What do I need to trouble shoot second hand desktop computer? And how? ( sh.itjust.works )

[Resolved!]

I traded my cousin some really expensive RAM that I happened accross for his old desktop, that he put his graphics card into that he swapped from his newer computer. If I plug the desktop into the wall and try to turn it on nothing happens. If I open it up I can see that the where the wire from the power supply plugs into the graphics card there Is a little light on. So clearly some power is getting somewhere...

How do I go about trouble shooting this, and what tools do I need? I assume at minimum a multi meter? Not really sure what to do, it's been decades the last time I built a computer.

Board says "Asrock H110M-HDS"

Edit: Attached a Pic and noticed the light is actually on the graphics card, not motherboard. Added addtl info.

Update: So now all of the sudden the fan spins. I am at a loss as to why it spins now, as I haven't actually really done anything. I ordered a speaker for the mobo, so waiting for that.

Final update: It works! I apparently had either a bad monitor or bad display port cable. But using another monitor with DVI I was able to finally get it to fully boot!

I am not sure what got the fans to eventually work, maybe just a cable was jostled.

I really appreciate all the advice! I definitely know a lot more and feel better equipped to do things with it now.

mrcleanup ,

There's usually a four prong power connector on the top left corner of the motherboard. I always forget that one, nothing works without it plugged in too.

Badeendje ,
@Badeendje@lemmy.world avatar

The motherboard has an onboard battery that could have been empty and by having it plugged in it charged a little. I'd check if the system just works now.

thermal_shock ,

there are no rechargeable CMOS batteries that I know of. it either powers on or not. could have a switch on the power supply though.

Ballistic_86 ,

Here are the steps I would take. Powering the device on each time it seems logical and see if anything has changed.

-Check the power switch on the power supply.
-Make sure the power cable is seated into the power supply.
-Listen for any unusual noises when power supply is on
-Open the computer and look for any codes or lights on the mobo, Google it
-Check RAM is properly seated
-Check all of the power cables visible to me from opening the case. 8-pin at the top, 24-pin on the right side, any hard drives/ssds, cable for graphics card
-Inspect computer for any hot spots
-Unplug video cable from graphics card the into the one on the mobo, this only works with some newish AMD, but most Intel processors are going to have onboard graphics
-If nothing comes up and I can’t see any problems, you will have to start taking things out of the computer
-Start with removing the graphics card
-Check for any sort of damage to the power port and PCIe on the card and the slot
Removing the card should allow better visibility of the mobo
-Remove the back panel (if you need to) to see if all of the power supply cables are properly seated
-Check any cable management in the back or any hard drives/ssd mounted back there

After this, if nothing has changed and I don’t have any more info I would probably take apart completely, check for any kind of damage, put back together and test again with the bare minimum and adding stuff as I go. If you don’t know how to take apart or put a computer together I would follow a guide on YT.

After that you should def have an idea what isn’t working, if everything looks fine it can be the power supply
If the power supply seems okay and mobo isn’t showing any kind of lights or code (or signs of life) that is your best candidate

As you add stuff it should give you the best indication and if you are unsure, post another edit

My best guess based on your post is a dead motherboard but going through the steps like you want will avoid having to purchase an expensive thing for no reason

BeMoreCareful ,

Have you checked to make sure all the cables are seated? Unplug them and plug them back in.

Mountain_Mike_420 ,

Just jumping in here to let you know that most of the people here missed one of the most basic and first steps in pc repair… CLEAR THE CMOS!!!!

There might be a jumper on the mb but the easy way is to remove the battery and try to turn the power on and off a few times.

Replace the battery and the computer should try to POST.

I know it seems crazy but sometimes computers that won’t post had major hardware changes and the bios won’t let power through. Not sure why but clearing the cmos will revert to defaults and get you to the next step of troubleshooting.

Source: 20 years pc repair technician.

AlphaOmega ,

Also 20 plus years. This will fix a ton of boot issues.

Ackward ,

This, I used an old board and it didn't work until I replaced the (button) battery .
After that, you can troubleshoot the board adding components one by one and listening to the beeps. There's a code. Left the GPU as last element and use the integrated one always until all is working.
If a external GPU doesn't work, it could be not enough power.
If memory fails, beeps again, try to find a working one and go from there...

FuglyDuck ,
@FuglyDuck@lemmy.world avatar

Is it posting? There should be led indicators that flash, usually an array of them. (The pattern as it lights up means stuff.) and if connected to a monitor, it should also flash some kind of boot screen. If it completes posting, it’ll at least go to bios. If the LEDs aren’t flashing at all…

the first step is to pull everything out and re-seat it. (Ram, gpu, power, etc.)

Start with seating the power sockets (to mobo, the minimum needed RAM, cpu and cpu fan (connected to cpu_fam header; usually next to the cpu).

Side note on ram, if it’s dual-channel or more, it matters where the ram goes. Consult your manual.

vivavideri ,

Depending on what cpu it is, you should be able to try it without the gpu.
Also Google the mobo and try to find its manual. The manual will tell you things like what you can plug in and where. It'll tell you compatibility crap too.
You'll have two spots on the back where you plug in the displayport/hdmi cable for your monitor -- the gpu, and the mobo. Use mobo port and take out the gpu and see if it starts.
POST is key. My old gigabyte was a badass and had a led number box so troubleshooting was cake. With other ones, there's gonna be miscellaneous spots with lil lights that'll blink (the manual for the mobo will tell you)

Corkyskog OP ,

Edit: Is it possible there aren't lights? I read through this a few times and don't see anything.

Amazingly the computer came with the motherboard manual. I think something was wrong or a component was incompatible with the old one, and they had this one available.

Someone else suggested buying a speaker to hook up so I can hear the beeps. Do the lights provide the same info as the beeps?

vivavideri ,

Yeah. There should be a page in the manual with a diagram of your board and it'll tell you where.
here.

vivavideri ,

I poked around at your manual lol.
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/9d271e0a-2be9-4510-8665-deac3f3704e8.jpeg

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/dfe670a0-3d43-427d-b100-8d1dc5080437.jpeg
. System panel. One left of it is for the wee speaker.
Also check that your chassis is wired up to this correctly, or, better yet, you can be a madlad and unplug it all and see what works. The caveat to that is.. you have to know what order to do that in. Generally, your power supply has wires that go to all sorts of stuff, make dang sure you don't power your cpu for very long without the fan/cooler. Once you know the cpu power and fan is working, keep plugging more stuff in til you find the problem.
I'd also mention if anyone hasn't, be mindful of static.

Muehe ,

Do the lights provide the same info as the beeps?

Yes, but whether you have lights or just beeps depends on your board. I think yours does not have the lights, just the speaker pins.

ZapBeebz_ ,

Okay, most absolute basic troubleshoot check: is there an on/off switch on the power supply that might be off?

thawed_caveman ,

I do think it's a good idea to do what you did and just try it as is, since there's actually a pretty decent chance that it just works.

However, if it doesn't work, i would check everything as if i'm building the PC from scratch. Are the parts compatible (good old pcpartpicker is here for that), is the PSU sufficient, is everything plugged in the way the manuals say, etc

Badeendje ,
@Badeendje@lemmy.world avatar

First thing. If you stick your hand in the case, make sure the powercord is disconnected from the power supply, and then press the powerbutton. This discharges capacitors.

Don't fret too mich, it's like Lego, most stuff only first one way, and you don't need much force to plug or remove stuff. If you need to use more force than you can apply with your finger, mostly you are missing a latch, hook or something else that is holding the thing in place.. check again.

The machine has an onboard Videocard. So a good option is to remove the Videocard and test the system to see if it gives any sign of life without the graphics card.

Removing the graphics is a bit tricky as it usually has a little latch near the back of the connector it is in on the motherboard (check a quick YouTube video on removing a graphics card).

Then try if it starts.

Then check all the connectors if they are seated properly. Especially all the small cables in the motherboard, they listen really carefully and must be on the correct headers.

Check if it starts again.

Remove and re-seat the internal memory. I'd recommend quick YouTube video here too. It only fits one way.

Check start again.

Then disconnect all other devices like the harddisk etc. just pull the cable on the drive side and leave it dangling.. it's only for testing.

Of none of this works, I'd recommend getting the guy that traded it help you out.

silentdon ,

I might be asking a dumb question here, this is the right community for that after all. But have you asked your cousin what might be wrong?

GladiusB ,
@GladiusB@lemmy.world avatar

The MB probably doesn't jive with the GPU. Look up online for the MB manufacturer if it supports that sort of GPU.

If your RAM is seated as 1 and 2, make it 1 and 3 or 2 and 4.

Fans usually means the BIOS is recognizing some hardware as funky. I had this same issue when I bought RAM that was incompatible with my MB.

pivot_root ,

Unless the GPU is an Arc, compatibility between the motherboard and GPU shouldn't affect much more than the maximum performance you can squeeze out of the GPU. As a protocol, PCIe is backwards compatible.

If your RAM is seated as 1 and 2, make it 1 and 3 or 2 and 4.

Never assume. RTFM when trying to use dual channel memory.

SolOrion ,

What wattage is the PSU?

You could try taking the GPU out entirely and see if it gets anywhere. If it runs fine without the GPU it's probably wanting way more power than your PSU can provide. I doubt that's the issue for various reasons, but it's a possibility.

AlternatePersonMan ,

My guess would be the PSU as well. It could be dead, or not plugged in right, or underpowered. Pulling out the GPU is a great idea. At least if it boots that provides some direction.

Davel23 ,

Do the fans spin up at all?

Corkyskog OP ,

No, that's probably what's so alarming. You expect fan noise, but nothing spins.

Davel23 ,

Make sure the power button is connected to the board. Use the diagram in this PDF to locate it.

marcos ,

The power supply connect with the motherboard in more than one place. If "the wire from the power supply plugs into the motherboard" is a thing, that may be your problem.

Unplug anything that is optional (that includes disks and stuff that you have more than 1, like maybe memory sticks) and try to power the computer. If it works, replug stuff one by one.

As BigMikeInAustin said, remove everything and plug it again. I'd add to get a paint brush and clean stuff a bit in between if it's dusty. Make sure to clean plugs and contacts, try not to clean electronic components.

Try to remove the board's battery for a few minutes and turn the computer on again. Some times that's enough.

Also, turn the computer on for a minute or two, turn it off, unplug everything, and touch the surfaces to see if they are hot. Try not to touch any printed circuit board.

juergen ,

Second unplugging all optional components (RAM is not optional) - and the video card in particular. A card that pulls more power than your power supply can provide could do exactly what you are seeing.

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