damage motherboard by booting without processor?

[unclebabar]

Hello,

Do anyone know if it's possible to damage a motherboard by booting it up without a processor? It's a slot-1 (supposedly) Creative Labs BX board (PCBlaster). The OEM might have been Shuttle. For some reason (this was a while ago), I tried to boot it without a processor (because I didn't have one and still don't), probably to see the motherboard/BIOS id code. I did have memory, a video card (don't remember if it was PCI or AGP) and maybe a hard drive connected.

Or is there a way to check if the motherboard is okay without buying a processor? I don't want to go out an and get a slot-1 processor (or a 370 processor with slotket) and find out the motherboard doesn't work. The reason I think it might be broken is that I didn't get the BIOS screen on the monitor and I didn't get any POST beeps (yes the case speaker was connected). The motherboard doesn't have any LEDs. The power supply was good.

I don't suppose there is someone out there running this board (M003?) with a slotket and VIA C3? That's what I'd like to put in if it'll work. If you do, what C3 (packaging and speed), and slotket did you use and did you need a bios upgrade. I'd know I could probably get an ECS K7S5A (using one now) with Duron for cheap, but I'd like to use this board because it has a SoundBlaster Live! chip built-in. Plus I like the idea of using a fan-less low wattage C3.

Thanks

 

[AndyHui]

Your motherboard is not damaged.

You CANNOT boot a motherboard without a processor (certainly all except the very most recents ones will not boot at all without a processor). That is why you did not see anything on the screen.

 

[unclebabar]

okay. thanks for the info. i thought there might be an ASIC or chipset function that did the POST without the processor, but I guess not.