Motherboard Death - Have I tested everything?

Help anyone?
This refers to PC #1 in my sig.

PC on for a number of hours.
Had been left for one hour, screensaver had activated and screen had gone into standby mode. Windows XP Pro configured to NEVER powerdown hard disks and NEVER use system standby.

Moved mouse to use PC again. Monitor switched on, WinXP logon screen appeared.
5 seconds later PC instantly switched off with no warning.

PC would not restart and no fans turning.
Standby light on motherboard is not lit.
Unplugged all devices from motherboard (CDRW/DVDRW/4xHD/Gfx/LAN) except two required power connections and case connectors. Would not start.
Changed PSU (Tagan TG420-U02 i-Xeye) for known working PSU (Tagan TG530-U15) and retested with no devices attached. Would not start.
Removed CPU and RAM and tested with both PSU's. Would not start. (not even a moany beep)

I am concerned the motherboard has failed, especially as the SB LED is no longer lit.
Other than using a different case (with the SB LED off maybe irrelevant) are there further tests I've forgotten?

Also:

I understand it is still under warranty.
However if the motherboard must be replaced how can I retrieve my data from the RAID10 array I have attached to the Silicon Image Si3114R controller?
Would a replacement accept this RAID10 array WITHOUT formatting the data?

Usually I'd have a lovely backup but I've had problems with that for a different reason.

I appreciate any and all help you can offer!

Could be the power supply. Was the bios set to restart if power was lost? It could be that the machine lost power (dodgy PSU) restarted, but then failed again (permanently) when you came back to it.

Is the controller built into ther mobo? - if not, then the raid should be OK. If it is built in and the motherboard has failed, then replacing the mobo with the same type should be OK. Other conditions, its hard to say. You may be OK. Others may be able to offer firmer advice.

Thanks peterb

So far I've tried two different power supplies (see previous post for types), leads and surge protected multi-ways that run other kit and all appear ok.

The controller is built into the mobo sadly and the board is getting increasing difficult to source (nearly 3yrs old). We have a similar on-board controller in our PC #2 but that maybe to much risk.

Were there any Silicon Image 3114-based add-in controllers made? One might be worth it just to get past this point.

I've looked over the board (top-side only) and there are no tell-tail burn marks or blown/domed/damaged capacitors. Is there anything else I could look for?
Until now the machine has been reliable so I can't understand why it might just stop. I've not touched the hardware in it for months.

before you write if off take it out of the case (give it a good visual inspection and smell) and if it looks ok test it with only the cpu, mem and vid card and switch it on by shorting the pins with a screwdriver

also remember with it being asus you have to go through the retailer for the warranty as asus are useless if you try and do it direct with them

Thanks da ging

I'll be taking it off the motherboard tray this evening to see if there is under-side damage.
There was no tell-tale burnt smell or stains ontop.

Questions:
If I test it without CPU should I expect beep codes or nothing at all?
If nothing at all should I be looking at the CPU as a possible culprit?

No mem or gfx should give beep codes.

I have emailed Asus the problem but I don't expect a great deal of help. The retailer was Dabs and I expect them to be reasonable (they have been before) but I want to make sure I've tried everything possible before I get the inevitable generic questioning.
My worry there is that they will not have a direct replacement in stock so the RAID10 will go to the wall unless ASUS still use the same RAID controller (very unlikely).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vimeous

Questions:
1 - If I test it without CPU should I expect beep codes or nothing at all?
2 - If nothing at all should I be looking at the CPU as a possible culprit?

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1 -yes , you will get nothing without the cpu

2 - possibly but i's say the motherboard being dead was more likely

unless you can test the mobo with a different cpu and the cpu in a different mobo you can't be sure which it is

also can't see it mentioned but presume you have tried clearing the bios?

Can't you test the CPU in any of your other systems? the same goes for the RAM, at least then you'll know but the LED failing to light is not a good sign.

Frustratingly this is my only S754 system.

If there should be no response with a dead/removed CPU:
I have had a closer look at the CPU (Sempron 3100). It's been cooled by a Zalman ALCU7000 for a couple of years. The solid section of the cooler base does not appear to have covered the CPU 100%. There are two opposite edges where only the fins touch.
These thin sections are currently very dark, possibly heat related, so I wonder if the CPU has bought it. The room wasn't especially hot and the cooler has worked well for years which makes me question this assumption. Any thoughts?

I havn't tried clearing the BIOS, that will go on tonights job list.

I also havn't tested the RAM yet but that will be simply enough as both our other key machines use DDR. Another one for the test list! :)

I don't think you will make this MB working, if is still on warranty you should get replacement of the same kind so it will sort your Raid problem. I would start RMA process asap.


MB should give sound errors without memory, CPU, very often without GFX as well.
Even if the CPU is broken, MB would give you sound of error.
Yours MB seems to be completely dead, even no lights no fan moving. Looks like the the power system on MB went down.

Sorry for your lost :)

Right then got to the bottom of it finally!

So I've been kicking myself over this so finally sourced an identical motherboard from good 'ole ebay.

The result? Still dead! Well if anything it proved I'd missed something which was both a relief and deeply frustrating.
Then I hit upon a test I'd not done.
Originally when it first failed I swapped the power lead and got nothing. Then I swapped the PSU and tried both the original and newly tried cables.
Of course I hadn't tried the second PSU with a new cable. One test later and all was well!
I swapped the fuse in the first cable and presto that worked, retried the original PSU on first cable and nothing. Second cable and first cable and it was still dead.

So the PSU had blown the attached power cable fuses and I'd now got a second working K8N-E Deluxe as the new PSU and re-fused cable worked on both!

Bit of a palava and still not completely resolved but at least I know what's going on! Now I wonder if the PSU is still under warranty ...... ;)

One other point - having RAID does not remove the requirements to take back-ups! :)