Troubleshooting why PC won't boot

dango

Hi there, I put together a computer a few years ago and it was running great. I then saw a deal on a new case and subsequently forgot to use standoffs for the mobo...

Fast forward to last week when the computer switched off while I was using it and would not boot. The CPU, system and gpu fans would turn on for a split second and that was that.

I brought it to a pc repair shop to see what the issue was and they said it was more than likely the motherboard so I bought a replacement one. 1155 socket like the previous one.

Today I put in the cpu and heatsink (new thermal paste), gpu (seated firmly in its place), keyboard and mouse to see if it would get into the bios. The cpu fan spins up, gpu fans spin up and all stay running but my attached monitor won't go from idle to displaying information.

Secondly when I put in one of the existing sticks of ram (into the first slot as recommended), the computer no longer stays running indefinitely but powers off after 5 seconds. Does that suggest that the RAM is damaged?

I don't have a system speaker to diagnose if the cpu/ram are definitely damaged which is making it a bit frustrating as I feel I'm wondering around in the dark.
Any help or advice would be appreciated!

Lu Tze

Remove the GPU and use the integrated graphics. See if you can get anything up on the display.

dango

I'll have to get a dvi-vga/hdmi cable to test that out. It might be a while but i'll give it a shot and get back on the results. Thanks!

dango

So It's a been a while but I'm still stuck trying to get the computer up and running.
I have since got a new mobo, psu and have a speaker for the chassis.

When I have one stick of ram installed the computer starts spinning for 3-5 seconds and then stops - no beeps. When I take out the ram, it makes three long beeps. Is there anything I can work out from this? Does this mean that the ram is damaged?

me_irl

dango wrote: »

When I have one stick of ram installed the computer starts spinning for 3-5 seconds and then stops - no beeps. When I take out the ram, it makes three long beeps. Is there anything I can work out from this? Does this mean that the ram is damaged?

Yup, bios beeps are indicative of various issues.

See here http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/306576-30-long-beep-trouble-code

I believe that board uses Award BIOS, which means that 3 long beeps most likely indicates a memory problem.

I would check to see if the modules are properly seated. If they are I would see if you could try the modules in another system to see if they are functional, or try a different set of modules (preferably ones that are known to be functional) with the Gigabyte board.

Lu Tze

dango wrote: »

So It's a been a while but I'm still stuck trying to get the computer up and running.
I have since got a new mobo, psu and have a speaker for the chassis.

When I have one stick of ram installed the computer starts spinning for 3-5 seconds and then stops - no beeps. When I take out the ram, it makes three long beeps. Is there anything I can work out from this? Does this mean that the ram is damaged?

The beeps likely indicate that there is no ram! Have you tried a different stick of ram?

dango

Lu Tze wrote: »

The beeps likely indicate that there is no ram! Have you tried a different stick of ram?

I had two sticks in the computer when it went bang. I have one of these in it at the moment (when it whirs up and then stops). I don't know if they're wrecked...So does that mean i'm looking at getting new ram to test?

The mobo Asrock z75 states it takes "DDR3 2800+(OC)/2400(OC)/2133(OC)/1866(OC)/1600/1333/1066 DIMM Slots" what would be the ram most compatible with new mobos/chipsets if i need to change things in future?

dango

So after a month's hassle ordering some ram from amazon, I put it in and the computer fans whirred for about ten seconds this time (compared to about 5 seconds with the old ram) before shutting off. No beeps. Is it a lost cause? Am I missing something obvious? I haven't a hdd attached - I am under the impression that if the computer is going to post then it will regardless if a hdd is attached. Am I right?
At this stage I don't know what's the issue...

K.O.Kiki

Have you cleared your CMOS?

The machine can try to POST without a hard drive, but can not POST without RAM.

dango

Yeah I tried it there and no result. Computer starts up, things whirr for 10 seconds and then restarts. New mobo, ram, psu... from what's left it must be the cpu?

thegreenbean

Is the board Z87/Z97 or a newer 170? Gigabyte boards are notorious for boot looping/beeping if the bios is not updated. I have a Z87 OC motherboard and when i moved from 4770K to 4790K it wouldn't boot. The haswell refresh needed the latest bios flash to run the 4790K. What i did is i put the old 4770K back in and downloaded the bios to a USB2 stick entered the bios and flashed from there. Put the new cpu in and it came to life. If nothing else works give it a try. I also questioned my ram and gpu for a while before i figured it out. Hope you sort it out, good luck.

dango

It's a Z75 so unfortunately that won't do...

SterlingArcher

If usb. Move the keyboard to and or mouse to a different usb port.

I know it sounds stupid but have you tried returning to old case? Or running out of the new case.

I'll read thread properly.