HELP - My PC is dead....

Hi guys, after spending alot of time and money on my computer it has packed up.

I went downstairs to make myself and my girlfriend a coffee and when I returned the computer was 'off'. I tried to power it back on but the LED's in the fan blinked and then nothing. The green LED on the Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe is 'on' when the power supply is connected.

I have a Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard and an x-blade case.

I remember reading another thread somewhere that someone had experienced the same and was told that boiling the kettle may have blown the power supply even though the LED on the motherboard is on. Though I cannot remember the actual resolution.

I really need some help, because I am petrified that I have blown my motherboard, that would be a nightmare. What can I do?

Thanks in advance.

Check that the 4 pin square connector on the MB hasn't worked loose as well as the longer 20 pin power plug, check the graphics card and memory are securly seated in the slots, disconnect from the power and move the bios reset jumper to clear for 30 secs then put back to normal position. Beings you are getting a green light on the MB it appears to be getting power so it doesn;t sound like it's totally blown. See if you get any luck after the above?

What power supply do you have?
How long has the PC been running?
What's the rest of your spec?

As you fear, it is most likely going to be either the motherboard or the PSU. You'll need to kickstart the PSU on a bench and test the outputs with a multimeter, if you can. Or, borrow a PSU from somewhere to try in your system.

I, and an increasing number of people on various forums, have had the 'Asus A8N-SLI Dlx Wont switch on or POST' issue (I moved to DFI), but in your case as the fans don't spin up, I would suspect PSU first...


HTH,
S.

Its also possible that just 1 rail in the PSU has blown/stopped supplying. I'd suspect the 12v if your fans arent spinning.

Try another PSU if you have one available.

Here is my complete spec:

A8N-SLI Motherboard
Athlon 64 3200+
XFX 6600GT GFX CARD
Atop X-Blade case with stock psu(450)

When I press the power button the LED's on the fan come on for a split second and I have noticed one of the fans flinch, but nothing else. If I try the power button is short succession then nothing happens what so ever.

I do have another PC in the house with a power supply but it is only 300. What I might do is try the suspect PSU in my other computer, what would people recommend?

Just for the record I have re-seated the memory, gfx and wireless cards and also hard reset the bios, but I had no time last night to try anything else. :(

You know that sounds like the CMOS clear jumper isn;t set properly as thats what I get if I try and power the machine on with it set in the CMOS clear position, sure you put it back on both pins and not just the one pin?

Even if the problem isn't with the PSU, I'd get a decent one instead of the generic one supllied. Sounds like the PSU IS the prob tho...

Thanks all for all your help.

Its not the PSU, I have had a right time with this computer. I stripped the whole thing down and took the motherboard out the case. I re-seated every component on the motherboard now sitting on it's anti-Static bag. I seated just the CPU and RAM and low and behold the CPU HSF stating spinning, also there was an audible message from my bios saying 'VGA Test failed' which was expected as my XFX 6600GT was no longer connected. I re-seated the GFX card and then nothing, not even a flinch. I think I can safely say it is the GFX card. Would people agree?

What do I do now, send it back to the retailer (who I cannot remember at the moment and lost the receipt) or straight back to XFX?

Try booting the system with a PCI graphics card in there (if you have one) just to be sure all is well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kez

Try booting the system with a PCI graphics card in there (if you have one) just to be sure all is well.

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Its times like these that I wished I never sold all my old components. :(

Anyone got an X-shaped cardboard box? ;)

When you built the system was the SLI selector board inserted in the single GPU position? Also, you are using the blue PCI-E slot (closest to the CPU) right?

Yep, the selector card is set to single and I am using the blue slot closest to the CPU.

Did you clear the CMOS as per manual, i.e. taking the battery out?

Does your PSU have the 24-pin connector or an adaptor? Do you have the additional 4-pin 12V connector?

BTW if boiling a kettle blows a PSU then someone needs an electrician right away...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by skb3

there was an audible message from my bios saying 'VGA Test failed' which was expected as my XFX 6600GT was no longer connected. I re-seated the GFX card and then nothing, not even a flinch. I think I can safely say it is the GFX card. Would people agree?

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XFX have a great support crew that can be contacted on the following ;

http://www.propellerhead.co.uk

Just for curiosity - What BIOS revision are you running? With the stock board version I had a shedload of problems with the first release in regards to the same issue with the when I powered the system off it took anything upto 10 reboots for the system to get the VGA operational again. The latest revisions fix these issues.

Today I tried the GFX card in the other PCI-e slot(Black) on my motherboard and it still does the same and wont power on. I also noticed a 'click' from my PSU. Do you think the GFX card is shorting the system?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WildmonkeyUK

XFX have a great support crew that can be contacted on the following ;

http://www.propellerhead.co.uk

Just for curiosity - What BIOS revision are you running? With the stock board version I had a shedload of problems with the first release in regards to the same issue with the when I powered the system off it took anything upto 10 reboots for the system to get the VGA operational again. The latest revisions fix these issues.

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Bios revision for my Motherboard is 1004, which I think is the latest. i guess this is what you were talking about.

Thanks for the link, who are propellerheads anyway, are they connected to XFX at all?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by skb3

Today I tried the GFX card in the other PCI-e slot(Black) on my motherboard and it still does the same and wont power on. I also noticed a 'click' from my PSU. Do you think the GFX card is shorting the system?

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sounds like a static discharge to me. turn it off right away otherwse you might get electocuted...have you got a mate you can try all your components out with their PSU before ruling out the gfx card? it could be your PSU can't handle the power being drawn when all the components are plugged in. it may have [I]been[/] working in the past but slowly nackering your PSU until now, its given up the ghost.
check parts with another psu if I were you ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by StormPC

When you built the system was the SLI selector board inserted in the single GPU position? Also, you are using the blue PCI-E slot (closest to the CPU) right?

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Selector mode makes no difference to whether it'll boot with one card or not.


The click from the PSU might just be it powering on briefly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shiato storm

sounds like a static discharge to me. turn it off right away otherwse you might get electocuted...have you got a mate you can try all your components out with their PSU before ruling out the gfx card? it could be your PSU can't handle the power being drawn when all the components are plugged in. it may have [I]been[/] working in the past but slowly nackering your PSU until now, its given up the ghost.
check parts with another psu if I were you ;)

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I have tried all the components with my other 300w PSu and again it boots fine with the GFX card out of the equation. As soon as I plug the GFX card in it fails to power on and the fan just flinches, thats it.

No one I know has a PCI-e card for me to try either. Shame that it is such new technology relatively speaking and not widespread, yet.

It does sound like a short. Try taking the mobo out of the case, rest it on cardboard and see if it boots from there.

Possibly the graphics card being pushed in is causing a mobo short, might be a connection between mobo and case, or maybe you've gotten an iffy circuit that can't take the pressure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Thorsson

It does sound like a short. Try taking the mobo out of the case, rest it on cardboard and see if it boots from there.

Possibly the graphics card being pushed in is causing a mobo short, might be a connection between mobo and case, or maybe you've gotten an iffy circuit that can't take the pressure.

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Tried the GFX card in the other SLI slot, it should still power on but doesn't. I have already got the MB out the case and rested it on its antistatic sleeve. It boots whenever the GFX card is not slotted in.