[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.
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.
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.
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.
Make sure the RAM is seated correctly. If the tabs on the sides of the modules are not fully locked, the module is not seated. This will cause the system not to boot.
Seconding this. If they don’t click, they still feel in. They gotta CLICK. For people new to building, you gotta press harder than you probably feel comfortable pressing.
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.
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…
Also 20 plus years. This will fix a ton of boot issues.
