Blank screen - dead motherboard?

OK I have a long story so sit back, make a drink and be prepared to be bored! lol (I don't want this to be long, I just want to make sure I cover everything!)

Note: The spec of my PC in trouble will follow when I get home and post them in here, but for now.

I bought a Compaq PC In April 2006 (just outside warranty huh?!) and some point in December, I needed to reinstall windows due to a problem with my shell/kernal or whatever. I didn't have the Compaq Windows XP (because they neglected to tell me i had to pay £35 for the privilege when i bought the pc) so I used a Dell XP Home edition and just stuck in my windows key.

All was great (aside from a few driver problems which took a little while to sort).

In April this year, I upgraded my psu from 350W to 450W within view to adding a new hard-drive (7200rpm). Both new componants are installed and all is well.

Up until about 6-8 weeks later, my system freezes. I am forced to turn the power off at the mains, then rebooting I got as far as the windows boot screen, then it freezes again. The third manual reboot has the pc starting up, fans whirring, but nothing other than a blank screen. The fourth reboot (and consequently every reboot after this) shows the monitor as not having 'any source' - essentially it stays off - as the fans whirr!

After trial and error I remove the PCI-E graphics card and use the onboard ATI 200 Express and that works fine. I presume the graphics card is dead and wait to buy a new one.

This weekend I finally get the money together and get myself a 8600GT (checking first of all that my PSU was equipped enough to take this) but when i install it, I get the same problem! I (somehow) stop myself from kicking the box

The monitor doesn't come on and the fans whirr.

I went to Compaq/HP and asked them, they asked me to go to the BIOS and diasble the onboard graphics etc. I did all this to no avail. Even uninstalled the graphics driver, etc.

They then said to put the graphics card in, then to go to the bios screen... despite me telling them approx 5 times that I couldn't even get to the bios screen with a graphics card in!!

Everything else works fine. Do I have knackered PCI-E slot in my motherboard??

 

Ok the pc I have is a Compaq Presario SR1739UK (prod# EP155AA-ABU) with the following additions:
Sapphire X800XL G/card
Sony AWG170 DVD Writer
Additional 7200rpm 500gb HDD (using SATA not IDE)
450W PSU...


That's all folks, please can anyone offer any help?!

Thanking you in anticipation!

 

my comp did the samething last week....i would turn on my computer and my monitor wouldnt show anything....i had a 8800 gtx so i was thinkin oh crap my card is fried...i then pluged my monitor into my onboard...the slot on the back of the computer but is still on the motherboard samething....took off the panel and found 2 transisters fried....dead mother board.....just bought a whole new comp.

 

7800gtx by the way not 8800....and the card was fine

 

How do I find out if my transistors have fried?!

 

Do you have any other slots you can put this card in to see if its a bad slot??

 

Unfortunately, I only have the one PCI-E card slot on my motherboard.

 

Wait, I have tried two graphics cards in the same slot, but with the same result. Is this what you meant?

 

Sort of, I was going to suggest putting it in another slot to see if it works there, or, if you know of somebody who will let you put it in their pc and test it that way you can rule out a bad card. Since you have used 2 different cards tho, I would lean towards a bad slot on the board itself and not the card.

 

Have asked a buddy to do it for me (can you believe out of 10 friends only 1 has PCI-E and not AGP!? lol)

Will let you know what happens!

 

Man that sucks LOL

On a build I just did for a client his board has both.

 

Both!? surely that's just being greedy!! lol....

If I do need a motherboard.... any tips on what to lookout for?! I basically just want one that will fit my old stuff and costs as less as possible!

 

I picked it out for him, in fact I designed his whole system. He wanted something fast for his business and this board fit the bill. Sad part is he is using onboard graphics LOL

First you need to figure out what form factor your existing board is. ATX, Mini ATX, Micro ATX and look at the ones that fit that form factor. Look also for board/processor combo deals, one thing tho you may have to buy new ram as well if the ram you have now is not compatible with the new board.

 

Ok have ordered a new motherboard to see if that's going to solve the problem (like I really hope it will)

And I found out my motherboard is a Micro ATX, thanks to Striker for pointing that out to me and thanks to wikipedia for telling me the dimensions of the differing ATX boards! lol

(will let you know if this works when i get it and you can put this topic as solved or whatever it is you do! )

 

A new motherboard is fitted and all is ok now. So if anyone wants a free motherboard without a working pci-e slot, then drop me a line! lol


Problem solved!

(cheers guys!)