Computer won't POST, video card fan not turning on

[jonnywonny]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Troubleshooting starter

1. Overview of the problem
   Computer won't post. CPU fans and case fans turn on, but video card fan does not. I don't hear any beeps, but some LEDs on the motherboard do turn on.
   
2. Full description of the problem and symptoms
   Okay, so my computer has been up and running for about a month now. I haven't had any problems with it other than the CPU running a little hot (when I was putting the computer together the heatsink jiggled around a bit, so I'm pretty sure that's why. I've just been too lazy to reapply it), but I looked online and the temperatures were well within normal range.
   
   I haven't had any problems with it, that is, until now. It happened when I was dusting off the top of the case, which may or may not have been a coincidence. I was brushing my hands across the top of the case when all of a sudden it just turned off (perhaps I bumped the case? I don't think I did. I might have, but it couldn't have been much). The power cable looked like it was falling out of the wall a bit, so I just assumed that I had pulled it loose. I put it back into the wall and pressed the power button on the computer. The front LCD lights up for a split second then turns off again. I press the power button a few more times and the same thing happens: the the light turns on for a fraction of a second and then turns off. So I'm thinking maybe the motherboard is shorting to the case (I'm not very tech savvy, but I had a similar problem with another computer). So I take the whole computer out of the case and rest the motherboard on the floor. This time when I press the power button, the light stays on, and I let out huuuge sigh of relief, which is cut short the moment I realize the motherboard didn't post. Craaapp!
   
   So what's going on now? The CPU fans are running, and so are the case fans. The video card fan is not running, however, so maybe that's the problem? But I must have done something when I took the computer out of the case, because the power is staying on now. But it won't POST. I didn't hear any beep, and the little led numbers on my motherboard are off. Maybe I did fix the problem by taking the parts out of the case, but I broke something else in the process. I did have to take the graphics card out before I could take the motherboard out (I have a GTX 285, and it's a freaking huge), so maybe as I was holding it some static charge got released and fried it or something (can that even happen?) I wasn't any more rough with the parts than I've been, and I've never really been rough. But it's still a possibility.
   
   
3. Did it work normally at one time, or has the problem always existed?
   Yup. As I said before, it's been working fine for about a month or a month and a half. It has been running a little hot, but I don't think that's the problem. I have Core i7 920, and the hottest I've seen it get is like 55, which is a bit hot, but people said it should be fine as long as it stays below 80 or something (correct me if I'm wrong though).
   
   
4. Is the problem consistent and repeatable, or entirely random, or semi-random?
   Well, the original state of the problem isn't repeatable, where it turned off right away. But now it is: no POST and video card fan is off every time.
   
   
5. I already tried these steps:
   So far I've only checked to make sure all the cables where in properly, reset the CMOS, and tried each RAM stick individually. My friend has a computer that I can get some parts from for troubleshooting, but I didn't want to try that until I knew it wasn't something obvious (that is, obvious to someone more tech savvy than I am).
   
   
6. My software:
   • 
     I'm running Windows 7, but I don't see how this would be relevant to my problem.
     
     
   • My hardware
     • EVGA E758-A1 3-Way SLI (x16/x16/x8) LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
     • Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W (not overclocked)
     • EVGA 01G-P3-1181-AR GeForce GTX 285 Superclocked Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
     • OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
     • CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V
     
     
   • Other information that might be relevant
     Can't think of anything else.

1. 
   
   Okay, that's it I guess. I'm prepared to buy some new parts, but I'd rather not have to buy a replacement of everything and try them all unless I have to. However, if worst comes to worst, I'll just buy the parts, and return the ones I don't need. But hopefully it won't come to that.
   
   Alright, thanks! Tell me if there's something I forgot to mention. Somebody plzzz fix my probleem!!!!!11!
   
   

 

[mpilchfamily]

Soundsl like it may very well be a bad video card.

 

[jonnywonny]

Wow that was fast! Ummm, okay, that makes sense. But I mean, what's with it not starting and then working when I take it out of the case? And why would my video card just blow like that? Does that kind of thing just happen? Or maybe it overheated or something, maybe because the CPU was so hot it made the video card too hot too... does that sound likely?

Thanks for the fast reply!

 

[Harvey]

Hope I didn't skim over some details and miss something. It sounds like the vid card fan may be fried. The vid card may be toast, or it may just be shuttting down and signaling the system of the fault, resulting in the shutdown.

If the vid card fan plugs into the card, you can test it by taking it out of the system and powering just the fan. An exact replacement shouldn't be too expensive, but it's not worth it if the card, itself is dead.

Have you tried another vid card?

 

[jonnywonny]

Great. Okay, so I tried a different video card. The fan turns on, but the computer still doesn't; no POST. So I guess that means there are at least two broken parts in my computer. Is that some weird coincidence? Or maybe one part broke and then caused the other part to break...

Okay, so how do I figure out what the next problem is? :S

 

[jonnywonny]

Hmm, at closer inspection, I noticed something about the BIOS chip on the mother board: the sticker on it is discolored in the middle and there's even a little piece of the sticker missing in the center. Looks kind of like the chip blew or something. That probably means the motherboard blew, right? Maybe it blew and the video card and BIOS chip are collateral damage. Could that happen? Could other parts be dead too?

 

[mpilchfamily]

There could have been a loose connection or a short somwhere in the system that was fixed when it was pulled from the case. But whatever happened may have effected the video card thus causing the problem. If the video card is having problems then the system won't post. The bios first checks for the CPU, RAM and Video card. If it detects any problems with any of them it stops what it doing and sends a beep code out threw the mothrboard's speaker. Most don't have a speaker built in so you would need to connect on in order to hear the beep code. This code indicates the general area of the problem. Like if there is an issue with either the CPU video card or RAM. In your case the baord should indicate a code on the LED display. If its not doing that there may be an issue with the board itself.

 

[jonnywonny]

Okay, weird. So on my computer, my video cards fan doesn't start, however my friend's video card's fan does. That made me think that my video card was busted, however I just tried my video card in my friends computer, and it works fine (both the card and the computer).

What's going onnnnn!

 

[jonnywonny]

To be honest, I can't remember if my board has a speaker. But it does have an LED display, and it doesn't show anything. So I guess that means it's my motherboard?

But it's strange that my video card, which is working in my friends computer, doesn't work in mine, while my friends card works in both computers. Could that be a motherboard thing? Or maybe it's the powersupply? My card definitely takes my power than my friends does.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: jonnywonny

Or maybe it's the powersupply? My card definitely takes my power than my friends does.

If you meant "more" power than your friend's card, I think you may have hit on a good possiblity. Your system was working so either the supply was already marginal and lost some of it's max power, or something may have changed on your motherboard and/or vid card.

Check the capacitors on your motherboard. If any of them look domed on top, or there is any evidence of crap leaking out the bottom of the cans, you're in for a new board.

 

[jonnywonny]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: jonnywonny

Or maybe it's the powersupply? My card definitely takes my power than my friends does.

If yyou meant "more" power than your friend's card, I think you may have hit on a good possiblity. Your system was working so either the supply was already marginal and lost some of it's max power, or something may have changed on your motherboard and/or vid card.

Check the capacitors on your motherboard. If any of them look domed on top, or there is any evidence of crap leaking out the bottom of the cans, you're in for a new board.

Woops! Yeah, that "my" was supposed to be a "more".

Well, I just tried my power supply in my friends computer, and it works fine. So I guess that means it's the motherboard itself. Oh well... I was hoping it was the powersupply. Well, Newegg won't give me a replacement anymore, but maybe EVGA will. I'll try my luck with that. And if not, then I guess I'm going to have to spend even more on my already very expensive computer. Oh well. I hope that's it.

Alright guys, thanks for all your help! I'll see if a new motherboard fixes it, and if not, well, I guess I'll be back.

(And here thought I was spending extra money on my computer so this sort of thing wouldn't happen. Maybe I'll just go for the budget model next time, since it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. :/)