Really need some help with this computer problem

[mazeroth]

This may be a bit long but I will greatly appreciate you taking the minute or so to read it and if you have any input to please share it. I've been working on this for over 4 hours now and am ready to throw in the towel and throw it in the trash! Going to try to summarize this as quickly as I can.

Brother has an A64 3200+ with a 7600GTS and an Ultra (Fry's) 500w power supply. The computer stopped working. Case open, the CPU fan spins one revolution or so and stops. Bought a new power supply, nothing. Bought a new motherboard, nothing. Bought a new CPU, nothing. I had a new PC Chips motherboard, new E1200 CPU and 2 gigs of new DDR2 that I told him he could have for cheap so he took it to build what we thought would be a new computer.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813185110

Installed everything, and the same symptom. The CPU fan (this time the E1200, last time the 3200+) goes for about a revolution and stops. I then had him bring it over and upon further inspection I notice his 7600GTS (eVGA) has 5 of the 10 capacitors on the top blown with orange-brown oozing out of the top, which had dried by this point. I took the video card out and booted without it and the CPU fan spins but nothing else happens. This motherboard has on-board video so I hooked three monitors (CRT + 2 nice LCDs) up to the VGA on-board and each monitor goes from sleep mode to having a green power light for a second and back into sleep mode. I then took my 3870 out of my computer, installed it, and the same thing. I then hooked a monitor up to the on-board video and the 3870 and they both go green for a second, then off. I tried resetting the CMOS with no luck. Tried a USB and PS/2 keyboard (I tried it all) to see if I could somehow get into BIOS and no luck. Tried an UATA 100 and a SATA HD with no luck. One odd thing with the UATA is that if it was plugged into the ribbon cable it wouldn't power up with the system. If I only plugged its power cable in it would. I tried CS, master and slave with all the same result.

As you can see, I'm very frustrated. What I just thought of is what if the power supply is bad and is "cooking" everything it touches? Or, could a fried video card have killed the motherboards? I did try my Enermax Liberty 500w in his computer and got all of the same symptoms. I literally have been exchanging parts for almost 4 hours and gaining nothing.

Thank you very much for taking the time to get this far and for any input you may have.

 

[DSF]

What about the capacitors on his motherboard? Are any of them busted or bulging? How about cracking open his original PSU and taking a peek at the caps in there?

 

[mazeroth]

A little tidbit I just learned. I spoke with him about the video card capacitors and he said he noticed what he thinks was 2 or 3 of them blown up a few months ago when he was working inside his case and I think I remember him saying something about that. Not sure if that changes anything.

I'll see about the other components' capacitors.

 

[mazeroth]

Spoke with my brother and the motherboard and PSU caps are all in great shape.

Help...please

 

[jdavis274]

Grounding issue maybe? Standoff missing? Just a guess, but you have to start with the basics...

 

[RanDum72]

I would get every part out and start from scratch. Go slowly. Like somebody just suggested, no extra standoffs? CPU firmly in place, good contact between CPU and HSF (with thermal pastes in between)? Memory modules clicked in place? The mobo BIOS revision supports the CPU? Every power connector plugged in place correctly? What about the power outlet, does the computer hook directly to the wall, a surge protector, AVR, etc? USB wires connected correctly to the mobo?
You can make a step by step basic checklist and make sure you go through every single one.

 

[RebateMonger]

The usual reason that a CPU fan will spin for a second and then everything will die is that the power supply's ATX12V connector isn't connected to the motherboard.

 

[mazeroth]

Originally posted by: RanDum72
I would get every part out and start from scratch. Go slowly. Like somebody just suggested, no extra standoffs? CPU firmly in place, good contact between CPU and HSF (with thermal pastes in between)? Memory modules clicked in place? The mobo BIOS revision supports the CPU? Every power connector plugged in place correctly? What about the power outlet, does the computer hook directly to the wall, a surge protector, AVR, etc? USB wires connected correctly to the mobo?
You can make a step by step basic checklist and make sure you go through every single one.

RanDum72,

Yes to all your questions. The MB supports up to quad cores. PC always plugged into a good surge protector.

I'll check for extra standoffs. You're thinking it could be making contact at a place it shouldn't right? The weird thing is the computer worked for 1.5 years and then one day it stopped. New motherboard, CPU and RAM and it has the same symptoms of the old PC. I really think it's the video card that "killed" something, probably the motherboards. I've built around 10 PCs in the last few years and have never ran into a problem I couldn't fix quickly. I've gutted this PC and changed one part at a time from my working PC (E4300, 4 gigs DDR2, 3870, SATA HD) and no dice.

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
The usual reason that a CPU fan will spin for a second and then everything will die is that the power supply's ATX12V connector isn't connected to the motherboard.

If the ATX12V isn't connected how would the CPU fan get any power at all? Just wondering? I tried my Enermax Liberty 500w in his case and the same thing. However, once the video card is removed the computer "starts" but there's no video no matter what I do.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

I would concentrate on figuring out why the onboard GPU isn't working

1. Make sure it isn't disabled in bios
2. Uninstall the drivers for the old GPU
3. Make sure you have the latest driver installed for the onboard gpu

 

[mazeroth]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
I would concentrate on figuring out why the onboard GPU isn't working

1. Make sure it isn't disabled in bios
2. Uninstall the drivers for the old GPU
3. Make sure you have the latest driver installed for the onboard gpu

To clarify, the old computer's video was shot. This new build, no matter what we use, be it onboard or installed with a 3870, is showing no video. No OS is installed, nada. This new build has never, ever had working video.

 

[RanDum72]

Maybe get the video card out, clear the CMOS, then restart. Make sure you have a solid PSU hooked up. If nothing else works, maybe the replacement mobo you got is defective? How many mobo's have you tried so far?

 

[mazeroth]

Originally posted by: RanDum72
Maybe get the video card out, clear the CMOS, then restart. Make sure you have a solid PSU hooked up. If nothing else works, maybe the replacement mobo you got is defective? How many mobo's have you tried so far?

Tried that already. Also tried the initial motherboard and 2 brand new ones, with 2 brand new CPUs. Yeah, talk about frustration!

 

[StinkyPinky]

Maybe the bad video card has destroyed the motherboard?

I would take everything out and just have the most basic config you can. One stick of ram, onboard video, and no drives attached. Clear bios, then power up. See if you can at least get something showing on your monitor.

If it still fails - then it's either a major component and perhaps even the case?? Maybe the case is shorting it?

 

[ronach]

I'm going to say that you have a standoff where it doesn't belong..in other words..you have a short to the case. While you are troubleshooting..don't forget to give your video card slot a GOOD visual inspection, using a hand held magnifying glass and a good light. I always spray the vid card slot with tuner cleaner when upgrading the vid card as a matter of course. Good luck.