PCI POST analyzer...and dead 'puter

[BubbaMorg]

I have been doing some research on PCI POST analyzing cards and would like to know if anybody here uses them and if they're worth it. I've found them on eBay for near nothing, but have found no real reviews on them. Any help is appreciated.

I'm having trouble with a new build that crapped out on me after disconnecting and reconnecting the monitor while the system was powered up. My dead rig is:

Gigabyte 8KNXP Rev 1.0
Intel 2.4CGhz, stock Intel cooler
2x256MB DDR 400 RAM
Seagate SATA 80GB HD
ATI Radeon 9200SE 128MB Vid Card
Generic Enermax-style case with 350W bundled PSU
Liteon DVD/CDRW
21" CRT
Running RedHat 9.0

The fans come on, the RAM LED lights up, but the monitor doesn't come out of sleep mode and the HD doesn't spin up. It worked for about 10 days. I replaced the video card to no avail, and am considering what next to replace. After searching around the net, it seems there is no consensus on the problem, therefore, since the budget is tight, I decided to consider getting one of the POST tester cards. Any other ideas? I am currently working on the "outside the case" tests, but still no luck. Good thing I have three old laptops laying around as backups

 

[DieHardware]

Have you cleared CMOS with the PSU unplugged? Any beeps? Have tried another monitor?

 

[BubbaMorg]

Originally posted by: DieHardware
Have you cleared CMOS with the PSU unplugged? Any beeps? Have tried another monitor?

Thanks for the response! Yep, cleared CMOS with PSU unplugged (tried twice), no beeps of any sort, only have one monitor, but it works with all my laptops, so no problem there. Looking at the caps around the AGP slot, it almost looks like the tops were beginning to swell. One near the RAM slot looks suspicious, too. Wonder if plugging the monitor back into this box caused a spike and killed the mobo...

Just working on the all important process of elimination, but trying to replace as few parts as possible. Dang the money.

 

[BubbaMorg]

Still no luck with my system. I bought one of the PCI POST cards on ebay, I guess I'll see how it works.

 

[Dea]

Bubbamorg,
Can you tell me what happened with the post board. I am also thinking of getting one but I cannot find much info on actual expreience using them.
Thanks

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Dea
Bubbamorg,
Can you tell me what happened with the post board. I am also thinking of getting one but I cannot find much info on actual expreience using them.
Thanks

Same here - go ahead and POST a review. Get it?!?! POST one?? AAhhahaha.....hang on, some guys in white coats are at the door. Be right back.

AAAAAHAHAHHAAHHAHA......

 

[dnuggett]

I too am interested in hearing how the POST card works.

 

[BubbaMorg]

Hey, a reply to my thread!!! Ain't it grand! Anyway, I got three of the cards (eBay out of Hong Kong) and went right to work. Each came with a little white book that explains the codes for the BIOS. It also has a connection for a motherboard speaker (built into the card). It also has LED's to tell what is happening on the BIOS and voltage fronts. Each card was about $15 with shipping (I got three through a friggin' locked up computer...check between tries and them 'page not there' screens, it mighta went through...dutch auctions, don't like them). Anyway, the card gave me a number that was not even in the book, so I went snooping around the internet for an explanation and found that 00 or FF is the code that the card is not reading anything (through port 80, or whatever it is). So, looking at the LED's on the card, it said that the BIOS wasn't there (light wasn't on), so I concluded the motherboard was bad, or the CPU was bad, which was where I started out in the first place. I tried the other two cards also, all the same thing, trying it with the motherboard in the case and outside the case. One card was different from the other two, with some different chips and the green and red LED's reversed...it worked the same, just gave an FF instead of a 00 code when nothing was being read. This must be a terribly confusing write up.

Anyway, I replaced the motherboard and it now works fine. The BIOS chips or the chipset must have taken a shock in the old board. Still not sure.

I'll read over this post again in the morning and see if I can clarify anything (Tokyo time here).

Later