Dead m/board? 2nd opinions please...

[Mini-Me]

Hi all. :

Gigabyte GA-8SIMLNF in a Packard Bell iMedia M216 machine.

Woman said it was working fine, she left it to make dinner, came back and it was in sleep-mode(as it does normally), but then she can't wake it. POWER LED blinks from power-up. Board powers up immediately without pushing the power button. All fans spinning, orange LED on m/board top-right corner(with respect to panel connections on LEFT), blinking from power-on.

Cannot find any info on this blink error on the web or in the Gigabyte manual, other then the m/board orange LED seems to be indicitive of some sort of RAM issue.

Tried different RAM(known to be good), tried barebones attempt with everything disconnected except for KB and monitor, nothing - no beeps, no video, nothing but the blinking power LED and m/board LED.

Tried different PSU, no help.

My conclusion: Dead m/board. Agreed?

[jlreich]

Sounds like a bad mobo or CPU. If the blinking LED indicates a ram issue it could be a bad ram slot. You can try it with the ram in another slot.

Does anything change with no ram? If not then it is toast.

[Sylvander]

1. "it was in sleep-mode(as it does normally), but then she can't wake it."
Make sure there are no BIOS configuration settings that make the PC go into sleep mode BEFORE [earlier than] THE WINDOWS SETTINGS DO SO.
I think under such circumstances [BIOS sleep mode rather than Windows sleep mode], Windows is unable to wake the PC.
There was a case of this reported on the forums a few years back.

[Mini-Me]

Sounds like a bad mobo or CPU. If the blinking LED indicates a ram issue it could be a bad ram slot. You can try it with the ram in another slot.

Does anything change with no ram? If not then it is toast.

With no RAM in it at all, same thing - blinking LED on m/board and POWER LED, fans start immediately, but no loud and long beeps as I would expect if you fire up a board with no RAM at all...

Looks like a dead duck then...

[Mini-Me]

1. "it was in sleep-mode(as it does normally), but then she can't wake it."
Make sure there are no BIOS configuration settings that make the PC go into sleep mode BEFORE [earlier than] THE WINDOWS SETTINGS DO SO.
I think under such circumstances [BIOS sleep mode rather than Windows sleep mode], Windows is unable to wake the PC.
There was a case of this reported on the forums a few years back.

Sounds like a plan, but I can't even get it to POST, so there is no way to enter the BIOS to check for that. :D

[Sylvander]

How about just restoring the default BIOS configurations?
Such BIOS hybernation settings not included in the defaults I expect.
Remove CMOS battery for a time, or else use the jumper.

Did you/she ever make a written note of all the BIOS's config settings?

I'm thinking that the PC may be in a sleep-state...From which you are unable to waken it.
[never actually off, hence doesn't/shouldn't/cannot re-POST; you'd think powering off at the mains supply would do that]

[jlreich]

I agree it is worth clearing the CMOS. You never know.

[Mini-Me]

Acknowledged.
Will try that tomorrow. :)

[Mini-Me]

Cleared CMOS, now board does not fire-up until you press the POWER button, and the orange flashing has stopped, but still no beep, no video - not even with no RAM at all. I think it's gone to that great computer in the sky...

[Paul Komski]

As jlreich said Sounds like a bad mobo or CPU

[Mini-Me]

As jlreich said Sounds like a bad mobo or CPU

I concur.

Onwards...

[Sylvander]

1. "no beep, no video - not even with no RAM at all"
Tried a bare-bones-boot?
Got a known-good [and more powerful] PSU you can swap in to the bare-bones?

A little tale:
ErnieK gave me an old 2002 PC [PC2] that's got 3 times the RAM [3x256MB] of PC1 I normally use.
But PC2 was intermittently failing to POST. [inadequate 200W PSU]
Swapped in a new CMOS battery [£2][no fix], and a 400W PSU [£14][produced a FIX] to replace the existing 200W.
Now it POST's reliably...
I'm typing this on it. :)

[Mini-Me]

Yep, tried different RAM in both slots, different PSU, and cleared CMOS, and removed and checked button cell(which was fine). Will re-build with a 2nd-hand board from my spares. They don't need a rocket machine anyway, so a spare 2.4GHz board looks like it has found a new home...

[Paul Komski]

[and more powerful] PSU
More power per se hardly needed for a true bare bones. The thing I have seen often enough however is a failure to post because a needed accessory ATX 12V Socket was not attached from the PSU to the mobo.

http://members.sparedollar.com/jimmyguan/c-12VConnector.jpg

[FTT]

checked button cell(which was fine)

I tested a battery and it tested fine for voltage (measured 3.1v) but the CMOS kept reverting back to default settings. I could not get it to retain any settings until I replaced the battery with one that measured less voltage (2.9v), go figure....
I learned not to assume it is fine if it measures OK, it's the current as much as it is the voltage that is important just like a car battery.

[Mini-Me]

Yes, but the current consumption of the BIOS from the backup battery is in the order of micro-amps, quite possibly less. Voltage drop can and will affect the terminal voltage of a given battery, if there is a significant current flowing in the load, but the current flowing in the BIOS backup circuit is, for all intents and purposes, negligible, as it normally takes several years to flatten the BIOS backup battery - even batteries which are not rechargeable. The best battery tester is a load-tester, which is what I used. I agree that just sticking a voltmeter or multimeter on the battery, which presents no load to the battery, can and has produced incorrect "Flat battery" diagnoses from people, as a weak battery will regenerate somewhat(the terminal voltage will start to rise up again) when the load is removed. :D