Don't know what it is but it got warm

[vicki lynne]

I got a decased tower from a newbie friend the other day getting no beep not video. Can't tell what it is because like I said it was totally decased. Even the front was gone. When I plugged it in the first thing that I noticed was that the processor fan was locked up so I shut it down and replaced that. I reseated all ram and stripped down to mobo, power supply, ram and video and rebooted. Still no beep no video. So, I shut down and just for funnies removed the heat sink. There is heat discoloration on the bottom of the heatsink, the top of the processor, the underside of the processor, and even on the mobo under the processor. Now I would just about bet that the processor is toast, (literally) but my question is. is the mobo automatically bad too? It powers up, the light comes on, and the new fan works, but I don't know how to tell if it is as bad as the processor. By the way the processor appears to have been an amd duron and he was running 512 mb ram but that's about all I can tell about the system.

[Sylvander]

1. Try stripping it right back to:
PSU, mobo+CPU+heatsink+fan, internal speaker
i.e. video card and RAM also excluded.
Short the start [power-on] pins on the mobo [or use the switch if you are happy that it's working].
If the POST starts, runs, tests, warns...
You should hear the warning beeps of the failure of the 1st RAM test.
That confirms the POST is doing what it aught up to that point.

(a) Add the video card back in and startup.
You should still hear the RAM test failure beeps.

(b) Add 1 stick of RAM in the 1st slot and startup.
There should now be no RAM failure beeps; instead there aught to be the single short beep that you normally hear when all's well, and you AUGHT to see a display of text on the monitor.

[vicki lynne]

Thanks, I'll try that and let you know.

[vicki lynne]

O.k. Here's what happened, I tested the switch on another mobo so I know it works, Then I hooked up a known working power supply, took out the ram and the video card and turned it on. Only thing on the mobo was power supply, processor, heatsink and fan. When I turned it on the power supply came on, the mobo light came on, and the heatsink fan came on but no beeps, at all. So did it all die?

[Sylvander]

1. Is the internal speaker connected/functioning?
Were any beeps ever heard from this hardware?
e.g. The single short beep normally heard?

2. We're trying to get some indication that the POST is...
Starting...
Running...
Testing...
Generating warning beeps...
And passing those on to the internal speaker.

[vicki lynne]

Let me recheck and replace the speaker. I'll get back with you.

[vicki lynne]

Speaker, speaker, where is my darn speaker? I looked and looked can''t find one onboard and this has got to be the most uncommunicative mobo I have ever seen in my life. Nothin and I mean nothing seems to be labeled not even the thin wire connectors. I've tried connecting a speaker to anything that looks like a speaker connection (within reason) and can't get a sound out of it. Even tried two different speakers. I think I've lost my touch or mind or something. Shed some light into this dark hole I'm in.

[vicki lynne]

Ok, I'm giving up on this for a while. I'll come back to it late all I seem to be doing is going in circles. It'll be back

[Sylvander]

Is there an online manual I can have a read at while you're away?

Or mobo identification?

When all else fails, usually the internal speaker is the only indicator of POST activity, so it's really needed.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

There must be SOMETHING silkscreened onto that mobo? How about on the Northbridge or Southbridge chipset?

There also should be some very tiny print on the processor to identify it. If it has burned off, I hope you like BBQ'ed (potato) chips... ;)

[vicki lynne]

The mobo has GA-7ZX written on it. I believe the processor was an Athlon Duron? The south bridge chipset is a VIA VT82C686A. Will that help any?

[Sylvander]

What's the mobo revision number? (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/FAQ_List.aspx?FAQID=2234)
Needed to find the correct manual.

[Paul Komski]

Suggest try http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/Manual_Model.aspx?ProductID=1319#anchor_os

The front panel headers are unlikely to vary with the same series.

[vicki lynne]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you guys but life has been happening at an alarming rate. Anyway that mobo revision number is 1.0 if that will help.