i need some help with my computer.

this happened about a week ago, i was on my computer, i looked away from the monitor for a couple seconds and i looked back and it had turned off. i tried turning it back on and nothing happened. i tried a different outlet and a different cord and neither helped. i took the case side off to see if anything happens, and when i press the power button, the fans begin to move (a couple rotations) and then stop, and nothing else turns on, no beeps, no nothing.

i assumed it was a power supply failure, and i talked to a friend that is good with computers and he said the its probably the PSU.

well, i ordered a new one from newegg with a higher wattage than the original, and it still doesnt work.

right now i've got my motherboard laying out with only the cpu and 1 stick of ram in it and the PSU connected, and it still will not turn on. so its either the motherboard or CPU, but i have no idea of how to tell which. any ideas?

computer is:

ECS P4S5A
Intel P4 1.5 ghz
512 mb ram
nVidia 5200 FX

 

If I had to guess on which one was bad, I would go with the motherboard. ECS boards aren't the best in the world. Funny I say that, that's what my machine has. You should be able to pick up a cheap board online somewhere:

You can always check the power supply by unlpugging it from the motherboard and connecting a black wire to a green one with a paper clip. If the fans for it come on, it should be good.

I had a problem where my computer turned off a few times and I could not get it to turn back on. I would unplug the powersupply cord from the motherboard and plug it back in and it would fire up. Still haven't figured out why.

Fortunately motherboards can be had for cheap. Unfortunately I guess you will have to reformat if you don't get the same kind of motherboard.

 

I might add, it may still be possible for you to have ordered a bad power supply. I know its unlikely, but I wouldn't count that either. Power supplies are bad out of the box all the time.

 

You can get a power supply tester at Office Depot.

 

thanks guys

i found out the paper clip trick after i recieved my new power supply, and both the old and new one work. i dont mind having an extra one now though. i'll probably end up ordering a new motherboard, so hopefully thats the problem.

any other ideas of how to know for sure?

 

o yeah, and if i get a new motherboard, what brand(s) would yall suggest?

 

My computer did the same thing, and I checked the capacitors on the motherboard and a few of them were buldged and a couple were leaking.

Cheap motherboards occassionaly have this happen to them.

 

ASUS Giga-byte MSI all good boards

 

alright, thanks for all yalls help (and computer knowledge on a toyota forum)