IP35-E Problems

[Adamator]

Hey all

I am a first time poster, I registered today in order to try and get some help with my problem. I hope that's ok.

Been having a hell of a time with my PC. I have a PC I built just about 3 and a half years ago that has an abit IP35-e motherboard that I think is the root of my problems.

A few weeks ago my PC just would not post. It would turn, but that was it. Nothing would happen. I spent an entire Saturday testing everything, even went so far as to go buy a PSU but that did not help, so I took it back. I took out my CPU, cleaned it, reseated it, and still the problem remained. Tried a spare video card, still nothing.

Finally, just for the hell of it, I removed all my RAM, and tried to start it, and still nothing. I have 4 sticks of ram, they are different "sets" of Corsair Twin X CM2X2048. One set is 1.8v, the other is 1.9v. I put a stick of the 1.8v in and the problem remained. I switched it to the 1.9v set...and my damn computer loaded finally.

After ALL that work, I was pretty sure I simply had some bad RAM. But then come today...the problem is back.

I had heard people reference a cold boot problem this board has, so for the complete hell if it, I pointed my room heater at my PC case for 5 minutes and walked away. I came back and tried to boot my computer...and it started fine. I should mention my Computer room is a garage and it has been very cold here lately? Was my problem all this time the "cold boot" thing I have vaguely read about?

For fun, I stuck all 4 RAM sticks back in and it once again didn't boot. Maybe because I didn't "Heat" the 2 additional sticks, but when I took them back out, it did. Maybe I have an combination issue with my RAM and Cold booting. Maybe I just need a new Motherboard.

Would love any thoughts on my issue...even though it seems resolved. Would still like to know what's going on. Thanks!

[mhanor]

You can check the back of the mainboard for cracked solder joints, on all electronic components with terminals on the back of the mb, including electrolitic capacitors, solid capacitors, and don't forget the quartz oscillators

[Adamator]

Oh gosh please no, anything but that. I don't want to take it out of the case again. Ha ha. Seriously though, if I had any of those issues, what does it indicate?

[mhanor]

That may be the cause for your problem. You'll need bright white light to help you observe the soldering defects.

[Adamator]

Does it mean it has anything to do with the cold boot problem? Or is this nothing more than the parts of the mobo going bad? I just can't get over how soon as I pointed a heater at my case for 5 minutes, it booted up.

[mhanor]

I don't know if it's related to your problem. A broken solder joint means imperfect electrical contact, which can cause all kinds of trouble. But it can be corrected. Also, metal does dilate from heat, altering any imperfect electric contact, which could explain why the system starts after you've used the heater.
My IP35-E had bad joints, the system would randomly and irremediable freeze, from time to time (even weeks, months). It all started after I've upgraded the CPU, some time ago, which put physical stress on the mb, causing cracks in the poor soldering metal that holds and connects the electronic components to the rest of the electronic circuits on the mb.