Jabil motherboard on a Gateway

[fritzfield]

I volunteered to take a look at a friend's Gateway that would not turn on. When I got it home, it worked for 3 days straight, then I turned it off and tried to turn it back on and nada. I took it apart and looked at the psu(250 watt) and mobo (Jabil). I removed the cpu and memory then re-seated both of them. I put everything back together and the damn thing worked. However, I don't want her to get the machine back and have it not start again. The case does not have a rail to hold a new psu, and even if it did and I bought her a new psu, how do I know that it isn't the mobo or memory?

These people aren't into building computers, so an alternative to this machine is for them to go to Sam's Club and getting a Compaq for $500 and transferring her old HD into into the new unit. However, if it's something I can fix, like getting them a new case/psu for 60 bucks and swapping all the guts of the gateway, including the mobo, I'll do it. How do I know if it's the mobo and not the psu, ram or even the cpu?

Just thought I'd ask.

Thanks

 

[fxsts]

First thing which you might want to check with her is if the system is still under warranty. Gateway is pretty good with replacing bad parts if it is still under warranty.

Regardless, you will need to trouble shooting to isolate the problem. From the symptom you described, the firdt suspect would obviously be the power switch or its connection to the motherboard. Make sure that the power cable connecter is connected well to the motherboard. You also want to look at the 20 pin ATX power connecter from the power supply.

The next suspect, and I think that it's very likely, is the button battery on the motherboard.

Memory and CPU usually do not get broken the way so that they work sometime and do not work other time. When they fail, they are usually dead. Memory sometimes gets unstable even at rated speed after you overclock it too much, but that doesn't seem like the case. The same thing is also true for the motherboard.

I would check with the switch and power connections and try with a new battery. If they don't fix the problem, try with a different power supply.

 

[fritzfield]

Do you mean the CMOS battery? That's the only battery I know of. That would be too easy, but I'll try that.

Thanks

 

[trikster2]

Is that the one with the ducting over the Slot 1 CPU, a 92mm fan in the power suply as the only fan in the case, and a passive heat sink on the CPU?

I think I just brought a 500Mhz PIII based system based on this BX mb for $89 shipped from compugeeks from the folks, so don't go spending too much on it.

If you are transplanting into another case/psu you might think about getting and active heat sink for the CPU unless you can find a similar duckting system.

 

[fritzfield]

Yes that is the one. It has a PII - 450. If its only a battery that will be great.

 

[fxsts]

If that's with PII-450, the battery will becomes even more of a suspect as the system should be close to 5 years old. And, yes, I am talking about the CMOS battery, and when it gets old, it causes the system not booting up and etc.

 

[trikster2]

Originally posted by: fxsts
If that's with PII-450, the battery will becomes even more of a suspect as the system should be close to 5 years old. And, yes, I am talking about the CMOS battery, and when it gets old, it causes the system not booting up and etc.

Thanks for the heads up on this.

Did not even think of replacing the cmos battery before giving it to my folks.

Do you have the desktop?

I really like the desktop case, too bad it looks like using it with upgraded parts would be a PITA.

 

[fxsts]

Originally posted by: trikster2

Originally posted by: fxsts
If that's with PII-450, the battery will becomes even more of a suspect as the system should be close to 5 years old. And, yes, I am talking about the CMOS battery, and when it gets old, it causes the system not booting up and etc.

Thanks for the heads up on this.

Did not even think of replacing the cmos battery before giving it to my folks.

Do you have the desktop?

I really like the desktop case, too bad it looks like using it with upgraded parts would be a PITA.

I do not have the desktop. I upgarde computers way too much for no reason but for the sake of upgrading them, so it would not have had a chance to survive in my house, even if I had.

However, I also repair and upgrade older systems for my friends and colleagues, and I encounter similar problems here and there.

400 - 450Mhz Pentium II/III and K6-2 systems are still adequate for email, internet, and home office work, so people can still get good use out of them. In fact, I am still using 400Mhz Pentium II laptop at work, although I am finally getting a new one in the next couple of months.

I also upgrade those 440BX based Slot 1 systems for my friends and colleagues here and there. By using Cuppermine slocket, you can upgrade majority of the 440BX based system with a 100Mhz FSB Cuppermine PIII (up to 1.13Ghz) or Cuppermine Celeron (up to 1.1Ghz). I usually recommend 100Mhz FSB Celeron starting 800Mhz and higher.

Many of them can also be upgraded with Slot1 Tualatin adapter and run Tualatin Celeron up to 1.4Ghz, and Tualatin Celeron really makes the old dog run like a modern system.

These upgrades are good for systems which have been given some components upgrades over the course of their lives especially to the hard drive, videocard, and memory. If the system still only has the original slow hard drive, videocard w/ 8MB memory, and 64MB of RAM, it may be better off buying a new system.

 

[fritzfield]

Yes I have the tower. It looks very nice but the way it is set up inside really sucks. All the cables are made to just reach the specific components probably to save money on each unit they build and sell. But this case would be shit-canned on any upgrade I would do for them. The upgrade path, to get them a stable system, would be to buy new: case, PSU, memory, CPU and mobo at a minimum.

For a little more, they can get another pre-made system with new HD, CR-RW, floppy, keyboard, mouse, monitor and speakers. They'd probably be happy for another 5 years. They wouldn't understand if I built them a hobbyist or custom made sysytem and something went bad and they didn't have a guaranty safety net.

So, I'll change the battery and if that doesn't work I'll send them to Dell or Sam's then transfer the old HD data to their new system.

Thanks fo the info. BTW, what kind of mobo manufaturer is Jabil?