motherboard problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter horseface
  • Start date Start date
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horseface

Hi everybody.

I'll first get the specs out of the way:
IWill K266 MoBo
ATX 235W power supply
512MB SDRAM
AMD Athlon XP 1400 + cooler
Radeon 9600pro 128
80GB HDD

Recently I have had problems with my computer (random freezes). I have
checked each component one by one and concluded that the problem was in the
motherboard.

Anyway, I decided to buy a new one, and I was "lucky" to find an older model
still on sale. It was an ECS K7S6A. I also acquired 512MB DDRAM (which btw
works OK in other comps).

I hooked everything up, but after pressing power-on nothing happens.
Actually, the CPU cooler starts to spin for half a second and then stops.
Also, a little red light which signals memory check (I think) turns on and
immediately off. After that everything is dead.

I have read the manual through and through, checked all the connections,
everything is by the book. I hooked up the old motherboard just for checking
up, and it works fine (apart from infreqeuent freezes). The new one, though,
just sits dead, like there's no power at all.

What could be the cause of this? It's an ATX motherboard and the power
supply is 235W, so I cannot believe that they are not compatible. Can
someone help me with this?

Thanks in advance. Cheers!
 
Your symptoms are of a short on the
power supply, which is then turning off
to protect itself. You'll have to pull parts
out and try them one by one. Try starting with
just the mobo/cpu.
 
horseface said:
Hi everybody.

I'll first get the specs out of the way:
IWill K266 MoBo
ATX 235W power supply
512MB SDRAM
AMD Athlon XP 1400 + cooler
Radeon 9600pro 128
80GB HDD

Recently I have had problems with my computer (random freezes). I have
checked each component one by one and concluded that the problem was
in the motherboard.

Anyway, I decided to buy a new one, and I was "lucky" to find an
older model still on sale. It was an ECS K7S6A. I also acquired 512MB
DDRAM (which btw works OK in other comps).

I hooked everything up, but after pressing power-on nothing happens.
Actually, the CPU cooler starts to spin for half a second and then
stops. Also, a little red light which signals memory check (I think)
turns on and immediately off. After that everything is dead.

I have read the manual through and through, checked all the
connections, everything is by the book. I hooked up the old
motherboard just for checking up, and it works fine (apart from
infreqeuent freezes). The new one, though, just sits dead, like
there's no power at all.
What could be the cause of this? It's an ATX motherboard and the power
supply is 235W, so I cannot believe that they are not compatible. Can
someone help me with this?

Thanks in advance. Cheers!
Click to expand...

The K7S5A was known to need a /good quality/ 400W PSU to operate properly. I
assume the K7S6A, which I've not heard of, is no different. Remove the board
from the case, install one module of RAM, the CPU, and the video card. See
if it boots. Install additional hardware from this point.
 
Hi everybody.

I'll first get the specs out of the way:
IWill K266 MoBo
ATX 235W power supply
512MB SDRAM
AMD Athlon XP 1400 + cooler
Radeon 9600pro 128
80GB HDD

Recently I have had problems with my computer (random freezes). I have
checked each component one by one and concluded that the problem was in the
motherboard.
Click to expand...

How so?
You're aware that an inssufficient power supply can kill
boards? I'd get a different PSU, 235W is simply not
suitable for the described parts.

Anyway, I decided to buy a new one, and I was "lucky" to find an older model
still on sale. It was an ECS K7S6A. I also acquired 512MB DDRAM (which btw
works OK in other comps).
Click to expand...

Hmm. You are aware that you could've chosen even the
"newest" models of socket A boards, that they'd have been a
better choice? ECS was/is maybe an arguable value at the
very start of socket a, as at the time it was the newer and
thus more expensive technology, but today... a nature
nForce2 board from Asus, Abit, Gigabyte or MSI would've been
the best bet, particularly given the willingness to use DDR
memory.

I hooked everything up, but after pressing power-on nothing happens.
Actually, the CPU cooler starts to spin for half a second and then stops.
Also, a little red light which signals memory check (I think) turns on and
immediately off. After that everything is dead.
Click to expand...

After "everything is dead", what is then necessary to repeat
this cycle? Do you have to manually hold in the power
button or press it twice, or just once, or do you need to
unplug AC for a few seconds and/or ???

Strip system down to minimal components necessary to get it
to POST. This means removing all drives, and preferribly
swapping in an old low-powered video card, lightening the
load as much as possible for the quesitonable 235W PSU.


I have read the manual through and through, checked all the connections,
everything is by the book. I hooked up the old motherboard just for checking
up, and it works fine (apart from infreqeuent freezes). The new one, though,
just sits dead, like there's no power at all.
Click to expand...

Two boards may draw different amounts of power, have
different margins due to chipset voltages, have random
unforseeable memory incompatibilities, or it could just be a
common setup mistake like having case-board standoffs in
positions where there shouldn't be any, and that are
shorting out the board from the back.
What could be the cause of this? It's an ATX motherboard and the power
supply is 235W, so I cannot believe that they are not compatible. Can
someone help me with this?
Click to expand...


"Compatible" in that they're both ATX, sure, but compatible
in a zen sort of way, not necessarily. ATX PSU range from
50W past 600W, with your target needs being around 350W...
not actually that high total output BUT due to the
combination of CPU and video you may have a disproportionate
draw on 5V amps at present. If you've a multimeter you
might take voltage readings, particularly of that 5V rail
while system is initially turned on, right before it shuts
off.

Stripping system down to least parts possible is the best
that might be done with present parts, but ideally you would
eliminate as many variables as possible by using only
known-viable/adequate parts and introducing as few variables
as possible. Who knows, maybe your old board still works
too... Try clearing CMOS on either/both boards.
 
That power supply unit is too underpowered, and possibly unstable, to run
that system.
 
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