help old 754 machine not booting up!

[nyker96]

Hi all, I'm tearing out my hair trying to figure this puzzle out. I got an old vnf3-250 + sempy 2800+ setup for parent's browsing needs. Just 2 days ago, it started auto shutdown with single long beeps after like 10 min usage in win xp. then I open cased it and it started going again at which point I prim 95 it for like 15 min. seems ok. So I vacumed the dust in the case a bit thinking may be too dusty (as I had a prior exp with dust lower OC results.) Now it just doesn't post at all. turns on though. I replaced the PSU with another known working one and it still no post. I put a single stick of DDR in and no results either. I think it's not the PSU's problem. Does anyone here got any idea what could be wrong with this machine? Thanks.

Just little background, I used it for about 2 years.
Chaintech vnf3-250
2x256mb DDR 333
PSU: Antec True Power 450W (20 pin model)
Ti 4200 g-card
creative sound card, SB Live I think
1 DVD-RW drive
1 Maxtor 200 HD, had for like a year

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Strip the boad bare. Reset CMOS. Connect only mouse, keyboard, and one stick of RAM. If no POST, then replace the board. Probably bad cap if you've tested with a quality PSU.

 

[Denithor]

Seconded.

I used a Chaintech nf4-ultra board for an autocad system and just over 1 year into service the system went down and stopped booting. Evaluated memory/video card/etc on a different system until I determined the board to be the problem. Bought a new (different) board from newegg, tossed everything back together, worked great again.

If it had failed two weeks sooner I could have gotten a free replacement.

 

[nyker96]

Originally posted by: SerpentRoyal
Strip the boad bare. Reset CMOS. Connect only mouse, keyboard, and one stick of RAM. If no POST, then replace the board. Probably bad cap if you've tested with a quality PSU.

yes tested with 2x PSU, I was hoping wouldn't have to take all out but looks like this is the only way to check the mb, thanks for the advice I think I'll do just that.

 

[nyker96]

Just one quick question, do I leave the CPU or AGP card in? could the board run without CPU or AGP card?

 

[nyker96]

Just tried it, the thing just won't post with only CPU/AGP/1 stick RAM/kb/mouse. Could CPU be the one that's fried? would it still post without CPU?

 

[o1die]

Check newegg for open box boards. Most don't have any accessories, so check the port configuration to match your old chaintech as close as possible, so you can use your old backplate. They start at $26 shipped. Mwave also has some. If your heatsink was connected properly, I doubt the cpu would go bad.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

MB is probably gone.

 

[nyker96]

thanks guys, I think I'm just gonna get a new board. the asrock-core with a cheapo e2140 will do nicely I think. I'm kind of pissed only had it under 2 years. Can't buy anything reliable anymore. gotta find a board with a decent warranty from now on, the chaintech website got support info at all, looks like they gone out of biz.

 

[mruffin75]

There's a couple of Socket754 mainboards *new* at ZZF...


http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...irdCategoryCode=111203