stuff one-by-one until it dies.

[ApeDosMil]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

ya, keep the ram in as well, I forgot that part. try to keep it to one stick. if that doesn't work, than switch sticks. if you only have one stick of ram and it doesn't work, I suggest trying to acquire some ram from someone to try.

[rjohnstone]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

Sounds like your power supply is insufficient.
With 7 drives, you need at least a 450 watt power supply.
I'm running 6 drives in mine with a 500 watt power supply.
If you are using a lot of cooling fans and/or a high end video card... ATI Radeaon or nVidia FX series, 450 watts is the minimum.
A bad CPU can show more symptoms than I can count.
It all depends on what part (L1/L2 cache or the core itself) of the CPU was actualy damaged.

[SeventhSon]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

If you have a bad CPU, your computer won't even POST (power on self test).

[rjohnstone]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

[ QUOTE ]
If you have a bad CPU, your computer won't even POST (power on self test).

[/ QUOTE ]
Not true. See my previous post.
The words "bad CPU" are too general... if you had a dead CPU... it wouldn't POST.

[jgcable]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

It could be alot of things.
CPU
Motherboard
Ram
Power supply
I had a bad modem card once that messed up my entire system.
The best way to check is to systematically remove every thing one by one and hope the problem goes away.

[Newc]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

RAM and board are brand new - ASUS P4P800VM with 2 Kingston 1GB sticks of RAM, 500w power supply, ATI Radeon 9550 video card.

I unplugged all the drives (power cables, not the IDE cables) except for the system drive to make sure it was spinning up (had that problem once before) but it does spin up. I get no video signal whatsoever - not even to the built-in video on the board.

[ApeDosMil]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

Did you reset the bios? Ram can be defective new, try one and the other, and is your internal speaker plugged in? It could be giving off beeps and you don't even know it.

[hippietim]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like your power supply is insufficient.
With 7 drives, you need at least a 450 watt power supply.
I'm running 6 drives in mine with a 500 watt power supply.
If you are using a lot of cooling fans and/or a high end video card... ATI Radeaon or nVidia FX series, 450 watts is the minimum.
<font color="red">A bad CPU can show more symptoms than I can count.</font>
It all depends on what part (L1/L2 cache or the core itself) of the CPU was actualy damaged.

[/ QUOTE ]

Newc - read this post - it is wise

[Newc]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

I've got the internal speaker plugged in, and it worked on my old board, but there's no beeps.

Just to clarify regarding the internal conectors, each connector has an arrow on one end - this matches up with Pin 1 of a given connection point, correct?

[rjohnstone]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

The pin-outs for motherboard connections vary from vendor to vendor. That's my main issue/gripe, case manufacturers and MB makers need to talk to each other about standardizing pin-out assignments. Anyway...
So if you get nothing from it one way, flip it.
I usualy do this with the LED's (harmless if you put it on backwards) to get a baseline for the rest of the connections.
It is starting to point at your CPU though... you've pretty much eliminated everything else.
No video on power up can only be 1 of 3 things.
Bad MB
Bad video card
Dead CPU... MB won't enter POST if CPU is fried.
Even with trashed memory, you would still get a POST screen.

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: So if your computer\'s processor dies...

when you're walking across the living room, keep your fingers off the leads on the memory or you can short them. i've had more rma's because of this, it was a pain in the ass.