Duron or XP?

[drezha]

Seems I fried my Duron motherboard. :?

I get Base 64K RAM failure (using this for help...http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm)

Believe it is my motherboard because I have tried everyting else. :-(

RAM is fine, tried with and without a GFX card in. :-(

Now is it worth trying to flog off the CPU on eBay to try and make something back on it? (Paid £50 for 512Mb RAM, PSU, Duron 1800, 4.3Gb and mobo)

I know at home I have an XP system (unless my parents have sold it/moved it/using it), XP 2500 I think... Now I dont want the entire system because I have a case, PSU, GFX card, sound card here etc so will only take the mobo (maybe the RAM) and CPU...

Do I bother to spend money on a new motherboard for the Duron? (because I wont be able to run both)?

Or better still, buy a new motherboard and swap the XP and Duron chips over?

Main use will be DC'ing and it'll be powering a media center.
Was looking at this one:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=17253050333&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=106369

Unless others can recommend a better one?

Aah what to do...

[NeoGen]

I know a guy at a computer store that says he receives dozens of computers, supposedly with malfuctioning motherboards that in the end are totally fine.

I've witnessed him twice taking the motherboard off the case of machines that were not working at all, putting it on top of a plain card board, plugging again the PSU, CPU, RAM, and gfx card, and it worked again!

He says he hasn't got a scientifal explanation, but maybe it was a kind of short circuit and the board must be conducting electricity to the metal case somehow, maybe through one of the screws.

Check if yours is really done for, or if it is a similar case like this, before you spend money on a new one.

[drezha]

haha

To be honest, this hasn't bewen in a case yet. This has been all done in the motherboard box :D

[NVM]

I know a guy at a computer store that says he receives dozens of computers, supposedly with malfuctioning motherboards that in the end are totally fine.

I've witnessed him twice taking the motherboard off the case of machines that were not working at all, putting it on top of a plain card board, plugging again the PSU, CPU, RAM, and gfx card, and it worked again!

He says he hasn't got a scientifal explanation, but maybe it was a kind of short circuit and the board must be conducting electricity to the metal case somehow, maybe through one of the screws.

.

i've seen this many times. the screws that screw into the stand offs are too tight sometimes and short the board out.

[AMDave]

drezha,
check your black and blue capacitors.

I agree with NVM. I too have seen this many times. Often I have found dodgy capacitors to be at fault but, more often than not, when I bench test the components out of the case the darned things work fine.

I used to use a "hack" solution...remember the little rings you could put on sheets of paper around punch-holes to put your docs in a ring binder? They came in paper form to start with but later they made them of plastic. The plastic ones were an excellent insulator that matched the same size as the screw mounting rings on the mobo. Worked for me several times. You can still get them at the stationery store.

I NEVER use mobo screws any more. Just the plastic pop-in pins. If I have to use a screw I put in a rubber washer under it which cuts down case-noise.

Interesting thread.
This is something I have discovered too, and has become a habit but yet I never thought much about it.

[drezha]

While I love it to be the fact it's shorting on the case, it isn't that because it was running in a cardboard box to start with. :D

All capcitors look fine. :-(

[AMDave]

You say you have tested different memory.
That's usally the run-of-the-mill problem, so skip to last steps...

What's the voltage on the D-CELL? If no D-CELL check the cap level (usually a side mounted blue cylinder - note that 1st test will probably cause a discharge and after that there is no charge until the machine is restarted - DO NOT DO THIS WILE CONNECTED TO MAINS - EEEEK !!!

Have you tried the CPU and RAM in an equivalent mobo (can't sell duds so you need to check it out.)

Have you done an isolation test on the PSU? plug it into mains & test the voltage on each of the wires - you sound experienced, but a note for others...PLEASE do not do this without reading the pproper procedure document. Electrical "BANGS!" tend to hurt or, at the least, cause damage.

I have found there are several PSU manufacturers PSUs reknown to be "short-life" Very worthwhile checking.

[drezha]

I've been told I can keep the spare motherboard the guy sent me to test it all with and that works so I'll stick with that now. :)

Cheers for the help guys. Much appriciated.