k7s5a system is dead, now what?

[DVD]

I built a system early last fall with ECS K7S5A, 1.4G Athlon (boxed), Crucial 256M PC2100, MSI GeForce GTS, Win 2000, ATX, etc. It has run flawlessly since then.

It started dying this weekend. Sometimes it wouldn't start, sometimes it would, sometimes it would shut itself down.

That flakyness continued as I tried to isolate it, leading me down the wrong paths somtimes. It seemed to be my CD-RW drive screwing up the IDE bus at one time, but that is out of the picture now.

This flakyness made me think it was the power supply, based on my experience with another system. I replaced it, but no luck. I'm down now to MB, CPU, Memory, and video card. When I power it on, the fans run but there is no other sign of life; no beeps, even the power LED doesn't come on.

1. Should this system power up without a video card? There are not POST beeps with or without the video card.

2. This AMD processor/fan/heatsink in a box has the "peel and stick" type of connection from the processor to the heatsink. The doc says this is a one time deal, and the heatsink can't be reused. Looks like I have to remove the heatsink to flip the lever on the CPU ZIF socket, so am I correct that I can't re-seat or swap the CPU without trashing the heatsink? Will there be goop on the CPU that I need to clean off?

3. Any way to isolate this further without buying lots of spare parts? The local shop will charge me $30 for each half hour of service, which will be mostly swaping parts, they said.

 

[minendo]

I just had the same exact problem with a brand new ECS K7S5A. It turns out the board (even though it would power on and fans would spin and all) was dead. I would say the board is probably your problem.

 

[minendo]

<< . This AMD processor/fan/heatsink in a box has the "peel and stick" type of connection from the processor to the heatsink. The doc says this is a one time deal, and the heatsink can't be reused. Looks like I have to remove the heatsink to flip the lever on the CPU ZIF socket, so am I correct that I can't re-seat or swap the CPU without trashing the heatsink? Will there be goop on the CPU that I need to clean off? >>



Yes there will be (probably pink) thermal tape to remove from the processor. You can also remove it from the heatsink and reuse the heatsink bye applying thermal compound to the heatsink and processor. Your local shop should sell some type of thermal compound. (I recommend ASIII)

But I would still say that your problems are with the mobo. Any chance you can RMA it?

 

[DVD]

<< Any chance you can RMA it? >>



I don't know. I got it from NewEgg. I'm trying to find any kind of warrenty information on the MB in that heap of stuff in the corner. Not sure if either ECS or NewEgg would help me out; it has been maybe 7 months.

But hey, at least the CPU has a 3 year warrenty!

 

[minendo]

<<

<< Any chance you can RMA it? >>



I don't know. I got it from NewEgg. I'm trying to find any kind of warrenty information on the MB in that heap of stuff in the corner. Not sure if either ECS or NewEgg would help me out; it has been maybe 7 months.

But hey, at least the CPU has a 3 year warrenty! >>


One year warranty on the mobo. See here for details.

 

[DVD]

Thanks, minendo, for the help. That link is for RMA if I bought it thru ECS; but you promted me to check further and I can get an RMA thru NewEgg. (In fact, NewEgg CS says that the warrenty is 3 years for a retail ECS, but ECS's page says one year if bought from them.) They don't cross-ship, but hopefully this will get the box up an running. I'm thankful for this Pentium Pro 200 boatanchor to use in the mean time.

 

[DVD]

Now I need to guess what accessories came with the MB and try to send those (and just those) back!

 

[DaiShan]

manual, ata-66 cable, and floppy cable.

 

[DVD]

After waiting to get my RMA motherboard to NewEgg, and get the replacement, I'm back.

And darn. Flaming heck even.

I got everything back together, and no joy the first try. Second try, it booted. Great! Then it shutdown by itself. Once more it tried to boot, and now it is completely dead, again.

So, I've tried a new power supply, I RMA'd the motherboard. I read in other messages about trouble with standoffs, so I took the mb out of the case. With or without video card, and with or without memory, I don't even get POST beeps.

Question: wouldn't I get POST beeps, even without a memory stick installed? Video card?

So I guess it is down to the CPU. I'm somewhat surprised that the CPU would die after in a closed case with no overclocking. I guess I'm lucky I bought the AMD processor in a box, that has the 3 year warrenty. Motherboard monitor seemed to say I had sufficient cooling; I can't remember exactly the core temp. By the way, what is "too hot" for a 1.4 Athlon?

I'm going to try to reseat the CPU one more time, and I then I guess I'll contact AMD for warrenty replacement.
Unless anyone has any better ideas.

Sure would like to have my PC back. Now.

 

[HappyNic]

I remember reading something about the ECS K7s5a will kill a T-bird 1.4g over time because it's not giving the CPU enough power.,.. .. So if your CPU is really dead then the ECS K7s5a might have kill it over time..,,

This could be a good thing.,, I don't think they make regular T-bird anymore so They might just give you a XP..