Built an i7 desktop just over a year ago. Everything has been fine, completed lots of work without a single issue. Last used it on Sunday, go back to it today and.....Turn it on, fans start (nothing on monitor, no POST beeps, no boot sequence start or anyway of entering BIOS) spin for around a minute, then slow down to off and then the same sequence begins again.

Stripped it down, no dust or anything anywhere, removed all the components apart from the CPU, plugged everything back in. No change, same again.

I've no real compatible components I can try and swap out. Thinking of buying a cheap power supply and trying that to start with. If that doesn't work, then I've probably only wasted £20 (will upgrade power supply if that is the problem.) Think it's going to have to go to the professionals after that, although it's only really a mobo, processor, RAM and a hard drive anyway, so my next guess would be the mobo has died.

Anyone think of anything else I can try and diagnose what's happening? Really has ruined a couple of time sensitive projects I've been working on, thankfully they are more favours for mates than clients expecting files at any moment.

(Thanks in anticipation)

 

Mobo usually has a red led giving some error codes, check the manual. Try removing the CMOS battery for a minute then pop it back.

 

It very well may be the PSU. Do any of the LEDs on the MB light up?

 

Those are symptoms of a dead graphic card

 

Usually faulty GPUs give error beeps AFAIR

 

It could be a number of things. remove all drives (CD/DVD too) remove all but ONE RAM Chip, so that you have the PSU powering the mobo then try and get into the BIOS.

that would be my first step. if you still cannot get into BIOS, replace the RAM chip with a different one, but still use one, put all tried chips to one side!

If you CAN get to the bios, replace all the ram chips, then retry. then start re adding components one at a time starting with hard drive.


I know this is a silly question, but when you built this, did you use a good EQUAL amount of thermal paste when attaching the fan to the processor?

 

Last edited: Jun 20, 2017

Thanks, yes I used just the correct amount of thermal paste I think, just a pea sized blob in the middle before applying the cooler and equal pressure when tightening it down. Haven't any indication that anything has been wrong up until now, no sudden shut downs, no warnings of overheating, everything has been working really well.

Thanks everyone for your replies! I really do appreciate it. I'll give them all a go tomorrow and see if I can get anywhere. My brain is fried at the minute and the other half is given me the evil eye as I've been scratching my head and spending more time today with my PC than her. So I think I'll make something to eat and try and regroup for another bash tomorrow.

 

Thanks, there isn't a graphics card in it. Don't play games so couldn't see the point of buying one, especially after reading that there'd be no boost to anything I was using it for and it could actually slow working solely in a DAW down.

 

Try this. Unplug the computer from the outlet and let sit for a hour. When you plug it back in make sure the video card is not in the unit. Plug it in and turn on the power. After you hear the beep errors a few times unplug it from the outlet and then plug it in with the video card back in the computer and it should reset. Let me know if that works.

 

Unplug it, hold the the power button down for ten seconds. Plug it in, hope for the best.
Sounds silly, but it worked for me a month ago.

 

The manual is garbage, nothing in it about diagnosing faults at all and nothing on the disc that came with it either. It's a Gigabyte mobo as well, going to do some searching on the web, but couldn't see any lights on the mobo when I looked into the box with the side panel off earlier. Like you, I was expecting some kind of indication if it's the mono that's fried. Thanks anyway!

I will try taking the CMOS out and putting it back. Thanks again for taking the time/effort to reply.

 

Yeah, like @Sylenth.Will.Fall says, strip it down.
I'd try the PSU first before looking at the motherboard as it's usually easier to locate one of those to borrow for testing purposes. No post can be CPU, motherboard, GPU, or power supply, really. The fact that it's cycling indicates something, I'm sure, just don't know what.

 

This is the first thing to check before moving on to more serious steps. Like Tarkus said.. and this has worked for people time and again. Pull the plug from the PSU and hold the power button down for 10-30 sec. Plug it back in and.. maybe it boots up again.

 

Thanks for your reply and your tip, but there's no GPU in it. As I said elsewhere, I only use it for production and couldn't see the point of adding one for the work I was using it for. It's been sat unplugged for around an hour now.

Please say a little prayer for it before you go to sleep tonight!

 

I'll definitely try that first tomorrow. Thanks for your tip (and Tarkus!)

 

Thanks, that sounds almost like magic, but I'll be forever in your debt if it works.

(I really miss my Atari 1040ST days. I could slip that Cubase disk into the drive at 8 in the AM, run it all day without it ever crashing, wouldn't skip a single midi note all day, close it down at 10 PM. That was every day for a few years without anything ever going wrong with it.)

 

Computer POST and beep codes here.

We can find the mobo manual if you post the model name.

 

Did you try a motherboard reset? (cmos reset) check the manual. its either a little button a jumper or you have to take out the battery.

And strip it down. unplug hdds, take out the rams (if you have multiple). Cycle the rams. Maybe its 1 faulty part. try to eliminate that part.
- sorry late here XD. You wrote you did that lol

 

Stupid question maybe, but donyou actually have an internal speaker plugged onto the mobo? Most new machines don't have one' especially custom builds. Might help diagnosing the issues as it might be giving a beep code just you can't hear it due to no mobo speaker.

 

Bad news.

I suggest you go bang ya missus with full confidence that your PC will work like magic tomorrow. Trust me. She's obviously used voodoo on it and there's only one way to remove the evil spell, BigBoy.

In the infinitesimally small chance that doesn't work, at least she's happy and you have discounted the most obvious culprit. Then the PSU has to be the likely culprit. Electric surge? Lightning strike? Cheap shit? Swap it over and see.

OTOH not getting any beeps suggests mobo is screwed imo. Reset BIOS / remove battery.

IF changing the PSU doesn't do it then it's a tricky situation. I've had an old PC sat in that state for a year now as without buying a new CPU and/or motherboard I can't be sure what is wrong, and if I buy them I have a whole new PC, not a solution.

Good luck. :D