Member Avatar for Supernatural

Been a while since ive posted.

Ok so here is my problem.. i really hope you can all help

I have a custom-built PC

  • AM2 x2 5600+ Processor
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-M56S-S3
  • RAM: Generic RAM 3GB (Always been fine and its been tested)
  • W.D 250GB HDD
  • Nvidia 512MB 8800GT

Ok so my problem is. No POST, not a single Beep, the screen doesnt turn on at all. Now i've tested another working graphics card so it cant be the card, i also tested it on another sytem I have.

Now the PSU I originally had a really annoying fan noise.. the bearing was gonnee. I used a different PSU i had lying around.. i assumed it was good but it seemed to slow down my system badly. Vista used to show the Welcome screen for less than 2 seconds before this PSU was in.

No i have the dead system problem. Im planning on buying another Motherboard.. but does it sound like that is the only problem?
And yesss the PSU also is obviously a problem..

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Dani AI

Generated

Following and , here is a compact, prioritized checklist to confirm whether the motherboard is actually dead and to avoid buying parts unnecessarily.

  1. Verify you can actually get POST beeps: many boards do not sound without a case speaker. Fit a dedicated PC speaker to the front-panel header and consult common BIOS beep-code lists to interpret any pattern (beep-code lists).
  2. Bench minimal: outside the case, with PSU disconnected, fit only the motherboard, CPU+cooler, one known-good RAM stick, and speaker (plus GPU only if the board has no integrated video). Reconnect power and short the power pins on the front-panel header to rule out a bad case switch. Try the single RAM stick in every slot. Reseat the CPU carefully and check for bent pins if the CPU uses pin-grid contact.
  3. Clear CMOS: remove the battery or use the clear-jumper procedure per the manual, then try a boot.
  4. Visual inspection: look for bulging/leaking capacitors, scorch marks, misplaced or extra standoffs that could short the PCB, or damaged connector pins. A noisy/failing PSU can cause component damage, so inspect power-regulator areas closely.
  5. Test the PSU properly: the fan-spinning "paperclip test" is not definitive. Use a known-good PSU, a quality PSU tester, or a multimeter to check the 12V/5V/3.3V rails under load ().
  6. If there are still no beeps or POST, consider a POST diagnostic card or swapping in a known-good motherboard/CPU to isolate the failure—POST theory and behavior are summarized here (Power-on self-test).

Safety notes: always disconnect mains before touching components, watch for ESD, and do voltage measurements only if comfortable and experienced. If the board is confirmed dead, replace the PSU first with a quality unit before re-using the replacement board to avoid repeating damage.

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Member Avatar for Suspishio

It could be either or both of two problems

1/
PSU by your own estimation is not doing the job

2/
A glitch on the latest PSU hosed the mobo.

We should really be diagnosing this with the right PSU.

Member Avatar for Supernatural

Ok so what i did today was Put my Hard Drive, Gfx card and the same PSU into a system with a Different Motherboard, CPU and RAM

It works fine. Obviously specs are lower.. it has to be the motherboard. guess ill find out in a week or so since i gotta get a new one.

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