No beep, no POST, no video, all lights on

Greetings,

I successfully upgraded my PC to the configuration listed below. The BIOS parameters used are the optimized defaults with two modifications:
1) boot sequence altered to the following: FDD, CDROM, HDD.
2) power off button action changed from "shutdown immediately" to: hold for 5 seconds.

After working for about 6 hours in Windows XP, the system suddenly shut itself down. When turning the system on no beep is heard, no POST is occurring, nothing appears on the display. The only things happening are:
1) all leds (power, HDD, both optical drives) come on and stay on.
2) the power supply fan is running.
3) both the CPU and chassis fan are running.
4) the HDD is not spinning up.
5) when holding down the power button for 5 seconds, the system powers off, as configured in the BIOS settings.

Actions taken with the same ultimate result:
1) confirmed both power harnesses are securely inserted; I am using both the 24-pin and the 4-pin connectors.
2) verified the power supply provides +12V, -12V and +5V as measured with a meter (the voltages were slightly above +12V and below -12V).
3) reset the CMOS.
4) removed all adapter cards except video card.
5) removed RAM chips one at a time, making sure to leave one (or the other) in the first RAM slot.

The fact that the system will shutdown when I hold the power button for 5 seconds rather than immediately (or not at all) leads me to believe the MoBo is OK and to suspect the CPU to have died unexpectedly. Do you concur with my conclusion?

Thank you in advance for your assistance.


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Motherboard Model Name : Gigabyte GA-K8N-SLI BIOS Ver : F9
VGA Brand : GIGABYTE Model : GV-RX30HM256DP-RH
CPU Brand : AMD Model : A64 3700+ SanDiego Speed : 2.2GHz
Operating System : Win XP SP2
Memory Brand : Kingston Type : DDR
Memory Size : 1G, matched pair of 512MB Speed : 400
Power Supply : Coolmax CX-400B (400 W)
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Hi G.-A. and welcome to Dev Shed.

It does sound like you have a faulty CPU. Did you try to re-seat the CPU in the first instance ?

Thanks for the prompt answer aitken325i.

I am expecting a replacement CPU any minute now. I intend on performing a couple of additional tests before putting the new CPU in:

1. remove the MoBo from the chassis (as much as the wiring will allow) and try booting. This is to shake out any possibility of a short somewhere [else] with the chassis. This idea came from reading vois2's post dated 1/13/2006 about a remotely similar situation. As it turns out I already identified an unused post in my chassis that, luckily, did not touch any soldered contact on the MoBo. I also found a piece of shielding that was stuck in one of the chassis cracks, again not touching the MoBo itself.
2. as you suggest, I will remove the original CPU and reseat it.

Then, if neither 1) nor 2) address the situation, I will pray a little and replace the CPU with the new unit.

Thanks again for the advise. More later!

G.-A.

well, atiken325i, will you believe that the problem turns out to be elsewhere... Here is the update:

1. As stated above, I removed the motherboard from the case (keeping the CPU, video card, RAM, HDD and case switches & LED connectors plugged in) and put it on a piece of cardboard to avoid any shorts, then hit the power switch. Same results.
2. I moved the pair of RAM sticks to the second RAM bank location, then hit the power switch. Same results.
3. I removed the HDD, returned one of the RAM stick to the first bank location, and removed the second RAM stick, then hit the power switch. Same results.
4. I removed all memory chips, then hit the power switch. Same results.
5. I removed the CPU heatsink to reseat the CPU. I noticed that the heatsink compound was rather dry... This is a CPU/heatsink combo from AMD and, I am told, the heatsink compound always looks like that. Removing the CPU from the socket did not reveal any bent pin. Reseated the CPU, reinstalled the heatsink, then hit the power switch. Same results.
6. I removed the CPU and replaced it with the new unit received late yesterday, making sure to apply extra goop, then hit the power switch with the same results.

I am now RMA'ing the Mobo and will hold on to both CPUs until this is fixed. More later.

BTW Newegg has provided stellar service throughout this ordeal in the form of expedient return service and good moral support. These guys are good.

Thanks for letting me know. Symptoms were pointing to a dead CPU!

Can you let me know if the mobo was the culprit ?

Well aitken325i, the MoBo was indeed the culprit. This posting is written using my now upgraded PC. For the benefit of future readers of this forum I am reposting my original post along with editorial comments and the final resolution.

Thank you for your assistance in resolving this issue.

G.-A.

---

I successfully upgraded my PC to the configuration listed below. The BIOS parameters used are the optimized defaults with two modifications:

1. boot sequence altered to the following: FDD, CDROM, HDD.
2. power off button action changed from "shutdown immediately" to: hold for 5 seconds.

After working for about 6 hours in Windows XP, the system suddenly shut itself down. When turning the system on no beep is heard, no POST is occurring, nothing appears on the display. The only things happening are:

1. all leds (power, HDD, both optical drives) come on and stay on.
2. the power supply fan is running.
3. both the CPU and chassis fan are running.
4. the HDD is not spinning up.
5. when holding down the power button for 5 seconds, the system powers off, as configured in the BIOS settings.

Actions taken with the same ultimate result:

1. confirmed both power harnesses are securely inserted; I am using both the 24-pin and the 4-pin connectors.
2. verified the power supply provides +12V, -12V and +5V as measured with a meter (the voltages were slightly above +12V and below -12V).
3. reset the CMOS.
4. removed all adapter cards except video card.
5. removed RAM chips one at a time, making sure to leave one (or the other) in the first RAM slot.
6. removed the MoBo from the chassis (as much as the wiring will allow) and try booting. This is to shake out any possibility of a short somewhere [else] with the chassis. This idea came from reading vois2's post dated 1/13/2006 about a remotely similar situation. As it turns out I already identified an unused post in my chassis that, luckily, did not touch any soldered contact on the MoBo. I also found a piece of shielding that was stuck in one of the chassis cracks, again not touching the MoBo itself.

At that point there are two possible root causes: either the CPU or the motherboard has failed. The fact that the system will shutdown when holding the power button for 5 seconds rather than immediately (or not at all) seems to indicate the MoBo is OK and to suspect the CPU to have died unexpectedly. RMA'd the CPU and performed the following further tests:

1. removed the motherboard from the case (keeping the CPU, video card, RAM, HDD and case switches & LED connectors plugged in) and put it on a piece of cardboard to avoid any shorts, then hit the power switch. Same results.
2. moved the pair of RAM sticks to the second RAM bank location, then hit the power switch. Same results.
3. removed the HDD, returned one of the RAM stick to the first bank location, and removed the second RAM stick, then hit the power switch. Same results.
4. removed all memory chips, then hit the power switch. Same results.
5. removed the CPU heatsink to reseat the CPU. I noticed that the heatsink compound was rather dry... This is a CPU/heatsink combo from AMD and, I am told, the heatsink compound always looks like that. Removing the CPU from the socket did not reveal any bent pin. Reseated the CPU, reinstalled the heatsink, then hit the power switch. Same results.
6. removed the CPU and replaced it with the new unit received late Wednesday, making sure to apply extra goop, then hit the power switch with the same results.

At this point it is clear that the problem lies with the MoBo and RMA'd it. It was carefully installed with the RMA'd CPU Friday; the PC booted properly. After a 12-hour burn in period, checking the CPU temperature periodically, I declared the problem fixed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Motherboard Model Name : Gigabyte GA-K8N-SLI BIOS Ver : F9
VGA Brand : GIGABYTE Model : GV-RX30HM256DP-RH
CPU Brand : AMD Model : A64 3700+ SanDiego Speed : 2.2GHz
Operating System : Win XP SP2
Memory Brand : Kingston Type : DDR
Memory Size : 1G, matched pair of 512MB Speed : 400
Power Supply : Coolmax CX-400B (400 W)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for such a detailed post, G.-A.