# [SOLVED] Computer doesn't boot



## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

Guys - I'm hoping someone can help me troubleshoot my son's desktop. It was self built in 2009 with the following spec and if this is in the wrong forum please let me know:

Case: Cooler Master Centurion 5
Motherboard: NVidia Geforce 6100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB PCIe
Power Supply: 400CX 400W Corsair 
Processor: AMD Phenom 8650 2.3Ghz
RAM: G.Skill 4GB (2x2GB)
Hard Drive: Western WD640 SATA
OS: Windows XP

It's just stopped working. After pressing the 'on' switch, the computer lights up, whirrs a bit, the CD light flashes, the monitor starts up, the lights on the keyboard flash but after a few seconds it just dies.

Can anyone help me start to figure this out?

Many thanks


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## T_Rex (Oct 21, 2012)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

Hello,

You're on the right forum. This issue sounds like either a dead mobo or a near dead power supply. 3-4-5 years is the usual good duty life of any given power supply, and even for good quality ones, they start to degrade after about 3-4 years and should be replaced.


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

ok I'll replace the power supply first then?


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## T_Rex (Oct 21, 2012)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

Then you see if it boots up. If not then it's time to take a look at the motherboard. We recommend XFX or Seasonic power supplies here as they are top quality and deliver superb clean amperage / rail voltage targets. 520W would be just fine like this one;


SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Newegg.com


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

The CX series from corsair isn't very good quality at all so I wouldn't be surprised if it was the cause of the machine not working.

However , your problem may actually be a component that the power supply has worn out rather then the power supply itself.

With such erratic output , any component could be bad causing the machine to not post and subsequently turn off.


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## T_Rex (Oct 21, 2012)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

By the way - make and model of the motherboard?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

The build is 4 years old using a poor quality PSU that was underpowered for the hardware so it would be the primary suspect. As pointed out by emosun, the PSU may have done some damage to other components as well.
You want to be at 520W minimum with a good quality PSU for the 4850 GPU. 
SeaSonic & XFX are top quality.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

While I agree with everyone else on the quality of Builder Series Corsair psu it could also be a choked up hsf and invasion of such other crud inside pc. Have you opened the tower and blown out the inside with a "can of air", paying special attention to the heatsink/fan on top of the cpu?


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*



ChronoGeek said:


> By the way - make and model of the motherboard?


Motherboard is ECS Geforce6100PM


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*



Rich-M said:


> While I agree with everyone else on the quality of Builder Series Corsair psu it could also be a choked up hsf and invasion of such other crud inside pc. Have you opened the tower and blown out the inside with a "can of air", paying special attention to the heatsink/fan on top of the cpu?


Hi - yes my son did that, though "paying special attention" probably doesn't fit with teenage activity. I'll check it. That's a very good point, my own PC previously kept shutting down and all it needed was a good clean.


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

Here's an up date, I bought a new PSU (XFX 550w), hooked it up and it's exactly the same. I'd had advice that it may be a worn out graphics card so we disconnected the monitor and attached a different monitor to the video out port on the motherboard and that had no signal at all.

Does that give any clues?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

Assuming you are talking about the video card, I would bet the poor psu also damaged the video card. Will the card work on another pc?


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*



Rich-M said:


> Assuming you are talking about the video card, I would bet the poor psu also damaged the video card. Will the card work on another pc?


That's a good question, unfortunately my own PC's card is AGP and the one in question is PCI-e. I'll have to find a computer to test it on.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

" we disconnected the monitor and attached a different monitor to the video out port on the motherboard and that had no signal at all." 
This is what confused me. That board has onboard video, but unless you pulled the video card out to try the onboard, it probably wouldn't work anyway as most boards default to recognize onboard video only if pci card is not present. I want to be sure we are talking about the same thing.


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*



Rich-M said:


> " we disconnected the monitor and attached a different monitor to the video out port on the motherboard and that had no signal at all."
> This is what confused me. That board has onboard video, but unless you pulled the video card out to try the onboard, it probably wouldn't work anyway as most boards default to recognize onboard video only if pci card is not present. I want to be sure we are talking about the same thing.


Thanks Rich, I unplugged the power from the pci video card and connected the onboard video to the monitor and it didn't work. Should I have removed the PCI video card altogether?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

Yes, the dedicated GPU has to be physically removed for the Onboard Graphics to work.
450W is the minimum for a 4850 GPU and you've been using a 400W low quality PSU. Under powering a GPU is the most common cause of GPU damagefailure.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

Yes as Tyree states exactly you must remove the pci-x card all together.


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

ok guys I'll do that this morning, thanks again


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

ok I removed the video card and tried again, the monitor worked through the onboard video. But the result was the same, fans spinning but no booting. 

So far I know it wasn't the power supply or the video card. I'm going to hook up an internal speaker and see if there any beeps that may help me figure out the faulty part.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

Remove all RAM, boot , listen for beeps from the Mobo speaker. No RAM and no beeps indicates a Mobo problem.


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

ok thanks


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

The saga continues:

I plugged in an internal speaker (actually there was a wire already connected to the motherboard but it seemed not to be working). When I tried to start the computer the there were no beeps. The text appeared asking if I wanted to start windows in safe mode or normally or with command prompt etc. Whatever choice I made it went to the windows loading screen and just hung there. There were no beeps from the new internal speaker.

I then removed all RAM and on powering up there was a long beep (20 secs) a one second gap and another long beep (continuous I believe). Inserting a RAM stick returned the computer to the original problem operation (fans spinning but not booting).

Does that tell me anything?

Thanks


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

thanks for the help guys, it was the motherboard, all is well now


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

*Re: Computer doesn't boot*

Great why not mark this solved in the first post under "Thread Tools" in the first post.


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

Guys I appreciated all your help back in June this year. I'm updating the same thread becuase I have the same issue again.

If you recall I replaced the PSU then the motherboard and the computer worked great.

However, it's doing the same thing again. Sometimes it won't boot, other times it does boot and runs for a time then just stops, no fans nothing.

I really don't know where to start, but I've checked all the connections I can think of, took the motherboard out looked for shorts everywhere around the case but can't see anything.

Any further thoughts?

Thanks


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Post the Brand & Model Numbers, as well as the age, of the components in use now.
Mobo-CPU-RAM-Graphics-PSU.


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

Here you go:

Case: Cooler Master Centurion 5 (4 years old)
Motherboard: ASRock N68C-GS FX (5 months old)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512MB PCIe (4 years old)
Power Supply: XFX ATX 550 Power Supply - P1550SXXB9 (5 months old)
Processor: AMD Phenom 8650 2.3Ghz (4 years old)
RAM: G.Skill 4GB (2x2GB) (4 years old)
Hard Drive: Western WD640 SATA (4 years old)
OS: Windows XP (4years old)


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Spiny Norman said:


> Sometimes it won't boot, other times it does boot and runs for a time then just stops, no fans nothing.


If the PC actually shuts down, as in powers off, that indicates a power or heat issue.
Have you checked/monitored your Temps & Voltages?


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## Spiny Norman (Aug 29, 2008)

No I haven't, can you guide me to do that? But often the computer doesn't turn on after it's been off all night. That can't be heat can it?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Not likely heat. That points more toward a power issue. Your new PSU is top quality but even the best can have problems. Check the Temps & Voltages with HWMonitor: HWMonitor CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting
Try a different electrical outlet, preferably on a different circuit.


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