Posted on 07/20/2024 4:25:06 PM PDT by Paul R.
Geez, is there some requirement an OP must repost / reply in under an hour? Some of us actually have lives!! And I needed to look at the computer again to get info. for replies, and it was, ya' know, not right at my fingertips.
Anyway, here goes AGAIN:
I've inherited a huge gaming computer from my brother. It seems to turn on ok, except that there is no video from either the Motherboard or the dedicated graphics card. Once the computer is on, the CPU gets warm, the RAM gets warm, the dedicated graphics card gets warm, controls for fan speed (four fans!) appear to work, but there is no indication from either the VGA output or HDMI output on the motherboard, and none from the dedicated graphics card. I even tried the MB video outputs with the dedicated graphics card pulled out of the machine. The monitor I'm using for this runs fine off my laptop (both HDMI and VGA.)
The CMOS battery was dead, but I replaced it. The HD seems to be spinning, but doesn't seem to do searches across the disk, etc. (It is a 1 TB HD, not a SSD.) I'd still think I should see an initial BIOS message on the monitor even if the HD is defective? Oh, BTW, RAM is 32 GB of DDR3, 4 sticks of 8 GB. The DVD player / writer "ejects" and "loads" (no disc in there) but I can't get much further than that without an OS.
Thanks in advance!
Yes, to answer from prev. thread, I pulled out the dedicated graphics card. MB vid still didn’t work (both VGA and HDMI).
Does the alternate HD need an OS to get far enough for the BIOS to kick in?
Oh, BTW, since there’s no initial video, in that time frame I doubt the CPU gets hot enough to be an issue. There’s a massive (for PC’s) liquid cooled heat sink on the CPU...
Try booting from a bootable CD/DVD or bootable USB Thumb Drive.
Also put some video card in it that has an old fashioned VGA connector. Try a different working monitor.
Try using only one ram stick.
Also use on-board vga if available.
Even if there is no OS, wouldn’t the machine get to the initial BIOS screen?
Or maybe not - I’ve had machines get to BIOS and report a bad HD or missing (cable pulled out), but never tried firing up a machine with a functional HD and no OS.
Is the monitor dead? Try another one. Is it on vga? Digital? HDMI? Try all ports. Try different cables.
The video cables are both fine. I tried them on another computer, same monitors. (VGA and HDMI inputs respectively)
Doesnit beep when you turn it on? Whenever I buy a computer from a thrift store I plug it in and see if it beeps. Also if the num lock indicator on the keyboard flashes briefly. If you don’t have bios output to the display then it is not any use to try to figure out which boot device you should use. It has to get far enough to boot.
I am FAR from a computer expert, which on your previous post I said Geek Squad. I pay a yearly fee and they always solve any computer problem. It has saved me money. The time to solve a problem can get expensive. You may know much more than me, but let others solve problems and pay.
If you have NO video at all, and your monitor is OK, then it is most likely a motherboard issue, RAM or CPU. The one thing you can try is removing all but one of the RAM cards, if that does not work, swap it with another. If the motherboard has a speaker, listen for beeps. It may also have some LEDs for the POST (Power On self-test). Search the make and model of the motherboard for a troubleshooting guide. I hope this helps.
Time is never wasted. You will never be a happy person if you think your life is a waste.
A lower end mobo might emit coded beeps to a traditional PC speaker connected to a pair of pins on the mobo. Again the beep codes will vary.
No beep, no LED display. Has a button for apparently some sort of memory test - looks like it maybe parallels tiny button labelled for same on MB. It does "something" - the fans change speed when either is pressed, and a red LED comes on briefly.
Can't ask brother about anything, he is dead. (last Jan. - like I said, I inherited this baby.) Case says NZXT. It is probable my brother built this thing - he definitely had the knowledge to do so. But he had severe COPD and likely got so bad toward the end that if something went wrong, he didn't have the energy to do much about it.
Motherboard is ASUS, M4A89GTD PRO/USB3. 850 watt PSU, Radeon HD5870 Graphics card - the biggest graphics card I've ever seen! (Full length, double height.)
MB has outputs for a full 7.1 Dolby Surround system - could be very nice! :-)
Does Geek Squad charge a yearly fee to solve all your problems with all your computers? I dont think it is a subscription sold for people. I believe that they sell their support by the machine.
Does it have a floppy disk drive or USB port?
You might try booting from a thumb drive.....
Whatever floats your boat—cool beans.
Diagnosis: Your problem is the power supply. Either all of the wires are not connected or something inside has burned.
A capacitor in the power supply may be blown. Try swapping out the power supply. You could take the power supply apart and do a visual inspection. If you see a bulging capacitor or two, that might be your problem right there.
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