Motherboard or CPU is bad...which one?

[Helpless]

I have problems with either my MB or CPU...using an Abit KA7 and a 750MHZ AMD slot A...I think the MB is bad, as I see a few discharged capacitors on the board.

When I cut the power off, it doesn't want to boot up...when it locks up, the off/on power switch and the restart buttons don't work...no beeps...no signal sent to the monitor...just sits there.

To turn it on, I have to keep unplugging the power cord to the PS and keep trying for like a 1/2 hour...I pull the chip out and blow into it like the old Atari 2600 games eventually, it will boot. Any wat to be sure which is bad? I am upgrading my stuff, but wanted to use my old setup to upgrade my parents setup....szee the KA-7's on eBay for $50.00, so maybe I'll just get a new board and try that...just wondering if you think it's the chip.

 

[mindiris]

What do you mean by "discharged" capacitors exactly? They don't look healthy?

About the only way to see if the CPU is okay is to plug it into a known working motherboard. If it works every time, then you have your answer. I won't however, plug in a known working CPU into a bad motherboard however. Who knows if it's feeding 12V into the CPU... :Q

 

[Helpless]

What do you mean by "discharged" capacitors exactly? They don't look healthy?


I mean there is black junk around some of the capacitors right next to the CPU slot...not much, but I can see that some have discharged...just strange that it works fine once I get it to turn on

 

[NesuD]

those caps are blown if they are leaking black stuff. Your board is bad I am amazed that it works at all. I will bet that the tops of those caps are domed now as well aren't they

 

[Helpless]

yup...what led me to check the caps is the "poping and fizzing" sound I heard a few weeks ago...I scrapped the tops of a couple and they were, in fact, discharging out the top and bottom leaving the black dischage on both ends....going to get a new MB and chip soon, as I hate to keep turning it on, cutting the power, turning it back on, cutting to power, etc, etc...for 30 minutes until it cuts on....don;t want to mess up the HD or Gforce with this power shock method

 

[rbaibich]

Seems to me your mobo is gone. It's really amazing that your computer still runs.

 

[Helpless]

Shhhhh...not so loud I am still searching for the MB of choice to replace this Abit...I just got 512M PC2100 from crucial yesterday...getting the ENERMAX EG365P-VE(FC)350W PS from Newegg....dragon 3 orb...1.4 T-bird...but not sure which MB to get


...My o/c days are over, so I am thinking that $65.00 board everyone is talking about (forgot the model..ECS?), but like to see the new line expected out this week.


Any MB suggestions?

 

[Xray]

I would be worried it might fry something else.

 

[Helpless]

Believe me, I am...My friend FINALLY got his new ECS working, and from all the links I find around the net, it seems tons love the board..tons have problems. Hate to be the latter, so might just wait one more week in hopes of the new boards hitting the shelves..


only thing holding me back in my M/B selection