Help, Compuers Gone Brain Dead!!

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07-01-2007, 01:38 AM
croak5

Help, Compuers Gone Brain Dead!!

Last nite my Gigabyte GA 965p DS3/e6300@ 3.4ghz went black. No smoke/funny smells, pops, nothing, just “bing” nothing on the screen. Weird in that, the system was still whirring away. Whole setup is only about 5 months old, running on an improvised test bed, light use, only really stressed awhile ago for O.C.ing and some video stuff.

OBSERVATIONS:

1) Fans on the board (noisy as ever) still fire up, hardrive spins up to.

2) The NB gets warm (usual state)

3) Graphics card, overclocked (but seldom under load) is warm…usual.

4) At time of crash cpu (e6300 @ 3.4 Ghz) was running at about 37c… just running word and a browser.

5) Rig had been crappng out intermittently for the last few days, sometimes requiring more than one cold boot to get started again (not the first time).

6) Can not log on to it from network, it just doesn’t show up.

7) Computer will start from keyboard with just the password programmed into bios (setup)

8) The display show nothing and does appear to be receiving as signal (usually displays a little blinking “digital” logo between the time the rig fires up until post screen appears. Also swapped out the monitor…Nada.

9) have unplugged and re-plugged in all peripheral multiple times

10) Tried running it on one stick of memory at a time.

11) Swapping monitors does nothing

CONCLUSIONS By observation number (above):

1) (fans etc.) Rules out problems with bulk of PSU. At least some circuitry on board is working.

2) (NB) Would seem to indicate circuitry for NB (and I assume the same as the cpu) is powered up and doing something…not a PSU core circuitry lead problem.

3) (GPU) At a minimum its power up, but probnably not receiving any signal to process and put out.

4) (Temp.)No weird smell, didn’t’ overheat and burn. Throughout its buggyness nothing been more than luke warm to “pretty” warm to touch)

5) (intermittent crapping) Seems to suggest a loose or bad connection, but pulled and re-plugged in everything, given all a good jiggle to. Corrosion unlikely in that here in So. Cal we’ve had the driest year on record.

6) Problem is not the monitor, the thing is not posting or booting in any hidden way. Dead CPU !!?, Dead mobo !!?

7) Bios is not corrupted, doesn’t jive with the intermittent crap outs anyways. But…

8) Monitor, blank: swaped it out, not getting any signal at all (but the cards warm)

9) Bad conections unlikely the problem.

10) Memory, not likely the prob, miracle for both sticks to die simultaneously

11) Monitor swap, Again not likely the problem, both moitor work on other system.

So, It start up from the keyboard, everything gets to normal warmth. Nothing on the screen, no access through the network.

What dead and why? Mobo or CPU? Would resetting the bios have any chance of helping (hesitant because it has a bunch of fine tuned O.C’d memorized)?

Thanks for any advise

Croak
07-02-2007, 01:01 PM
proxops-pete

Well, have you reset the Bios to default settings?
07-02-2007, 10:39 PM
OS-Wiz

Can you even get into the BIOS? I agree with proxops-pete, you need to go back to default BIOS settings and back off all OC, CPU and GPU(s). Start by clearing CMOS too. Try minimal boot, disconnect all but boot drive and vidcard.
07-03-2007, 03:56 AM
croak5

Quote:

Originally Posted by proxops-pete

Well, have you reset the Bios to default settings?

Ya, + checked the battery voltage (O.K.) and made sure it was well seated + swap out the memory for some bran new stuff, nada.

Thanks Croak
07-03-2007, 04:06 AM
croak5

Quote:

Originally Posted by OS-Wiz

Can you even get into the BIOS?.

No, The screen is completly blank (B.T.W Ruled out the GPU and monitor)

Quote:

Originally Posted by OS-Wiz

I agree with proxops-pete, you need to go back to default BIOS settings and back off all OC, CPU and GPU(s). Start by clearing CMOS too.

Did that, Cant' boot so I can't undo the tweaks to the GPU, but I don't think they don't take effect till windows opens

Quote:

Originally Posted by OS-Wiz

Try minimal boot, disconnect all but boot drive and vidcard.

Short of my dvd drive, cpu tower and, psu, there nothing to strip out. Even down to one stick of mem.

Thanks for your input

Croak
07-03-2007, 12:01 PM
Buckeye Kid

I need total system specs. To me it sounds like maybe the PSU is going dead under load, and this may have fried your video card. if possible, I would try to swap out the PSU and fire it up. I'd assume nothing would happen, and then try to swap out your video card and see if you can get anything to happen. If you cannot find spare PSUs or video cards, possibly try going to your local computer store and buying new parts that you can return if it turns out the old parts were not the problem.

To reset the BIOS remove the little battery on the board (if it has one). Also, there should be a jumper on the board to clear the CMOS.
07-04-2007, 01:59 AM
croak5

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye Kid

I need total system specs.

O.K Right now it’ A GIgabyte ga 965p ds3, I gig patriot extreme 1.8v. 4-4-4-12, 1 WD 250 gig hd, a Liteon do-it-all DVD, zumax (generic I guess) 550w psu, XFX 7600gs graphics card. O ya, cheapo (but great) Masco active CPU cooing tower. Thow it’s all uverclocked, I seldom load it up + resetting the bios nixed all that

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye Kid

To me it sounds like maybe the PSU is going dead under load, and this may have fried your video card

As to the PSU ,maybe, but it never did nor does it go dead, that’s kinda the point. The cpu fan comes up and howls at the same pitch as always, the drives spin-up just fine, the GPU and NB feel just as warm as they always do, Not to mention the PSU fan spinning away like nobodies business, LED shining bright as a beacon? While I consider the psu generic and it was inexpensive, It was bought at NewEgg where it had scads of user reviews, all very positive.

As for the g-card, failure, It would seem incredibly unlikely that it & the PSU would go out simultaneously. But if it were just the g-card alone, than this rig should still show up on my network? It does not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye Kid

if possible, I would try to swap out the PSU and fire it up. I'd assume nothing would happen, and then try to swap out your video card and see if you can get anything to happen. If you cannot find spare PSUs or video cards, possibly try going to your local computer store and buying new parts that you can return if it turns out the old parts were not the problem.

he-he ya I’ve done a number of times, I keep waiting for them to say “no-mass”

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye Kid

To reset the BIOS remove the little battery on the board (if it has one). Also, there should be a jumper on the board to clear the CMOS.

BTDT plus checked the battery voltage…O.K.

Thanks for your input. Let me know if you take issue with any of my rebuttals+ give a carful read of my original post if ya got the time

Thanks Croak