No display on monitor - motherboard finally died?

[Barrichello]

Hi all, thought I would come to the experts for advice.

The Mrs PC (my old one) looks like time has caught up with it.

Its based around an old motherboard ASUS P5B from about 2006 - with a core duo cpu. Its done really well to get this far but I think now the motherboard has given up the ghost.

Background - 4 months ago
We started getting Motherboard warnings where it kept losing the bios settings, so would have to go into bios, adjust stuff save and then it would boot fine and work, but then the next day it would do the same. Tried CMOS reset/removing cmos battery etc made no discernible difference. If you rebooted turned off and on again within an hour it was fine, so realised maybe I just need a new CMOS battery (as settings were not being stored long term). So replaced the battery and problem resolved, working PC everytime, every boot for 4 months.

Now
Noticed that sometimes over last week when booting we would loose display signal (check cable etc) - would reboot and then it was fine. But today we now have a total blank/black screen when booting, all fans on mobo and graphics card going full speed, like post boot.

Have tried....

1. Swap out to new cmos battery/reset cmos (no difference)
2. Tried a different working monitor (no difference)
3. Tried the original graphic card in my PC and that works fine, then swapped out the original graphic card for my working one in problem PC (no difference)

Just stuck on a black screen with no display/check cable

So above things tried rules out the graphic card, so im thinking something else on the motherboard has gone wrong which none of my troubleshooting has resolved, not getting any mobo noises, although their is lights on it etc.

Can anyone recommend anything else to try? or is it time to wave farewell to our trusty P5B and wife to adopt my mobo/parts/system and I view it as a chance to go shopping for new PC parts

[Phage]

Well, apart from looking a gift horse.... Did you also try another cable ?

[vinnyT]

You say you have tried the old gfx card in your pc and it worked, then you tried your current gfx in the old pc and and that gave you the blank screen (so that rules out the gfx cards as the problem), Have you tried placing the (either) gfx in a diff. slot (assuming you have one spare)?

Other than that, I can only concur with you that it is something on the mobo, it sounds like it is time for the Mrs. to get a new pc (go on, you know you want to).

[MrJim]

Have you tried a different PCIe slot for the graphics card?

Edit!
-----

Just seen that the P5B only has one x16 slot Maybe a cheap PCI graphics card?

[Barrichello]

Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated.

Well, apart from looking a gift horse.... Did you also try another cable ?

Yeah, tried different cable, tried all off DVI/VGA/HDMI as well to make sure.

Have you tried a different PCIe slot for the graphics card?

Edit!
-----

Just seen that the P5B only has one x16 slot Maybe a cheap PCI graphics card?

Unfortunately no cheapy gcard at hand

Plus side it looks like the mrs will be getting my current mobo/cpu/ram and I can get a upgrade in at least

[mysticmagic788]

sounds like its the mobo but could just as easily be driver problem.
Flash your bios to make sure its up to date then try safe mode.

Can you see bios screen? or is blank screen happening even before that?

[Bonebreaker777]

Same as the previous users:
Try different GPU
Try different monitor - Tested by you
Try different cables - Tested by you
Change CMOS battery - Done by you
Try different MoBo

Otherwise I would ask if you would hear the PC boot into the OS (log in sounds etc) or just hangs post boot. Maybe even take out any additional connections, like disconnect everything from the Mobo but the GPU and try to boot like that. Even try with ONE memory module..? Good luck with your error hunt.

[peterb]

As it has worked before, and you haven't changed any hardware, it is extremely unlikely to be a driver problem, unless you have inadvertently uploaded new drivers, and even then they should be backwards comparable. for the same reason, an out of date BIOS is also unlikely to be the reason.

I suspect you now have a perfect excuse to go shopping for computer parts!

[mysticmagic788]

If he has changed voltages or ocd ram etc taking out a battery will reset his bios back to default and he will have the same problems.

Also putting a battery in can create a small charge and fry his gpu.

Its an old board so probably is time to say goodbye to it but it doesnt hurt trying everything.