A thunderstorm recently killed my computer, and now I'm trying to
figure out what I need to replace.
When I press the power button, all fans and HDDs start spinning, and
the green light on my Abit NF7-S mainboard lights up. However, I get
no video output, and no beep codes. I tried taking out one and both of
my RAM modules, and also the video card, but the symptoms are still
the same. That made me think it was the mainboard that's broken.
But then I also tried to connect the PSU (an Antec NeoHe 430) to an
older (known good) computer. Then I got the same results for that
computer too. Fans and HDDs spinning, but no video and no beeps. Does
that mean that the PSU is broken? Even if I obviously do get power out
of it? Or is it even likely that it is the PSU /and/ mainboard (and
CPU?) that's broken?
> A thunderstorm recently killed my computer, and now I'm trying to
> figure out what I need to replace.
>
> When I press the power button, all fans and HDDs start spinning, and
> the green light on my Abit NF7-S mainboard lights up. However, I get
> no video output, and no beep codes. I tried taking out one and both of
> my RAM modules, and also the video card, but the symptoms are still
> the same. That made me think it was the mainboard that's broken.
>
> But then I also tried to connect the PSU (an Antec NeoHe 430) to an
> older (known good) computer. Then I got the same results for that
> computer too. Fans and HDDs spinning, but no video and no beeps. Does
> that mean that the PSU is broken? Even if I obviously do get power out
> of it? Or is it even likely that it is the PSU /and/ mainboard (and
> CPU?) that's broken?
If the power supply creates the same behavior on a known good computer, I
would suspect the power supply first. Try putting a known good PSU on the
NF7-S computer and see what happens. That would be the first thing I would
try before I declared the board/CPU dead.
On Sep 27, 5:47 am, Patty <pa...@iainttellin.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:20:13 -0700, Martin wrote:
> > A thunderstorm recently killed my computer, and now I'm trying to
> > figure out what I need to replace.
>
> > When I press the power button, all fans and HDDs start spinning, and
> > the green light on my Abit NF7-S mainboard lights up. However, I get
> > no video output, and no beep codes. I tried taking out one and both of
> > my RAM modules, and also the video card, but the symptoms are still
> > the same. That made me think it was the mainboard that's broken.
>
> > But then I also tried to connect the PSU (an Antec NeoHe 430) to an
> > older (known good) computer. Then I got the same results for that
> > computer too. Fans and HDDs spinning, but no video and no beeps. Does
> > that mean that the PSU is broken? Even if I obviously do get power out
> > of it? Or is it even likely that it is the PSU /and/ mainboard (and
> > CPU?) that's broken?
>
> If the power supply creates the same behavior on a known good computer, I
> would suspect the power supply first. Try putting a known good PSU on the
> NF7-S computer and see what happens. That would be the first thing I would
> try before I declared the board/CPU dead.
The only known good PSU I have only has a 20-pin connector, and not
the extra 4-pin connector that should be connected to the mainboard.
Should the board be able to start and at least show me the BIOS
without the 4-pin connector attached?
On Sep 27, 9:30 am, Martin <lovesl...@frustratedhousewives.zzn.com>
wrote:
> The only known good PSU I have only has a 20-pin connector, and not
> the extra 4-pin connector that should be connected to the mainboard.
> Should the board be able to start and at least show me the BIOS
> without the 4-pin connector attached?
I should also say that I tried connecting this 20-pin PSU, but the
computer still didn't start. I'm just not sure whether that means that
the mainboard is broken, or if it didn't start because only 20 pins
were connected.
> On Sep 27, 9:30 am, Martin <lovesl...@frustratedhousewives.zzn.com>
> wrote:
>> The only known good PSU I have only has a 20-pin connector, and not
>> the extra 4-pin connector that should be connected to the mainboard.
>> Should the board be able to start and at least show me the BIOS
>> without the 4-pin connector attached?
>
> I should also say that I tried connecting this 20-pin PSU, but the
> computer still didn't start. I'm just not sure whether that means that
> the mainboard is broken, or if it didn't start because only 20 pins
> were connected.
More than likely you need the power source from the additional 4 pin
connector. If you know somewhere to get the correct power supply, I would
do that first. I still don't think you have enough information to declare
the board or CPU dead. Since your original PSU did not power up a known
good computer, I would still suspect the PSU.
On Sep 27, 3:53 pm, Patty <pa...@iainttellin.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 01:30:58 -0700, Martin wrote:
> > On Sep 27, 9:30 am, Martin <lovesl...@frustratedhousewives.zzn.com>
> > wrote:
> >> The only known good PSU I have only has a 20-pin connector, and not
> >> the extra 4-pin connector that should be connected to the mainboard.
> >> Should the board be able to start and at least show me the BIOS
> >> without the 4-pin connector attached?
>
> > I should also say that I tried connecting this 20-pin PSU, but the
> > computer still didn't start. I'm just not sure whether that means that
> > the mainboard is broken, or if it didn't start because only 20 pins
> > were connected.
>
> More than likely you need the power source from the additional 4 pin
> connector. If you know somewhere to get the correct power supply, I would
> do that first. I still don't think you have enough information to declare
> the board or CPU dead. Since your original PSU did not power up a known
> good computer, I would still suspect the PSU.
>
> Patty
Thanks a lot for your replies. I'm just posting the latest status. My
graphics card (an Asus N6600) has a molex power connector. When I try
to start the computer without that molex plugged in, it makes a long
continuous beep. Acording to the list at http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?t=98625
that means that the RAM isn't connected properly. However, if I try to
start the computer with the graphics card taken out, or with the
card's power connected, I get the symptoms I descried above (fans and
disks spinning, but no beeps and no video). The same thing (continuous
beep) happens whether I use the possibly damaged PSU or the other,
known good with only 20 pins, PSU.
"Martin" <loveslave@frustratedhousewives.zzn.com> wrote in message
news:1191103917.833353.199380@y42g2000hsy.googlegr oups.com...
> On Sep 27, 3:53 pm, Patty <pa...@iainttellin.com> wrote:
>> On Thu, 27 Sep 2007 01:30:58 -0700, Martin wrote:
>> > On Sep 27, 9:30 am, Martin <lovesl...@frustratedhousewives.zzn.com>
>> > wrote:
>> >> The only known good PSU I have only has a 20-pin connector, and not
>> >> the extra 4-pin connector that should be connected to the mainboard.
>> >> Should the board be able to start and at least show me the BIOS
>> >> without the 4-pin connector attached?
>>
>> > I should also say that I tried connecting this 20-pin PSU, but the
>> > computer still didn't start. I'm just not sure whether that means that
>> > the mainboard is broken, or if it didn't start because only 20 pins
>> > were connected.
>>
>> More than likely you need the power source from the additional 4 pin
>> connector. If you know somewhere to get the correct power supply, I
>> would
>> do that first. I still don't think you have enough information to
>> declare
>> the board or CPU dead. Since your original PSU did not power up a known
>> good computer, I would still suspect the PSU.
>>
>> Patty
>
> Thanks a lot for your replies. I'm just posting the latest status. My
> graphics card (an Asus N6600) has a molex power connector. When I try
> to start the computer without that molex plugged in, it makes a long
> continuous beep. Acording to the list at
> http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?t=98625
> that means that the RAM isn't connected properly. However, if I try to
> start the computer with the graphics card taken out, or with the
> card's power connected, I get the symptoms I descried above (fans and
> disks spinning, but no beeps and no video). The same thing (continuous
> beep) happens whether I use the possibly damaged PSU or the other,
> known good with only 20 pins, PSU.
Look,i dont know why you occupiying this space with this pitty problem of
yours.
a/ it is ****ing obvious that v/card needs power to operate,so connect the
****ing molex connector.
b/why would you wanna start a computer with the wrong ****ing power
supply?That is beyond me.Just stop ****ing around and wasting peoples
time,just go out buy the ****ing correct power supply and done with it.Far
out.Some ****ing mothers still do have'em ey..
"Aussie" <noway@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:FwBLi.3515$H22.984@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
<snip>
>
> Look,i dont know why you occupiying this space with this pitty problem of
> yours.
> a/ it is ****ing obvious that v/card needs power to operate,so connect the
> ****ing molex connector.
> b/why would you wanna start a computer with the wrong ****ing power
> supply?That is beyond me.Just stop ****ing around and wasting peoples
> time,just go out buy the ****ing correct power supply and done with it.Far
> out.Some ****ing mothers still do have'em ey..
>
>
Why did you bother answering you consider it a waste of time?
I have an NF7-s but mine is a dud, (sort of).
It shut down one day and gave no response. I used all of the parts in asus
board that worked fine.
Tried trouble shooting over about a week with different parts, including,
(correct) PSUs but still no life.
Sent it off and they returned it saying nothing was wrong, (well it booted
to windows at least). Didn't bother with it till I brought a cheap CPU some
months later and it did boot again. It however had problems with the SIL
SATA controller on it.
I had these problems before it died and initially I put this down to disks,
but those disks have proven to be fine after all this time and eventually I
discovered if I try to run with both SATA channels in use I get data
corruption.
I'm still using it as a basic workhorse, only using the IDE channels. but I
had intended to overclock etc, but by the time I worked out through these
problems it wasn't worth the hassle overclocking etc., (not to mention the
hassle if it stopped again), so I didn't bother risking it.
Anyway.... splurge on a generic PSU to use for emergencies.
> On Sep 27, 5:47 am, Patty <pa...@iainttellin.com> wrote:
>> On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:20:13 -0700, Martin wrote:
>>> A thunderstorm recently killed my computer, and now I'm trying to
>>> figure out what I need to replace.
>>
>>> When I press the power button, all fans and HDDs start spinning, and
>>> the green light on my Abit NF7-S mainboard lights up. However, I get
>>> no video output, and no beep codes. I tried taking out one and both of
>>> my RAM modules, and also the video card, but the symptoms are still
>>> the same. That made me think it was the mainboard that's broken.
>>
>>> But then I also tried to connect the PSU (an Antec NeoHe 430) to an
>>> older (known good) computer. Then I got the same results for that
>>> computer too. Fans and HDDs spinning, but no video and no beeps. Does
>>> that mean that the PSU is broken? Even if I obviously do get power out
>>> of it? Or is it even likely that it is the PSU /and/ mainboard (and
>>> CPU?) that's broken?
>>
>> If the power supply creates the same behavior on a known good computer, I
>> would suspect the power supply first. Try putting a known good PSU on the
>> NF7-S computer and see what happens. That would be the first thing I would
>> try before I declared the board/CPU dead.
>
> The only known good PSU I have only has a 20-pin connector, and not
> the extra 4-pin connector that should be connected to the mainboard.
> Should the board be able to start and at least show me the BIOS
> without the 4-pin connector attached?
I just had a thought. I have an NF7-S. The board basically runs on the
20-pin connector with an additional 4-pin connector which is not the same
as the additional 4-pin connector found on the main power connector on
24-pin power supplies. That said, you can purchase an adaptor to connect a
4-pin plug to a regular molex connector on your 20-pin power supply. If it
makes you feel better to test it with your older, power supply, that will
fix you up. The adaptor looks like this (I have one in my toolbox):
> I have an NF7-s but mine is a dud, (sort of).
> ...
> It however had problems with the SIL SATA controller on it.
> ...
> discovered if I try to run with both SATA channels in use I get data corruption.
>
> I'm still using it as a basic workhorse, only using the IDE channels.
Change bios setting "EXT P2P DISCARD TIME" from the default 30us to 1ms.
NF7-S troubleshooting (no beeps) 
Linear Mode
