No display when setting up older computer. Help

[eetsummorr]

Hi there.

Need some help as am learning how to fix things. :ninja:

Am trying to restablish an older computer after its original motherboard had problems. I purchased a 2nd hand board (details below), and am having problems with its display. Fans are spinning, power is working etc, but no visual response. No beeping can be heard.

I havent bothered putting in the hard drive yet, its blank, and unused anyway, and im trying to establish whether the basics will work. E.g. Booting into BIOS options.

The screen does not respond, and I have now tried 3 different screens to double check. The Motherboard has built in graphics, so to test if the built in card is shagged, I plugged a working graphics card in and still nothing. So inbuilt and graphics car d do not produce display.

Any tips?

CPU - AMD Anthlon 64bit
MB - MSI K9NBPM2-FID (contains inbuilt Graphics card)
GC - Geoforce 7600 GT
RAM - DDR 2

 

[fffblackmage]

Did you clear BIOS? If there are some old settings, it may be keeping the computer from booting properly.

 

[mfenn]

Did you clear BIOS? If there are some old settings, it may be keeping the computer from booting properly.

Good call. Also did the new board work in it's original setup?

 

[eetsummorr]

Good suggestions guys. But unfortunatley no progress.

I removed the battery for a couple hours as I was preoccupied with something else. As well I changed the jumpers to 'clear bios', and still no display on a known working monitor. Yes, the graphics card has been removed.

Any other idea's?

Or is the motherboard shagged?

@mfenn. I brought the mboard second hand from an online auction, which stated that it was "working when removed from the PC it was previously in". So I didnt try it on another setup.

I could pressume I had set it up with the wrong parts, but surely that cant be the case if its inbuilt default graphics arent working? The CPU is a working CPU, and the correct slot, and compatiability.

My last motherboard was not working for a different reason. Its SATA and IDE ports were not working, therefore having no harddrive or DVD drive capabilitiy.

 

[Paperdoc]

Just checking: I presume that, with no graphics card installed, you plug the cord to the monitor into the mobo's own graphics output, probably a VGA-type output, and set the monitor to use a VGA input.

Next, what about RAM? You will need at least one stick of functioning RAM installed to get the mobo to boot at all. You CAN get into BIOS Setup with no HDD attached. But you do need to have a keyboard attached and working to get into BIOS Setup. Still, before you can even do that, the monitor screen SHOULD show some signs of life. After all, the first stage of BIOS' boot process is to check and initiate a simple basic VGA output from its on-board graphics system to verify that you actually can see the info that follows in the rest of the process.

Can you check the CPU? Are you sure that mobo can use the CPU you have?

The lack of a beep tone could mean one of two things. Some mobos do not have any sound output device (not even a simple PZO "speaker") and hence can NOT make a beep for you. See if you can find out whether your mobo can make beeps at all. IF it can, the lack of any sound indicates a complete failure to start up, not merely a failure of the video subsystem.

 

[eetsummorr]

Just checking: I presume that, with no graphics card installed, you plug the cord to the monitor into the mobo's own graphics output, probably a VGA-type output, and set the monitor to use a VGA input.

Yes. Definatley Sure of that one.

Next, what about RAM? You will need at least one stick of functioning RAM installed to get the mobo to boot at all. You CAN get into BIOS Setup with no HDD attached. But you do need to have a keyboard attached and working to get into BIOS Setup. Still, before you can even do that, the monitor screen SHOULD show some signs of life. After all, the first stage of BIOS' boot process is to check and initiate a simple basic VGA output from its on-board graphics system to verify that you actually can see the info that follows in the rest of the process.

Yes. I havent botherd inserting keyboard or HDD yet, for those reasons. As for RAM, It has got RAM in it, I could try boot it again with only one stick. I am super sure I have the right RAM. Its claims that it 'Supports dual channel DDR2 400/533/667/800, using four 240-pin DDR2 DIMMs'. I am using DDR2 800.

Can you check the CPU? Are you sure that mobo can use the CPU you have?

Yes. Checked that before I brought it. The CPU was functioning in the previous setup. The mother board CPU socket 'Supports 64-bit AMD® Sempron, Athlon™ 64 /Athlon 64 X2 processor (Socket AM2)', of which I am using an AMD 64 Athlon.

The lack of a beep tone could mean one of two things. Some mobos do not have any sound output device (not even a simple PZO "speaker") and hence can NOT make a beep for you. See if you can find out whether your mobo can make beeps at all. IF it can, the lack of any sound indicates a complete failure to start up, not merely a failure of the video subsystem.

Never thought of that. I thought that beeping was a basic function of all modern motherboards. How could I check if it does have some sort of sound output device?

I know that my previous mobo's manual had a 'troubleshooting' section at the end which told you what beeps ment what. And THIS mobo's manual has NONE of that, and from my observation has no mention of beeping or motherboard speakers, so that COULD mean it has no ability to do that. Which certainly makes the diagnostic 10 times harder...

 

[VirtualLarry]

I know that my previous mobo's manual had a 'troubleshooting' section at the end which told you what beeps ment what. And THIS mobo's manual has NONE of that, and from my observation has no mention of beeping or motherboard speakers, so that COULD mean it has no ability to do that. Which certainly makes the diagnostic 10 times harder...

Every desktop motherboard has either a 4-pin connector on the board for a speaker, or a piezo speaker soldered onto the board.

 

[mfenn]

The mother board CPU socket 'Supports 64-bit AMD® Sempron, Athlon™ 64 /Athlon 64 X2 processor (Socket AM2)', of which I am using an AMD 64 Athlon.

You can't rely on that, it's much too general. Here's the full support list for your mobo.

 

[eetsummorr]

Every desktop motherboard has either a 4-pin connector on the board for a speaker, or a piezo speaker soldered onto the board.

Any tips on what that would look like? Photo's?

 

[eetsummorr]

You can't rely on that, it's much too general. Here's the full support list for your mobo.

Ok.

I beleive my CPU is an AMD athlon64 3500+ Orleans. But the 'OPN' number isnt the same as any on the list? Very similar except for the last few letters.

The manual says the serial number is: ADA3500CNBOX

http://www.superwarehouse.com/AMD_At...BOX/ps/1487102

 

[BoomerD]

The add-on motherboard speakers look something like this:

It doesn't look like your board has a built-in speaker.

Looking at the manual, the speaker would connect to the pins on JPF2 in the bottom right corner of the board.
(not really identifiable in this pic, but are the small green/yellow looking connectors in the corner)

If you don't have one, the manual can be downloaded here:
http://www.msi.com/service/download/manual-4514.html

 

[eetsummorr]

The add-on motherboard speakers look something like this:

It doesn't look like your board has a built-in speaker.

Looking at the manual, the speaker would connect to the pins on JPF2 in the bottom right corner of the board.
(not really identifiable in this pic, but are the small green/yellow looking connectors in the corner)

If you don't have one, the manual can be downloaded here:
http://www.msi.com/service/download/manual-4514.html

If thats the case then I havent had to connect anything to the JPF2 Pins that includes a speaker like the one described. But then again, surely not all motherboards require you to connect the speaker? I dont remember doing that on any other motherboards. I always thought it was part of the chipset?

 

[mfenn]

Ok.

I beleive my CPU is an AMD athlon64 3500+ Orleans. But the 'OPN' number isnt the same as any on the list? Very similar except for the last few letters.

The manual says the serial number is: ADA3500CNBOX

http://www.superwarehouse.com/AMD_At...BOX/ps/1487102

Your CPU is the ADA3500IAA4CN, so it is supported.

 

[mfenn]

If thats the case then I havent had to connect anything to the JPF2 Pins that includes a speaker like the one described. But then again, surely not all motherboards require you to connect the speaker? I dont remember doing that on any other motherboards. I always thought it was part of the chipset?

Some motherboards do come with a little piezo soldered on to the board, but many do not. No chipsets have ever come with a speaker AFAIK.