Broken Computer--please help! (No POST; only beeps with RAM removed)

[Hastibe]

I came home from work today and found that my (home) computer had frozen, so I turned it off and then turned it back on.

...And nothing happened. It powered on, but no POST, no beeps, and just a blank screen with nothing happening. Turned it off again, turned it back on, nothing. Tried it a third time, it went to POST, saw the bios, didn't react quickly enough to hit delete and then the screen went blank. Haven't had any luck since then--powers on, but no POST, no beeps, and just a blank screen.

I removed components from the computer one-by-one, but no luck--still no beeps or anything else. Finally just had the PSU supplying the motherboard and the CPU, and I did get the beep pattern indicating that I had no memory in.

I have two sticks of DDR3 RAM--tried just one module and then just the other module, and tried different DIMM slots on the motherboard, but no luck.

The computer is only a year old custom-build and has been operating perfectly. That said, yesterday, I did bump my desk hard enough that the computer froze. When I restarted everything was working fine and I used it for the rest of the night with no problems at all. So, I'm thinking this was just a coincidence, but who knows...

I've also tried resetting my CMOS, via the jumper and via removing the battery, but no luck there, either.

Any ideas of what I should do? Or what is wrong?

Right now, I'm thinking of either ordering new RAM, and hoping that is what's wrong with it, or taking it to a computer repair shop (first time I'll have ever had to do that, if I do ).

Any help/suggestions/ideas would be much appreciated!

 

[Big Lar]

I think I'd try reseating all components first and check all wire connections. It would also help you a bit to post up what the computer consists of, ie PSU, Mobo etc.

Larry

 

[ed21x]

how far are your getting on bootup? if you're swapping out each ram stick, make sure they are inserted into the first socket. also, a new cmos battery is cheap if you want to try that

 

[P4man]

Have you tried a different videocard?

 

[Lead Butthead]

... power supply?

 

[Emulex]

probably fried the cpu and mobo (ie mobo touched some metal shorting out the cpu).

i'd try a new motherboard and cpu and see what components still work. everyone has like 2 or 3 pc's laying around right?

 

[Hastibe]

Thank you for all your responses! I've replied to each of you--please let me know what you think!

I think I'd try reseating all components first and check all wire connections. It would also help you a bit to post up what the computer consists of, ie PSU, Mobo etc.

I did try that, and in fact have my motherboard out of the case and on a piece of cardboard right now. Plugged in the PSU and the front panel wires and powered it on like that, but no change.

Motherboard: ASUS M4A79XTD EVO
RAM: Super Talent DDR3-1600 4GB (2x2GB) CL9 Dual Channel Memory Kit
Video card: Sapphire Radeon HD5770 1G
PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W

how far are your getting on bootup? if you're swapping out each ram stick, make sure they are inserted into the first socket. also, a new cmos battery is cheap if you want to try that

If just the CPU is plugged into the motherboard, I get the diagnostic beep pattern indicating that the RAM is missing.

If if plug either stick or both sticks of RAM back in (in any of one the DIMM slots), I just get silence. I also tried resetting the CMOS via the jumper and via removing the battery for a few minutes, but luck there either.

Have you tried a different videocard?

Don't have a spare one, unfortunately.

... power supply?

Tried it with an older, but known good PSU, no luck.

probably fried the cpu and mobo (ie mobo touched some metal shorting out the cpu).

i'd try a new motherboard and cpu and see what components still work. everyone has like 2 or 3 pc's laying around right?

*sigh*--I wish... Sounds like it's time to bite the bullet and take it to a computer repair shop that can actually do this diagnostic work.

That said, when it's just the motherboard and CPU, I do get the diagnostic POST beep about the RAM missing, which I hope would indicate that the motherboard and CPU is working properly. Hopehopehope...

 

[P4man]

sounds like a dead videocard (although it could as well be the motherboard/PCIE slot). try borrowing one?

 

[Hastibe]

sounds like a dead videocard (although it could as well be the motherboard/PCIE slot). try borrowing one?

Don't know anyone nearby that I can borrow one from, unfortunately.

What makes you think that it's a dead video card, though? As I mentioned above, I get diagnostic beeps when there is no RAM in (just the CPU plugged in), but once I put the RAM back in, my computer is silent when I turn it on (with no activity), which I was thinking would indicate that the RAM is causing the problem, right?

 

[P4man]

No, the motherboard and ram are behaving as they should. With ram, dont complain, without ram, start beeping. No evidence of a problem there, and it shows the both the motherboard and PSU at least arent entirely dead either. It could still be a partial failure of the motherboard or even PSU, but your symptons also completely compatible with a dead videocard.

 

[Big Lar]

Last ditch effort for me without other hardware to swap in would be a cmos reset and battery out overnite.

Larry

 

[Hastibe]

UPDATE:

Took it to a computer repair place. The PSU burned out and took the motherboard with it. Luckily, I can RMA both. *crossing fingers that RMA process takes less than a month...*

CPU, RAM, video card, and hard drives still good, thankfully.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Just curious, what speed and voltage is listed on the RAM? Despite what the computer repair shop says, I've had this happen before with RAM that needed a higher voltage. The motherboard wouldn't POST to allow me to up the voltage, so it was a catch-22.

Also, just for future reference, you can test for a dead PSU yourself with a digital multi-meter, and you can pick up a half-way decent one from Radioshack for $30 or so. With the PSU plugged in and everything turned on, set the DMM to ~20 volts DC, grab one of the molex (large 4-pin, used for fans and some older components), and insert the black lead into either black wire hole on the molex connector, and the red lead into the yellow wire hole. It should read around 12 volts. If it's under 11.3v or over 12.7v you have a bad PSU.

 

[Hastibe]

The part of the PSU that supplies the video card with power is what burned out, and the PCIe slot that the card was in, in the motherboard also burned out. I have a SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5770 1GB video card (which is fine, ironically)--do you think my PSU was insufficient (I was thinking that it should be more than enough...)?

This is the PSU I had: OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7.

 

[Hastibe]

I had to RMA my OCZ 600W ModXStream Pro, however, OCZ can't replace it. Instead they have offered me a OCZ 780W ModXStream-B. It is a slightly older unit and is re-certified, but still will keep the warranty.

Should I take it? I need to reply to them soon.

 

[mlc]

if they can't replace it, and you're trying to do an RMA, what other options do you have ?

THe older unit has a higher power rating.. and it appears to be a similar series.. though I'm not sure how the Modstream Pro differs from the ModStream series..

personally, I'd take it.. as it doesn't appear you have any other options with the RMA ?

 

[Hastibe]

I could wait until my model or a similar current model is available (they are all back-ordered/out of stock, right now, apparently).