My Big Machine ... dead

[KG4CGC]

My main computer that I do most of my work on has taken the big dirt nap.
What started out as an HP a1610n was upgraded over time with pieces and parts to speed it up.
I replaced all the 533/553 ram with 667, replaced the AMD 4200 dual core with a 6000+, upgraded to a 600 watt power supply and added a GeForce 8500 digital graphics card and an ASTC digital television card just for grins.

I realize that this is small potatoes to most of you guys who build real computers but it worked very well and very fast for me and the picture resolution was excellent for photo editing and video rendering.

Friday evening it started having issues. Eventually, and in short order, the picture just wouldn't come up. You know, turn it on and the screen comes up with system info and what-not before it starts loading the OS. On off, restart, no picture and the mouse optics wouldn't come either if I left it on to see what it would do.

With my usual luck with PC PS's, I tested that first and changed out power supplies.
Same deal.
Next I changed out the CPU, going back to the old 4200. Same deal. I also know I'm getting good contact with the heatsink because I just changed out the frame that holds it down via the clips a week ago.
Pulled out the video card and changed cables to use the onboard VGA graphics.
Same deal.
Pulled out the TV card just to see ... nothing.
Next I tested the 2032 battery on the MB. It tested out at 3.12VDC.
Removed the storage HD, test, nada.
Pulled the main HD, put in a brand new virgin HD, nothing.
No start up info screen and the mouse never comes up.
Mother board, That's all that's left and I ruled out the ram because it just isn't a ram issue.

Any other ideas?

Assuming now that it is the MB, I need a decent MB that holds 4 strips of ram with an AM2 socket and a PCI Express slot for the graphics card.

I'm looking at an Asus M4A785-M. What say you?
Any info would be appreciated.

[W2NAP]

could just build a new box. for prob under 250

check tiger direct.

[KG4CGC]

If my only choice was to replace the motherboard with one just like out of China for $125 then I would consider the option you are suggesting. Right now I have to go with replacing the MB with the one I found above. I think it will really blow my mind. It sounds like a great set up.

You should see this giant I'm on for back up. Reminds me of how long we've come in size and performance. I think it's a 586 I'm just not sure which flavor. Looking at the screws that hold down the heatsink, I'll guess Intel.

[W2NAP]

using a 90s giant eh?

[KG4CGC]

The case is huge and it's so old, (how old is it?) It's so old that it's got rust.

[NQ6U]

My favorite computer diagnostic tool:

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz79/gyrogeerloose/sledgehammer.jpg

[KG4CGC]

Looks more like a generator diagnostic tool to me.
Maybe even a New York tool.

[NQ6U]

Works well when troubleshooting SMD circuit boards and is great on mobile phones, too.

[W3MIV]

I agree with IBC ---> go to Tiger Direct and look at mobos. My guess would be that your BIOS chips have failed, which is why you are not getting started. Of course, there is far more sophisticated assistance here -- if anyone would check in -- that might show me to be wrong (hate that word).

Tiger also has a range of mobo/CPU deals and kits that might be your best way to go. In my opinion, it is crazy to install an old CPU and memory on a new mobo when the cost of multi-core CPUs is as low as it is. Don't overlook AMD ---> I am posting this from an AMD dual-core that I use for some heavy-duty photoshopping (the mobo cost me about $75 and the Athlon 64x2 6000+ was only $60 when I bought it. They are way past that now and the performance is good.

Remember, with PhotoShop the important work is being done by the CPU and not by the graphics card. Unless you are doing a lot of video or 3d gaming, etc, the graphics card will not have to push a bazillion pixels around the screen. The 600watt supply should be more than adequate -- I am using a 450w unit here and running a nVidia 9500 with 1GB onboard RAM.

Good luck.

[KG4CGC]

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying because I have a 6000+.

[KG4CGC]

And now my favorite monitor goes kaput! GRRR! It just turned off and won't come back on.
Should I suspect power supply?

[W3WN]

And now my favorite monitor goes kaput! GRRR! It just turned off and won't come back on.
Should I suspect power supply?I think someone is trying to tell you something. Like you spend too much time on the computer...

Yes, my first guess would be the Power Supply... or even the on/off button.

[W2NAP]

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=500255&CatId=332

MSI 785GTM-E45 DiabloTek Barebones Kit - MSI 785GTM-E45 Motherboard, AMD Phenom X4 9750 CPU, CPU Fan, Patriot 2GB DDR2 RAM, Seagate 500GB HDD, DiabloTek Elite ATX-Mid Tower Case, 450W Power Supply

quad core

[KG4CGC]

That's a good deal!
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=500255&CatId=332

MSI 785GTM-E45 DiabloTek Barebones Kit - MSI 785GTM-E45 Motherboard, AMD Phenom X4 9750 CPU, CPU Fan, Patriot 2GB DDR2 RAM, Seagate 500GB HDD, DiabloTek Elite ATX-Mid Tower Case, 450W Power Supply

quad core

[KG4CGC]

Holy Crap! The MB just now got here!

[N8YX]

Look real closely at the original motherboard.

See any capacitors that are bulging and/or leaking?

There have been a lot of defective Taiwanese caps sold to a great number of consumer electronics manufacturers in the past decade. The electrolyte outgasses excessively, creates a pressure condition in the case...case ruptures, cap is now bad, host assembly fails.

Check it out.

[KG4CGC]

Look real closely at the original motherboard.

See any capacitors that are bulging and/or leaking?

There have been a lot of defective Taiwanese caps sold to a great number of consumer electronics manufacturers in the past decade. The electrolyte outgasses excessively, creates a pressure condition in the case...case ruptures, cap is now bad, host assembly fails.

Check it out.

Just checked out the old MB. Nothing is visually apparent. From reading up on past issues other have dealt with which match the symptom, it is a voltage regulator.

Everything was going together, just one mis-match. HP used a connector standard to the USB connectors to the board, for the switch and light set. The connection scheme on the ne board requires universal two pin socket for each, the on switch, HDD LED and 'ON' indicator LED. So, I have to find some of these little connectors. I wonder if radio Shack has them or if I will need to look for them at the only parts store for 3 counties, in Greenville? That's where I had to go to find the plastic frame that bolts down to the board that the heatsink tabs click on to for locking it down to the CPU. Of course, I could do some tricky dicky, down and dirty soldering in tight spaces but that would booger things up for future changes should that need arise. Therefore, I am at a hold point with this project at this time.

Time to take apart a carb that I didn't want to take apart but it's so simple that I'm sure I could do it in my sleep and who knows, maybe if I had some Ambien™ I might just do it that way. I need to learn how to clean this carb anyway. Looks like I may be cleaning it every 1500 miles based on internet reports. Small parts, small parts, tiny holes dirty quickly.

[KG4CGC]

Oh crap! I could cannibalize and older chassis! Let's look!

[KG4CGC]

So the big machine is up and running and snappier than salmon going to spawn.
Right now I've been testing out the onboard digital video. Not bad but since my video card has twice the memory, 512mb, it will be going back in.
The motherboard came with it's own overclocking software and turbo! Anyone remember having a turbo button? Let me tell you what, it's the bees knees my friends!
During the process I discovered that the internal optical drive is pretty much crapped out. It works, some. So, it was hard to tell until I was trying to set up a new box. I have the external one. I may just uncase it and shove it inside the box. Gigitty.

Yep. Feel better now. maybe I'll go tackle that carburetor now.

[KG4CGC]

Stuck a 2" fan between the 2 hard drives. Noticeably cooler now. Used another 2" fan on the graphics card to substitute for the little anemic fan that came stock from the factory. Did some metal cutting in 5 places on the case. Swapped out the optical drives and relocated the card reader and the front panel audio connections.
No fancy lights, just a butt ugly box with a front mounted cycloptic nostril snorting in the air.

[ad4mg]

I think you'll do well with the ASUS MB. I have an ASUS P4S533-X MB in a server case packed with hard drives, and an old AGP video card in it that has served me very well for years. It's so old that I had to install a SATA PCI card in it to utilize SATA HDD's. With 1GB RAM, it runs both Windows XP Pro and Ubuntu 10.04LTS just fine.

Never so much as a hiccup from that ASUS MB!

[n2ize]

My main machine went completely dead yesterday. I spend half a day getting it back up and running again. It turned out a memory module went bad and was causing the whole machine to lock up. Now I am running on half the memory and it;s SLOOOWWW. Takes forever to bring up the desktop. New memory is on order. I didn;t have any modules that fit this machine laying around so I had to order them

I also keep a couple of shells (empty machines with just a power suckply and mobo) around so in a worst case scenario I can transfer the drives and at least get something up and running till I get a new machine.

The very warm weather + no air conditioning really does a number on these things.

[KG4CGC]

I feel your pain, John. I think we all feel you. Even Bill with his boney old Chertoff finger is feeling you.
I believe on this motherboard I can go up to some ridiculously fast RAM. Ludicrous™ speed rated.
The CPU is not rated to overclock the same way a Blackbox version of these AMD chips is but I can get this much at 90% of the overclock utility.
Magic Picture Click Clink. (http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/66bfb40e.jpg)

[W2NAP]

The very warm weather + no air conditioning really does a number on these things.

I know how that is.. glad I have A/C

[n2ize]

I feel your pain, John. I think we all feel you. Even Bill with his boney old Chertoff finger is feeling you.
I believe on this motherboard I can go up to some ridiculously fast RAM. Ludicrous™ speed rated.
The CPU is not rated to overclock the same way a Blackbox version of these AMD chips is but I can get this much at 90% of the overclock utility.
Magic Picture Click Clink. (http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c79/bebop5/66bfb40e.jpg)

Seems nice. Eventually I'm going to have to upgrade to something new here. In my case I got lucky. Both the POST Beep Codes and the troubgle indicator signal light codes indicated a RAM issue. So it was a matter of isolating the bad pair. Right now it sucks running at half memory but, the new modules should be here soon

[KG4CGC]

Dumb question.
Did you clean out everything? Dust is alive.

[n2ize]

I know how that is.. glad I have A/C

Normally I have air conditioning. But right now my AC is on the Fritz too. I have a new run condenser on order so, hopefully when it comes in it will fix the problem. If iot still doesn't run with the new run condenser installed then it's time for a new AC. And believe me, right now I am not looking forward to buying a new AC. :

[n2ize]

Got the new memory modules in today. Now this thing is blazing along. Weather is supposed to be blazing hot later this week. Rest assured, if I can't fix the AC by then this computer will be running with a fan blowing into it.