Will All My Hardware Have Been Affected By This?

[Vanchatron]

For Christmas I received the following PC upgrades:

New CPU
New Video Card
New Power Supply
New Motherboard

Being the impatient idiot that I am I decided to try and attach everything without thoroughly reading through how to do it.

I attached the motherboard 'directly' to the PC Case using steel screws instead of the gold coloured screws provided as I didn't think it made a difference. When trying to boot up the PC it came on for about 5 seconds and then just turned itself off and wouldn't turn on anymore.

After taking the PC to a repair shop to get everything fitted properly I was told that I had burnt out the motherboard by attaching it directly to the inside of the case without using the gold coloures screws (I take it the gold ones don't conduct electricity).

Well I've now had to shell out more cash to buy a new motherboard but I'm "extremely" worried that the rest of my hardware (video card, CPU etc) will have been affected by this. There isn't any noticeable damage on any of the hardware except the motherboard which has a black line going across the underneath of it.

Anyway, I realise it's hard to tell without looking at it but I was just wondering if my other hardware is going to be OK as it was a very decent CPU & Video card and I don't want to have to throw them away and buy more just because of a stupid mistake.


HK

[azzey]

Always use the standoffs! ;) I just thought I'd clarify--standoffs are the brass coloured screws that go into the case on one end, and have a place to screw in the motherboard on the other end.

What are the specs?

Anyways, it certainly is possible that you took something else out with the motherboard, and that has been known to happen. Depending on where the short was will determine exactly the extent of damage to other components, if at all.

Don't worry about that for now.

Take the new motherboard, install the standoffs to the case (only the that match up with holes in the motherboard), use paper washers if you are still worried about shorting. Then, put the CPU and heatsink on (remove the thermal pad/paste, of course, and apply new stuff), then attach the power supply and speaker. Use a screwdrive to short the power on pins on the motherboard. You might get a beep. Then add the video card, try again. You should get a beep because there is no RAM in the system. Add the RAM and try again. Then add back your peripherals one at a time.

Good luck.