# Well when it rains, it pours!!!



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

This has been a rough year and, with the storms doing so much tree damage we could not tend to last year, it had to be done this year, which made this year, also, a very expensive one.

Now David's desktop computer stopped working. (It is just a little over 2 yrs old. It is a "skytech gaming" computer. I did not find a model or serial number on it.) We just got back from taking it to a computer repair man in Danville and were told it was the motherboard. We were told that it would cost more to repair than to replace the computer itself. So, now, here it sits back in the house looking all pretty and not at all functional. 

In our talking with the repair man I got the impression this was not new but something that was occurring in the computer world all the time. The motherboard goes bad and a new computer is needed to be purchased. So now we are in the process of looking for a "desktop" computer that will serve David's needs again......The only thing David uses a computer for is to sell his coins on eBay, a few YouTube instructional videos and the multiplayer game of RuneScape.

I'm starting this thread in hopes some of you computer savvy people will discuss desktop computers with him; so he may make a better-informed decision as to what brand to buy this time. (We looked in Office Max as this local store is going out of business; but they had already sold all their desktop computers. We looked in Wal-Mart and it became obvious the personnel in that department knew very little about "gaming computers" and were telling us any cheap desktop would work.)


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> The motherboard goes bad and a new computer is needed to be purchased.


If they are all that confident that the problem is a bad motherboard, why not simply replace the motherboard?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I agree. Replace the motherboard. It is an easy fix. Just make sure you know what CPU and type of memory you have so it will fit the new motherboard.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> We looked in Wal-Mart and it became obvious the personnel in that department knew very little about "gaming computers" and were telling us any cheap desktop would work.)


They're probably right; it really comes down to how much he wants to spend to play the game with really good graphics.








Game requirements


These technical requirements must be met in order to play RuneScape. Listed below are the minimum system requirements as stated by Jagex: Processor: Intel i5 or i7 or AMD Athlon X2 Graphics: ATi Radeon HD, 512MB Nvidia GeForce G 100 or better Memory: 4GB DDR3 Video Settings: Graphic Details on...




runescape.fandom.com





That said, "gaming" doesn't mean it's a good quality computer; it means it's fairly fast and has a bunch of flashy bells & whistles that cost you a lot of money, but it's really the same cheap consumer-grade junk you'd get at Walmart, Costco, etc. If he does end up needing to buy another computer, the best bet is a reconditioned business-grade machine that's a few years old.

But the cheapest solution is just to replace the motherboard, if that's in fact the problem. Just make sure he gets a good quality motherboard, or the new one might only last a couple years too.


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## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

Replacement motherboards are not that expensive or difficult to replace. As PW mentioned, if you go that route, make certain it is compatible with the memory and CPU that you currently have.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Hiro said:


> Replacement motherboards are not that expensive or difficult to replace.


Replacing a laptop motherboard is twice the work that a desktop takes. Pretty much anyone can change a desktop motherboard.


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## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

Nevada said:


> Replacing a laptop motherboard is twice the work that a desktop takes. Pretty much anyone can change a desktop motherboard.



Reread the op.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Nevada said:


> Pretty much anyone can change a desktop motherboard.


Well, yes and no. It's not technically difficult, but we all know people who are so ham-handed, and/or so totally not mechanically inclined, that they really shouldn't try it.

Beyond that, anyone not thoroughly familiar with the level of care necessary to avoid destroying extremely sensitive electronics with static electricity, really needs to educate themselves before touching (yes, I mean literally touching) anything inside a computer. I will no longer sell memory for someone to install themselves, because about half of those who insist they can do it without damaging it, end up damaging it, then blaming me for getting them bad memory.


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## stars at night (Mar 12, 2021)

Hiro said:


> Replacement motherboards are not that expensive or difficult to replace. As PW mentioned, if you go that route, make certain it is compatible with the memory and CPU that you currently have.


My son is an IT guy and he builds computers---desktops----for gaming. When my computer--laptop===crapped out he dx'ed it and I bought a new MB last year. I have had this lap top for over 10 yrs


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Find another repairman. Motherboards can be purchased and replaced pretty cheap. Both hubby and my son have replaced them.

If you were close to me I know my hubby would take care of it for you.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Well this repairman said they had stopped making the type of motherboard that goes into this computer and that is why he couldn't fix it..... so now what?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

How about you give us the motherboard info if you can. You don't need the same one just one that has the same cpu and ram needs. Open the computer case and post a picture of it. Changing a motherboard is simple.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

OMG I will tell David just as soon as he gets in from bottle feeding our little buckling. Thanks so much painterswife....


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Here is an example of what we need. You can see it says gigabyte B450M . That is what we need to know. Make and model of the motherboard. A picture is not really needed if you can get that info. The CPU and socket type and ram info can be found online if we have that.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Where is the motherboard in these pictures? The first picture is straight into the PC from the side; and the 2nd picture is where I had to angle the camera up a little so as to see under that "XFX" sign.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

It is the part on the bottom with that everything clicks into. I can see it is an AMD CPU but I can't see the make and model of the motherboard


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

See where it says ASUS. it should have the model # there. It looks like it is covered by the XFX cooler.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

It also looks like a very small motherboard


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Is this what you need?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Amazon.com: ASUS PRIME A320M-K AMD Ryzen AM4 DDR4 HDMI VGA M.2 USB 3.1 Micro-ATX Motherboard : Everything Else


Buy ASUS PRIME A320M-K AMD Ryzen AM4 DDR4 HDMI VGA M.2 USB 3.1 Micro-ATX Motherboard: Everything Else - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



www.amazon.com


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

If you purchase, ordered some cpu thermal paste as well.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

It also looks like there is only one stick of memory in there. You could order another stick after you get it up and running that is the same as what is in there.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Is this what you need?


That's it. You should be able to get one for $75.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

You sure that is the same motherboard? Goodness the repairman charged us $60 just to tell us the motherboard on that computer could not be replaced..............


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I've never put anything into a computer box; so what do I need the "cpu thermal paste" for; and where would I put the extra "memory stick"?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Thermal paste Thermal paste - Google Search

Thermal paste is a thermally conductive chemical compound, which is commonly used as an interface between heat sinks and heat sources such as high-power semiconductor devices. The main role of thermal paste is to eliminate air gaps or spaces from the interface area in order to maximize heat transfer and dissipati


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Don't get the memory until you have the rest up and running.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Whatch some videos before ordering the motherboard. 

How to replace your PC's motherboard in 8 easy steps | Hardware - YouTube


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I googled the paste and there is a comment that not all are created equal; so which one should I purchase?



Amazon.com : "cpu thermal paste"


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Amazon.com: ARCTIC MX-4 (incl. Spatula, 4 Grams) - Thermal Compound Paste, Carbon Based High Performance, Heatsink Paste, Thermal Compound CPU for All Coolers, Thermal Interface Material : Electronics


Amazon.com: ARCTIC MX-4 (incl. Spatula, 4 Grams) - Thermal Compound Paste, Carbon Based High Performance, Heatsink Paste, Thermal Compound CPU for All Coolers, Thermal Interface Material : Electronics



www.amazon.com






I have used this one.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Whatever brand you get, just put on a tiny dab. You're not icing a cake, unlike what the "assembler" in a Verge video did when he put his computer together.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

If you go the do it yourself route, take pictures and document everything you remove before you do it. Download the motherboard manual as well to have on hand. It is not difficult to replace a motherboard but doing it slowly and methodically will ensure you get everything in the right place.

Also static electricity can be a problem. Follow this. Make sure you're grounded before working on a PC


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

painterswife said:


> Also static electricity can be a problem. Follow this. Make sure you're grounded before working on a PC


That article lost me at "While the chance of actually frying the internals of your PC are slim..." and dug in deeper with "99% sure you won't have a problem unless...". In my very long experience with people who don't take adequate static precautions, the chance of destroying something expensive is actually closer to 50/50. And some static damage doesn't destroy the part immediately; it'll still work for 6 months or so before it dies, so you may not make the connection to static damage.

@motdaugrnds, are you or your son reasonably mechanically or technically inclined, and willing to be much more careful about static electricity than you may think is necessary? If not, please don't do this yourselves unless you're doing it as a learning experience, and are OK with the probability of destroying something expensive and having to spend the time and money to debug it and replace the damaged part(s). If a learning experience is what you're after, then by all means go for it. But if your goal is a working computer at minimum cost, please pay someone else to do it. But preferably not the guy you took it to; find someone else a little more honest. And find that person before you buy a motherboard; some techs don't like to install parts the customer brings in because they can't guarantee they'll work.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

backwoodsman7 said:


> In my very long experience with people who don't take adequate static precautions, the chance of destroying something expensive is actually closer to 50/50.


That's true, but I stopped using the grounding wrist strap back in the 1990s. I just make it a point to touch the chassis first, each time I reach into a computer case.



motdaugrnds said:


> I googled the paste and there is a comment that not all are created equal; so which one should I purchase?
> 
> 
> 
> Amazon.com : "cpu thermal paste"


I;ve always called it "heat transfer grease." I prefer to order the thinner syringes, and I order them through eBay from China. It takes 3 weeks for them to arrive but they cost about half what they are at Amazon. But you don't want to wait 3 weeks.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

Nevada said:


> That's true, but I stopped using the grounding wrist strap back in the 1990s. I just make it a point to touch the chassis first, each time I reach into a computer case.


I stopped using a wrist strap decades ago too. In fact I don't really even think about static protection anymore, it's just automatic habit. Yes, touch the chassis first, and make sure anything that looks like a chip or circuit board isn't the first thing that touches whenever you touch it, or pick it up or set it down. I guess the main reason I speak so strongly about it is, many people just don't think you're serious that it could be all that important, so don't pay attention, then end up frying something.

I used to have a business buying & selling used memory, back when it was valuable enough that that made sense. We had a bright neon-colored sheet with very clear, very specific simple instructions on how not to static-damage their trade-in memory, always packed so it was impossible to miss. Fairly regularly, someone would just completely ignore that and send their memory just in a baggie or whatever with no static protection, then get mad when we wouldn't give them the trade-in credit.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Updating....

David received the motherboard and glue. He watched the videos and took pictures as well. He took the old motherboard out and replaced it with the new motherboard. Now his computer is acting the very same way as it did before we ever started all this. Everything lights up except the monitor. The monitor turns on just fine as before and then flashes "no signal". (The very same thing it was doing before with the old motherboard.) Now I'm wondering if the repairman lied all the way around and it was the monitor all along.  Feeling so bad for David.......... We have my old monitor so he is going to see if that works. If not he is talking about finding a different repairman.....


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## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

Bad videocard? Change video connection cable? Check monitor with a known functional computer? Try to get your $60 diagnositc fee back when it is one of those.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Reseat the video card.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

How do you reseat the video card? Just take it out and put it right back in?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Yes


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Which one is the video card?


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Which one is the video card?


The thing that says XFX, where your monitor plugs in.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

You should try plugging the monitor into the motherboard and the video card. One at a time of course.  Also try a new HDMI cord.

I would have thought that the computer guy would have tried all this though. I also would try to disconnecting the hard drive and trying to boot up just into the bios.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

David found it. Priced it on net and it was almost the entire cost of a new computer, i.e. near $800. Next opportunity he will take that piece out and put it back in to see what occurs. I also found a brand new HDMI cable that I had ordered extra when I got my new computer a couple years ago; so he will try that too.

You are all making it sound so easy; and David is doing quite well with working inside this thing; so hopefully it will be fixed without having to take it to some new repairman, which we have not found yet.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> David found it. Priced it on net and it was almost the entire cost of a new computer, i.e. near $800. Next opportunity he will take that piece out and put it back in to see what occurs.
> 
> You are all making it sound so easy; and David is doing quite well with working inside this thing; so hopefully it will be fixed without having to take it to some new repairman....


You might need to disable the motherboard's on-board graphics adapter to get the XFX card working. It will be in the UEFI settings somewhere.

Yeah, $800. Don't feel bad though, some gaming graphics adapters sell for over $2000 -- like this one.





__





Are you a human?







www.newegg.com


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

double post


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Nevada, you stated, "...You might need to disable the motherboard's on-board graphics adapter to get the XFX card working. It will be in the UEFI settings somewhere..." 

Sure wish I understood where the "UEFI settings" might be and exactly what to do there to "disable the motherboard's on-board graphics adapter to get the XFX card working." (This tells me the motherboard has its own graphics adapter that conflicts with and/or competes with the XFX card. Is this true?)


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Nevada, you stated, "...You might need to disable the motherboard's on-board graphics adapter to get the XFX card working. It will be in the UEFI settings somewhere..."
> 
> Sure wish I understood where the "UEFI settings" might be and exactly what to do there to "disable the motherboard's on-board graphics adapter to get the XFX card working." (This tells me the motherboard has its own graphics adapter that conflicts with and/or competes with the XFX card. Is this true?)


UEFI (BIOS setup) is accessed by tapping the Del key at startup. Your son should already know that since he would have setup other basic configuration.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I'm not understanding any of this. Seems I read somewhere that there are 2 types of something that conflict with each other. One being the UEFI set up and the other being another type of set up. Wouldn't it be wise to know if the computer actually is set up with the UEFI thingy before trying to disable something?

David has figured out how to plug the right cables in and connect the monitor, key board, mouse with box; but setting up configurations? Not sure he understands any of that..............I'll ask him. It seems terribly risky to expect a non-professional technician to configure stuff on a motherboard or any other part of a computer. (Just wishing David and/or I were as knowledgeable as you Nevada.)


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> I'm not understanding any of this. Seems I read somewhere that there are 2 types of something that conflict with each other. One being the UEFI set up and the other being another type of set up. Wouldn't it be wise to know if the computer actually is set up with the UEFI thingy before trying to disable something?
> 
> David has figured out how to plug the right cables in and connect the monitor, key board, mouse with box; but setting up configurations? Not sure he understands any of that..............I'll ask him. It seems terribly risky to expect a non-professional technician to configure stuff on a motherboard or any other part of a computer. (Just wishing David and/or I were as knowledgeable as you Nevada.)


Regardless of whether the BIOS setup is accessed by a UEFI or a CMOS, the idea is the same. They make the distinction because UEFI can access the setup using high resolution graphics, where the CMOS uses basic graphics resolution.

Don't get caught-up in nomenclature. You just need to access the BIOS setup, which your son has already done.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thanks Nevada. I'll ask David to read all you've said; and if he understands maybe get it done. If not maybe he can ask for more clarity.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Nevada David says he has never done a "BIOS set up". When he got this computer all he had to do was plug it in and play. So he needs to know how to do the set up with a monitor that will not work.

Also is there anyone in here who knows of a reputable PC repairman in the southern Virginia area?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Have you tried the monitor on another computer? Same cords etc. Just to rule out that as the problem.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Next, unplug the computer and restart it.

Does it make any sounds? Beeps etc. 

Does the power light come on?


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> It seems terribly risky to expect a non-professional technician to configure stuff on a motherboard or any other part of a computer.


...which is why I recommended against doing it yourselves unless the goal is a learning experience.



motdaugrnds said:


> So he needs to know how to do the set up with a monitor that will not work.


It's not possible; you have to see what you're doing.

But, if there's any doubt about a video issue, the first thing to do is remove the video card and try the motherboard's video output. You don't need to mess with the BIOS setup; the computer will figure out where the video and monitor are.

Then, try the monitor on a known-good computer, and try a known-good monitor on this computer.

If none of that works, it's not a video problem. In that case, based on what you said after the new motherboard was installed, I'd say it's likely either (a) the new motherboard was damaged by static electricity, or (b) the CPU died. CPUs rarely die, but it does happen.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Nevada David says he has never done a "BIOS set up". When he got this computer all he had to do was plug it in and play. So he needs to know how to do the set up with a monitor that will not work.
> 
> Also is there anyone in here who knows of a reputable PC repairman in the southern Virginia area?


The original computer setup was done by the manufacturer, but when you install a new motherboard you should review the configuration to have it the way you want. The new motherboard should have included a user manual that explains how to enter the setup and describes the optional available. It's important to know that newer motherboards with UEFI can be entered from Windows.as well as at boot time.

Major hardware, such as memory and storage drives, usually will be self-configuring, but there are options you will want to consider. 


Do you want to enter a system password that will be required to use the computer?
Do you want to enter a bios admin password so nobody but you can fool with the bios settings?
Which bios version do you have, and do you want to update to a newer bios version?
Which devices to you wish to include in the boot device list, and in which order?
Do you want the num lock on or off when the system boots?
Do you want to enable virtualization?

Those and many other settings are available in the bios setup. As I said before, you enter your bios by tapping the Del key immediately after turning on the power. 

Did your son try tapping the Del key at power-on? If not, then why not? If so, then did it enter the bios setup?


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Again........ The monitor is not working! We have two monitors that we know work; and neither of them will work with the box as it is now. 

Backwoodsman7, you stated, "...if there's any doubt about a video issue, the first thing to do is remove the video card and try the motherboard's video output. You don't need to mess with the BIOS setup; the computer will figure out where the video and monitor are..." David is in the process of doing that next. Thank you so much.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Backwoodsman7, David removed the video card and tried both of the ports on the motherboard. Monitor still says "no signal" and goes black. Same exact thing before replacing the motherboard. At least it is good to know he doesn't need to buy another video card.

Backwoodsman7, you stated, "...If none of that works, it's not a video problem. In that case, based on what you said after the new motherboard was installed, I'd say it's likely either (a) the new motherboard was damaged by static electricity, or (b) the CPU died. CPUs rarely die, but it does happen..." Are you saying both motherboards (old and new) are damaged in exactly the same way where everything works except the monitor?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Does the fan on the computer start when you power it up?


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Are you saying both motherboards (old and new) are damaged in exactly the same way where everything works except the monitor?


Are you confident that the motherboard is powering up? Do you hear any beeping, and is the processor fan turning?

Try removing and reseating the memory. A memory error should be indicated by 1 long beep followed by 1 short beep.

It sounds like the motherboard is stalling early in the startup process.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Yes, the fans are working, all the LED lights are on on the motherboard, lights on keyboard and mouse are on, blue power lights on box working...
No beeps or other noises


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> Are you saying both motherboards (old and new) are damaged in exactly the same way where everything works except the monitor?


Well, that depends. What do you mean by "everything works"? In your first post after the new motherboard was installed you said, "Everything lights up except the monitor." Do you mean that all the lights, beeps, etc. look normal, like they always have when the computer is starting up, including the hard disk light on/flickering for a couple minutes like it normally does when Windows starts up?

If yes, that leans toward both motherboards being defective in the same way. Seems unlikely, but I've seen stranger coincidences.

If no -- that is, a light or two comes on, but no other activity at all -- that leans toward the CPU being bad. Again, unlikely, but it does happen. The only way to test it is to have another CPU that's compatible with the motherboard, that you can swap in and see if it works. Or, try the CPU in another motherboard, but you've already done that.

Another possibility is the power supply. It puts out several different voltages that are used for various things, and it's possible one of them is either dead or or out of spec far enough to prevent the motherboard from starting. Again, you need another compatible power supply to swap in to test.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> No beeps or other noises


Something fundamental is wrong. Your motherboard should make one short beep if everything is working. Did you try reseating the memory modules?


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Well, Backwoodsman, we have no idea if this computer has ever "beeped". When it arrived brand new the speakers were not connected until after the computer was up and running; and since then the speakers automatically turn themselves off after a period of time; so they could easily have been off whenever the computer came on since then. Yet this PC has worked very well for two years this way. (No we do not have another PC compatible with the motherboard this PC requires.)

Again, the keyboard and mouse (also monitor) do light up and look functional as they always have...except for the monitor as the monitor lights up, shows a "no signal" then goes black. Yes we know the monitor is good; yes we've tried another monitor (also know is good) and it does the same thing.

I don't think David has tried reseating the memory modules yet; but will.

[As an aside: My own personal computer does not make those beeping noises either and never has. It starts, lights up everything and works all connected to it fine; and it has never made those beeping noises you are all talking about.]


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> the monitor lights up, shows a "no signal" then goes black.


If you power-up the monitor when it's not plugged-in to a computer, it will do the same thing.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> Well, Backwoodsman, we have no idea if this computer has ever "beeped". When it arrived brand new the speakers were not connected until after the computer was up and running; and since then the speakers automatically turn themselves off after a period of time; so they could easily have been off whenever the computer came on since then. Yet this PC has worked very well for two years this way. (No we do not have another PC compatible with the motherboard this PC requires.)


Well, the point isn't whether it beeps; the point is, does everything do what it always has, except the monitor? Not all computers beep on power-on, but if it does, it does it with a small speaker on the motherboard, not the main speakers. You didn't answer regarding the hard disk light (if it has one; some don't these days, just to save the $0.20 or whatever per unit, not a good sign if quality is a concern).

The memory doesn't need to be reseated; you just did that a few days ago. But it wouldn't hurt to try it in the other socket, just in case that one is bad. Normally I'd suggest removing one module at a time to test for a bad module, but it looks like you only have one, so can't do that. But I think a memory problem is unlikely; as someone else mentioned, that usually results in a beep code on power-on.

Google lists several computer stores & repair guys in Danville, and several more in South Boston / Halifax area.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Backwoodsman7 I'll ask David about the hard disk light. Yes I'll google computer stores and repairmen in this area and Halifax County area as well. David is trying so hard to get this thing working without having to buy anything else; yet I'm beginning to think the entire PC just flopped! (I guess $800 is no guarantee he got a quality computer.)

David just took my personal PC out of the area where it fits my desk, took the side off and showed me all in there. I have 7 fans. Seven! He used the can of air and blew out everything (the way the repair man years ago showed him to do). Then he put it all back and turned it on. Yes there was a very faint beep. I didn't hear it but David did.

I sure appreciate your hanging in with me on this. Your responses are always clear.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Yes there was a very faint beep. I didn't hear it but David did.


Now, do you hear a faint beep from the new motherboard?


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Nevada I was talking about "my" personal computer not the one this discussion has been about....


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Nevada I was talking about "my" personal computer not the one this discussion has been about....


I understand that, so I wanted to see if the new motherboard also beeps. The motherboard manual says it should.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

This is David. I'm starting to lean more towards a faulty power box. Ruled out the motherboard since replacing it. The Video card (in or out) makes no difference. Main disc drive has it's own LED which comes on...

Main thing I have noticed when I reboot the PC is now I have to press the reset button on the front after hitting the on switch at the back of the box. Didn't have to do that before. Seems like power switch at the top front isn't working the way it was. So I am looking into a new power box.

Thanks for the help everyone is giving. Hope I get this thing working soon.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> Main thing I have noticed when I reboot the PC is now I have to press the reset button on the front after hitting the on switch at the back of the box. Didn't have to do that before. Seems like power switch at the top front isn't working the way it was. So I am looking into a new power box.


I assume you mean the power switch on the power supply? Whether that switch powers it on without having to press the power button on the front would depend on a BIOS setting for recovery after power failure, so that may not be meaningful.

You may have a power supply in another computer that would work to test with. Even the one in the old XP machine would work if it has the connectors the motherboard needs. It doesn't matter if the power supply has a 20-pin connector instead of 24-pin, it'll still work, but it does need the 4-pin CPU power connector also.

By the way, I just noticed something in the motherboard photo your mom posted here. The 4-pin CPU power connector, yellow & black wires near top left, is unplugged. That would certainly keep it from working.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> This is David. I'm starting to lean more towards a faulty power box. Ruled out the motherboard since replacing it. The Video card (in or out) makes no difference. Main disc drive has it's own LED which comes on...
> 
> Main thing I have noticed when I reboot the PC is now I have to press the reset button on the front after hitting the on switch at the back of the box. Didn't have to do that before. Seems like power switch at the top front isn't working the way it was. So I am looking into a new power box.
> 
> Thanks for the help everyone is giving. Hope I get this thing working soon.


I can't imagine it to be a power supply problem. At this point I would check that the power button and reset button are on the correct motherboard pins.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

backwoodsman: that CPU connector you're seeing has 2 plugs coming out but only 1 port to plug into. I plugged the same one as before into the motherboard port.

Nevada: Will try switching those 2 connectors. Thx
.....Nope. Had it right to begin with. Musta switched the wrong 2. I have no idea which ports the power and reset buttons go to.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> I have no idea which ports the power and reset buttons go to.


It should be in the manual that came with the motherboard, and should also be printed on the motherboard next to the pins.

From the image below, the power switch should be on pins 6&8, while the reset switch should be on pins 5&7.














__





Download Gigabyte B450M DS3H User Manual | ManualsLib







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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I switched out these 2 on the lower right. They were the only ones coulda possible gotten mixed up


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> I switched out these 2 on the lower right. They were the only ones coulda possible gotten mixed up


Those are your sata drive cables. Not even close.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Nevada.....and ??? There is no way I can guess as to which to switch.....


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Nevada.....and ??? There is no way I can guess as to which to switch.....


From your image, I have cropped the photo where you should be concentrating.










You can see the word "speaker". The speaker connection is the 4 pins just to the upper left of that word. Those pins are unoccupied, which is probably OK. Directly below those unoccupied pins is the F Panel, where the power & reset connectors are. I see that you have the F Panel occupied That's where you need to verify that the proper connectors are on the correct pins.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> Nevada.....and ??? There is no way I can guess as to which to switch.....


Do you not have the manual? If you didn't get a manual with the new board, you can download it from the manufacturer's website. You'll need both the User's Manual and Pin Definition.




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Basically, on the F_PANEL pin header, the two positions on the right (ignoring the single unused pin) are power and reset. If you have them reversed, the buttons' functions would be reversed.



motdaugrnds said:


> Main disc drive has it's own LED which comes on...


But does it act normal, on/flickering for a couple minutes like it does when the computer boots normally, or does it just stay on? Do you hear the hard disk doing what it normally would, or is it just spinning up then doing nothing?

Were you able to test with another power supply yet?


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

OK,I think I got those little pins in the right places. At least the power button works now.

backwoodsman, My disc drive C clicks a couple times on startup then I can hear it spinning. Don't have a light on it now though but before it was just staying on, not blinking.

Haven't tried the power box from my old XP. It's a 380W. My new PC uses 600W. Power box from mom's old computer doesn't have compatible connections.

At this point I have no idea what to do next to get the monitor working.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I would check the ram next. Is it seated properly? You have one stick right? Try it in both places.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> OK,I think I got those little pins in the right places. At least the power button works now.


Oh good! Science prevails over superstition & wives tales again.



motdaugrnds said:


> My disc drive C clicks a couple times on startup then I can hear it spinning. Don't have a light on it now though but before it was just staying on, not blinking.


It seems to me that you mentioned reversing the sata cables. Check that you switched them back.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> Haven't tried the power box from my old XP. It's a 380W. My new PC uses 600W.


Wattage doesn't matter just to test with, especially if the video card is removed. If it has the CPU power connector, it'll work.



> At this point I have no idea what to do next to get the monitor working.


Keeping in mind that I know only what you've told us, at this point it still seems most likely to be down to either the power supply or the CPU. Power supply is much more likely to die, but the problem seems more like a dead CPU which, as I said, could also be the power supply being unable to power the CPU. So your next step is still to swap in a known-good power supply.

I assume you decided to tackle this yourself at least partly as a learning experience. Only you can decide when you've had enough learning experience, how much you want to spend on parts to debug it with, and when to take it to a pro. Again, I'd suggest someone other than the guy you took it to before, as he didn't strike me as all that honest.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

painterswife: I assume when you say RAM you mean the memory card:










I have tried it in both slots and even rebooted the computer without the memory card. Makes no difference. Monitor still won't work.

Yes nevada, I did switch those back.

backwoodsman, have switched the powerboxes. Still no difference.

When you talk about the main cpu do you mean the main disc drive C? It's the only other thing I haven't yet had a chance to check. Will have to buy a new one just to see if that's the problem. Could it be anything else?

Short review:
1) New motherboard has been installed. Pretty sure all the connections are exactly the same. Took pictures of old one still connected and have switched out all them the same as before. Made some corrections with the leads going to the power and reset switches so they work properly now.
2) Video card makes no difference if it is installed or not.
3) Memory card is seated properly and also makes no difference if it is in or out.
4) Older power box (which worked on old computer) made no difference either.

Could it be anything else BUT drive C?


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> When you talk about the main cpu do you mean the main disc drive C?


NO, I don't mean the drive. The CPU is the big square chip with a zillion pins on it that you installed in the big square socket in the middle of the motherboard. But, since you mention the drive, it wouldn't hurt to try it with the drive's SATA cable unplugged. I don't remember if I've ever seen a drive keep a motherboard from powering up, but it won't hurt to try even remote possibilities.

You've eliminated the power supply, so at this point all that's left is the CPU or the motherboard. To test you'd need another CPU that's compatible with the motherboard. But I'd really recommend that you have someone else fix it.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I'm considering this one:









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It's a generation 7 and is compatible with the A320M-K motherboard.

Cheaper than having to buy a new computer OR pay someone I don't trust to put one in. Switching out the motherboard this CPU was easy to do myself.

Should I copy all my files off this computer first before putting in a new processor?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Backing up your files is ALWAYS important! You never know when your computer will crap out on you.

As I type this I realize I haven't backed up the files on my old laptop. I need to do that really soon.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

How are you going to back up your files if you can't get the computer started? Duplicate the hard drive?


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Computer DOES start. Is just the monitor I can't get on. I'm thinking the USB ports (I have connections for ) will let me copy from 1 computer to another. It works for my phone and camera anyway.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Danaus29 said:


> Backing up your files is ALWAYS important! You never know when your computer will crap out on you.


Rather than make backups, I keep files that are important to me in a shared folder with Google Drive. It's similar to Microsoft's OneDrive product, but Google Drive provides 15GB of shared space for free.

But nobody listens to me anyway. I guess it's easier to lose data and complain about it. I had one client who installed Google Drive but never put anything in the shared folder. He thought that having Google Drive installed would somehow protect his data.

Anyway, that's what I do. If you keep your important files in an off-premise shared drive, your important files can survive a nuclear holocaust.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Computer DOES start. Is just the monitor I can't get on. I'm thinking the USB ports (I have connections for ) will let me copy from 1 computer to another. It works for my phone and camera anyway.


If it starts enough to copy files then you don't need a new CPU. How are you seeing what is on the hardrive?


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Should I copy all my files off this computer first before putting in a new processor?


That's ridiculous. As long as you use the same drive you will have your data. A new motherboard or processor has no effect on the information in your storage drive.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

painterswife, I have a cable with USB plugs on both ends. I'm talking about connecting 2 computers through their USB ports. The computer with working monitor (mom's computer) should see my computer as Disc Drive E. No need to have a working monitor on my computer to access it's hard drive. Haven't tried it yet with 2 computers but I know I can use the USB port to copy pictures and videos from both my phone and camera.

One quick question though. Is it possible that my drives (C & D) are in the same box? Drive D has a tray slides out for removable discs. But I see only one disc drive inside my computer. Power box only connects to that one as well. Otherwise I can't find drive C in my computer...


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I may be missing something here but you don't really know if the computer is actually booting up. If it does not boot up connecting the two USB ports will do nothing. If it is booting up enough to be able to transfer the files that way then you don't need a new CPU. You are better off just removing the hard drive and installing it in the other computer and transferring that way or at very least seeing if the hard drive is working.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

motdaugrnds said:


> It's a generation 7 and is compatible with the A320M-K motherboard.
> Cheaper than having to buy a new computer OR pay someone I don't trust to put one in.


That's a whole lot of money for something you don't know is the problem. It MIGHT be cheaper, or it might be more money spent with nothing to show for it. At this point the best (and maybe even cheapest) thing you can do is take it to a pro who has a CPU that'll work in that board that he can use to test.



motdaugrnds said:


> Computer DOES start. Is just the monitor I can't get on.


I asked some very specific questions to try to determine if it was booting, and the answers led me to believe it's not. What makes you think it is?



> I'm thinking the USB ports (I have connections for ) will let me copy from 1 computer to another. It works for my phone and camera anyway.


It's not a phone or a camera; computers don't work that way, even when they're working. The only way to get anything off that drive is to remove it and plug it into another computer. If there's anything on it that you don't want to lose, this is a really bad time to try bumbling through doing that when you don't know what you're doing, because it's way too easy to destroy both the drive and your data.



motdaugrnds said:


> One quick question though. Is it possible that my drives (C & D) are in the same box? Drive D has a tray slides out for removable discs. But I see only one disc drive inside my computer. Power box only connects to that one as well. Otherwise I can't find drive C in my computer...


You have 2 SATA cables plugged into the motherboard; the other one goes to the hard drive.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

One hard drive can have several partitions.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I have lost pictures stored in "_the cloud_" before. Many times google has locked me out of my email in the past month. I don't expect them to treat google drive customers any better.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Danaus29 said:


> I have lost pictures stored in "_the cloud_" before. Many times google has locked me out of my email in the past month. I don't expect them to treat google drive customers any better.


I've never been locked out of my gmail account.

But it's all one account. When you get a gmail account you get 15GB of disk space. That space can be used for stored email messages, files stored in Google Drive, and even phone messages left by Google Voice. You access Google Voice and Google Drive using your gmail credentials.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Ok, thanks for the explanation. 

Apparently google doesn't like it when you try to filter spam emails from certain ladies with questionable taste. I still can't figure out how they got my email address. With every filter I got locked out and had to reset passwords, add a recovery number and address, answer security questions and wait for text messages. If it wasn't for some really important mail I would have left it fill up with spam.


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## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

painterswife said:


> One hard drive can have several partitions.


Of course, but what he's calling "Drive D" is the DVD drive.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

It was the CPU. Everything is up and working just fine except for the sound. I know the speaker works but now I have no sound. So can't watch any videos yet but monitor, mouse, keyboard, even USB port for Drive E is working.

And yes, my Drive D is the DVD drive. Looks like it and the main drive are all in the same casing.

Really appreciate all the help (and patience) everyone has given.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Got the sound working. Looks like was a software problem. Got it fixed online.


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