P4P800 won't start

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rich A.
  • Start date Start date
R

Rich A.

Hello,

I've recently come across a problem with a P4P800 board that, until
now, has been completely operational.

Currently the PC will not start. No video, no beeps, nothing. The
motherboard light remains on (from what I understand, this indicates
very little). Also, the CPU fan budges slightly when I hit the power
on. The PS fan isn't going off, either.

I used to keep a GeForce MX440 video card in this board (no problems).
I recently upgraded the video card, but decided that it wasn't worth
the money. I put the MX440 back in, and my computer worked fine for
one day. The next morning, the above problems set in.

So I can't tell if this is a video card problem, as others have
experienced. The local computer store charged me $30 to tell me that
the problem was NOT the power supply, but they want another $30 to
figure out exactly what the problem is (btw - if you run a computer
shop, you WILL lose regular customers this way). Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
Rich
 
Rich A. wrote:

....
I used to keep a GeForce MX440 video card in this board (no problems).
I recently upgraded the video card, but decided that it wasn't worth
the money. I put the MX440 back in, and my computer worked fine for
one day. The next morning, the above problems set in.
....

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Reinstalled your MX440 firmly in the AGP slot?

Roy
 
When changing your cards you didn't drop a screw in the case did you.?
Hopefully this is not the problem....but I've seen screws lodged "behind"
motherboards before....shorting it.....and not frying the board. Yes
strange things can happen.....and please note....when you go to a computer
store for a diagnosis....you must pay for their knowledge and experience.
Having said that...are they going to charge $30 for every item they check?
geeez......good luck!


regards,

hc
 
Hello,

I've recently come across a problem with a P4P800 board that, until
now, has been completely operational.

Currently the PC will not start. No video, no beeps, nothing. The
motherboard light remains on (from what I understand, this indicates
very little). Also, the CPU fan budges slightly when I hit the power
on. The PS fan isn't going off, either.

I used to keep a GeForce MX440 video card in this board (no problems).
I recently upgraded the video card, but decided that it wasn't worth
the money. I put the MX440 back in, and my computer worked fine for
one day. The next morning, the above problems set in.

So I can't tell if this is a video card problem, as others have
experienced. The local computer store charged me $30 to tell me that
the problem was NOT the power supply, but they want another $30 to
figure out exactly what the problem is (btw - if you run a computer
shop, you WILL lose regular customers this way). Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
Rich
Click to expand...

Try disassembling the machine, keeping careful notes of how the
cables connect. This is referred to as the "cardboard test", as
you want to place an insulating material underneath the motherboard,
so it doesn't touch any metal. My latest system is sitting on
a tabletop right now, with the PSU sitting on the table, and
the motherboard too. If the system works this way, then check for
extra standoffs that shouldn't be there. A brass standoff should only
be screwed into the tray, where it will line up with a plated hole
in the motherboard. The plating on the hole is at ground potential,
as is the standoff, so when they mate, there is no problem. It is
when a standoff touches copper traces on the bottom of the board,
that you can get flaky behavior.

When you reassemble the machine, loosen the AGP and PCI holder
screws, and the motherboard screws. You want to position the
motherboard, so the AGP and PCI cards can enter and exit their
slots with no stress. Realign everything for smooth operation,
then tighten up the screws on the motherboard. For the video card,
it has to go all the way into the slot, so no shiny pins are
visible.

Also, make sure that the standoffs you use, came with that computer
case. The height of the standoffs is selected to make the AGP
and PCI cards mate to the back of the case properly. If you
substitute a shorter standoff, this causes all the plugin cards
to be tilted.

HTH,
Paul
 
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