Computer only comes on with switch on power supply (not button on case)

[ctucker]

My computer crashed with a nasty error a while back, and it wouldn't turn on properly ever since. It will lock up anywhere in between the video card displaying info and MS Scandisk (50% of the time, it just comes up with a blank screen).

I thought it was the CPU and RMA'd it. The company said they tested it and it was faulty. I receieved the new CPU (1ghz T-bird), and the computer is doing the same exact thing (damaged in shipping?).

My question: Ever since "the crash", the computer only cuts on and off by using the switch on the power supply (the button that connects to the motherboard doesn't do anything). Does this mean the motherboard is messed up? Or the power supply. I'd like to buy as few uneccessary parts as possible. How could I go about testing the power supply with equipment (voltometer..? or something like that)

My specs:
1Ghz T-bird
MSI Pro-2A
45GB IBM GXP
Elsa Gladiac 32MB GeForce2 GTS
2x128MB PC133 Crucial cl2
SB Live! Value
SMC NIC

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[kylef]

If you can get into the BIOS, then I believe that motherboard reports voltages in the hardware monitoring menu. You should be able to tell if your PSU is causing problems from there.

If you can boot to a floppy without crashing (test it out first before trying!), you should also try flashing to the latest BIOS from MSI's website. Every now and then they fix voltage regulator issues.