[REQ] CPU vs. Mobo troubleshooting guide

[bigboxes]

I have been building, repairing and upgrading PCs for close to ten years now. Five to six months ago my main rig died. I was unable to power the machine up after returning home from a business trip. My experience told me it was the motherboard. I had checked the psu with my tester and it passeed. I assumed that the motherboard would post if it was the cpu. I'm not so sure now. I have lots of tech friends and there was not easy checklist of symptoms to properly diagnose the culprit without popping the cpu into a working board. Today, I finally threw my 939 x2 into my file server and it booted right up! Good to know that it's the motherboard. But what if you don't have a spare motherboard lying around with the same socket?

Now, I upgraded about three months ago to a i7 920 w/Win7 so I am not that unhappy (except for my wallet). Any techs have a guide to troubleshoot whether a computer issue is the cpu or the motherboard? (assuming that other components have been ruled out)

 

[aigomorla]

Each problem can be a unique problem.

So its best to start a new topic and write out your problem.

Also each platform is different, so a trouble shooting guide on an X58 might not apply to an AMD 790 platform.

So once again, it is best to start a new topic writting out all the problems you are experiencing with the unit, and start a conversation on how to fix it.

 

[bigboxes]

You misunderstood. I'm not looking for the answer to a particular issue. I just want to know what others view as the troubleshooting steps. And is putting the cpu in another working motherboard the only step at troubleshooting? I can eliminate everything else, but what symptoms lead one to conclude it's a mobo/cpu issue?

 

[DominionSeraph]

I just replace whatever's on fire.