jarreboum wrote:The thing is I'm not sure how to proceed. I did remove everything save for the CPU, PSU and a single RAM stick, which I tried in different positions. I tried with a different PSU with an almost identical result (the difference being the displays initialises correctly with the other PSU). From there, I don't know where to go, what to test. I checked the motherboard both sides but couldn't see any obvious problems. Not testing the unit before tinkering will haunt me. I tried disabling ACPI but it didn't have any immediate apparent effect.
I can give you a step-by-step thingy if you'd like that.
First thing I do is to put the rig on a work bench (usually a table with ample space and basic stuff like a monitor, keyboard + mouse, power outlet with multiple sockets and enough power cords (I disconnect power completely from these outlets always BEFORE I start testing until I'm totally ready to apply power), spare know-to-be-working PSU (I use a couple PSUs for nothing else except for testing), motherboard box with NOT an antistatic bag on top of it, some empty boxes (with a stack of plenty antistatic bags), screwdrivers and other equipment (maybe even an antistatic wrist strap), a few mugs or something for putting very small items like screws and standoffs that I may remove from the case, my basic testing parts (I use some spare Virge or Trio and some lowly GF MX AGP and a few other cards + a couple cheap but know-to-be-working test CPUs that are may fry to death without me missing them (Celeron 300 or Pentium MMX 166 or Celeron Coppermine 600Mhz or so) + memory modules of the kinds that I may need like 32MB SDRAM PC-100, 64MB PC-133, 2x4MB FPM or EDO, 128/256MB DDR-400 etc etc), TIM, stuff to clean stuff (paper towels + rubbing alcohol), spare cables like IDE and floppy cables...and last but not least I'll have a couple ballpoint pens and a stack of sheets of paper for writing down stuff. And I'll have some paper tape in case I want to mark certain expansion cards (I'll usually stick this to that L-shaped bracket that every ISA/PCI/AGP card has).
Very first! ...I'll go read the manual and write down all important settings like jumpers and I'll often even draw a scematic of the entire motherboard including the front panel pins (especially the PW_SW, RST_SW and PW_LED).
First I'll open up the system and put it on its side on the work bench. Sometimes I'll first remove the BIOS battery and let it drain for a couple days maybe, but it depends on how much I am in a hurry to continue working on that board.
Then I'll start removing parts and I put them in antistatic bags and place them all together (so I know which parts came out of this particular system).
Perhaps I'll remove some optical drives and some cables and remove/unplug everything that will prevent me from removing the motherboard from its case.
I'll put the motherboard onto the motherboard box and first remove ALL parts like CPU+HSF and basically all cables (especially loose IDE cables and such) and perhaps the BIOS battery (I'll make sure the BIOS is reset one way or another, especially if the board is 'new' and untested).
The first thing I do is install the CPU, clean both CPU and HSF, make sure both are dry and then apply TIM + install HSF + plug in heatsink fan into the CPU header on the motherboard.
Then insert VGA cable into the motherboard and if no onboard VGA a testing graphics card (usually I'll start with a PCI card), one memory module of correct FSB (or 2 if the motherboard requires pairs etc), PC-speaker for the error beeps, keyboard and PSU.
Then I'll do a final check to see if all loose other cables are gone and everything is in order and I'll check which front panel pins I need to short to start the motherboard (I've used both a switch I had removed from a binned ATX case and a flatbed screwdriver (do not do this is you have shaky hands or are tired or with poor lighting etc)).
Before applying power I will make sure everything else is switched to "off" like on the back side of the PSU etc and make sure no alien objects are on any of the hardware that's not supposed to be there (like a screw you overlooked sitting on the motherboard or some other stupid-ass thing 🤣. Lets face it, we all did something like this 😜)
Then I'll switch the power plug box thingy on, see for a moment what happens (usually nothing but it helps to see if anything funny happens), switch on the power box that contains the monitor and the PSU, then switch on the switch of the PSU itself.
I do check for smoke of sounds or other funny stuff every step of the way.
Take a deep breath, as it may be your last breath before switching on the motherboard (but lets hope not 😉)
Switch it on and keep one hand very close to the switch of the main power plug (so you can cut power to everything) and (again) watch out for signs of malfunction and see what gets displayed and hear the beeps from the PC speaker...and you basically go from there.
Well it was something like this right?
