IBUYPOWER Custom machine dead - read on!

[BoogOne]

Hey everyone -

I have been trying to troubleshoot this machine for a year now.

It started with random strange images, then failure to produce a screen.... then a burning smell then failure to do ANYTHING!

Here's what I've done:

RMA'd/replaced the Vid Card - still nothing.
Replaced power supply - still nothing
RMA'd the ASUS P4P800 SE Mb - got excited thinking it would FINALLY work - still nothing.

Is it just a coincidence that the ViewSonic CRT monitor that accompanied the machine failed as well, or is it connected to the problem? I don't know. The machine was a year old when it started to fail me - of course the company refused to help me out, even though the first symptoms started 3 weeks before the actual year expired.

So now it's 2 years old, still not working, and I haven't even tried looking into getting the monitor RMAd yet. Overall it's been a big headache, and a 1300 dollar footrest- but somehow, I can't seem to give up on it. Call it cheesy sentiment, as the thing was a birthday gift.

Here is what is happeneing right now. I hooked it up next to me here, got a mouse and keyboard attached, gonna swap my monitor back and forth here... so here we go....

All that happens is a green LED on the MB lights up signaling that it IS receiving power, but other than that, nothing, no fans, no CPU, no monitor activity. I am pretty certain I have everything connected properly, and I refered to the MB manual when re-installing it.

Can anyone here please help me out? Or at least let me know if I would be better off dismantling it and selling the parts off...

Thank you all so much in advance!

[Chaky]

For the Mobo installation, check if you have connected "on/off" switch correctly. Some older systems switch on and of directly from PSU, while today's systems switch is connected to the motherboard. It usualy means shorting 2 pins.
For troubleshooting the newborn custom made machine, the prudent thing to do is to install the beeper. It can "tell" you why it won't turn on.
Also having a IDE HD cable plugged in upside-down would result in such behaviour.
I suggest that you start with PSU-CPU-MOBO only (no drives, cards VGA or memory) to see if it would move from square 1.

For the monitor:
Monitors usualy have 3-5 year warranty, so tf it is 2 yrs old than the warranty should cover it. And I'm 100% certain that it is faulty. That burning smell you described is comming from your monitior. A broken solder would make sparks that produce smell.

If the warranty is gone I suggest that, if you feel brave enough, to openup the birthday gift (I mean monitor) and look for the burn-marks. My bet is that you'll find cracked solder with brownish surroundings. You might need a magnifying glass if the solder is small.
You'll need soldetron. Just touch the cracked solder till it melts a little and you're done. I did that to my ex monitor couple of times and prolonget it's life for couple more years. And I'm not a crafty electritian.
BE SURE TO UNPLUGG THE MONITOR AND SWITCH IT ON AFTER YOU UNPLUGG IT.
Or you can allway get it to the nearest service. Won't cost you arm and a leg.

In the mean time try another monitor.

[BoogOne]

For the Mobo installation, check if you have connected "on/off" switch correctly. Some older systems switch on and of directly from PSU, while today's systems switch is connected to the motherboard. It usualy means shorting 2 pins.
For troubleshooting the newborn custom made machine, the prudent thing to do is to install the beeper. It can "tell" you why it won't turn on.
Also having a IDE HD cable plugged in upside-down would result in such behaviour.
I suggest that you start with PSU-CPU-MOBO only (no drives, cards VGA or memory) to see if it would move from square 1.

For the monitor:
Monitors usualy have 3-5 year warranty, so tf it is 2 yrs old than the warranty should cover it. And I'm 100% certain that it is faulty. That burning smell you described is comming from your monitior. A broken solder would make sparks that produce smell.

If the warranty is gone I suggest that, if you feel brave enough, to openup the birthday gift (I mean monitor) and look for the burn-marks. My bet is that you'll find cracked solder with brownish surroundings. You might need a magnifying glass if the solder is small.
You'll need soldetron. Just touch the cracked solder till it melts a little and you're done. I did that to my ex monitor couple of times and prolonget it's life for couple more years. And I'm not a crafty electritian.
BE SURE TO UNPLUGG THE MONITOR AND SWITCH IT ON AFTER YOU UNPLUGG IT.
Or you can allway get it to the nearest service. Won't cost you arm and a leg.

In the mean time try another monitor.

Thanks for responding Chaky-

How do I install "the beeper"? Is this something I should refer the the mobo manual for? Also, when re-installing the mobo, I didn't see anythign abotu a power button. All that is on there are LED cables, I think.

I will test this out as soon as my kids give me some time. Thanks!

[Chaky]

Beeper is one small basic speaker. The connection for the beeper is usualy in a same row of pins where you connect the leds, reset button and on/off switch. And, yes, the manual has the "how to" ilustrated. If you have some old PC lying around, you can use one off it.

Depending on a BIOS manufacturer, (Award, AMI... you can see which one you got in the manual) some beep codes are described here:

http://www.pchell.com/hardware/beepcodes.shtml

BTW, you rma'd the P4800 SE, and now your mobo is....?

[BoogOne]

Hi Chaky, it is the same mobo, I got it back form RMA. It's an ASUS p4p800SE and from my research on the site it seems like it is a problem that others have had as well.

I may end up just selling the parts, as I already have a replacement PC that is just as nice if not better, and works just great. (yay Dell!)

If I did get it working again it would be a storehouse for my massive music collection anyways - don't need an ATI 128mb 3d accelerator for that....

[Chaky]

Hi. I just recovered from massive system meltdown. Guess my mobo vendor.... ASUS.
Ant it is not just reinstall-windows-meldown. It is get-IDE-HD-coz-SATA-won't-format-nor-boot-even-with-f6-drivers meltdown. Funny thing, I emailed ASUS yesterday asking them some info and automatic reply was "The system has received your query. We will process your query ASAP. However, due to vast number of queries (read: vast number of ppl having problems with ASUS products) waiting to be processed each day (!), we may not be able to respond your query immediately. If your query is not replied within 48 hours bla,bla"

Kind of, speaks for itself.

I'm thinking about returning it to the store (it's still covered by waranty). Nforce 4 has just too many bugs. Combined with XP bugs....BAM.

Also thinking aboul linux.

I support your decision to not deal with buggy mobo. But going for Dell... I think you should look at Dell's forums and see for your self what ppl talk about. I hear that Dell's DVD burners don't have real firmware support. That's what ppl complain about.

[BoogOne]

Yeah I'm beginning to think maybe ASUS isn't such a great way to go.
As for Dells, I've had one in the past, and when I worked at a telecom company, thats what we ordered for our developers. I have never had any problems with any Dell machine i've ever encountered, knock on wood. I think if you're gonna buy a PC, as opposed to building one yourself, Dell is definitely the way to go. I'd steer clear of places like IBUYPOWER.com - then you're stuck like me trying to figure out a PC that some kid put together, not sure where the problem could be. Better to figure out your own work than someone else's IMO.