the dallas depleted battery could be the problem, but for example the ASUS p/i-p55t2p4, that use the same chipset and same battery, works even when the battery is depleted, it just can't save the bios settings.

Nemo1985 wrote on 2021-12-14, 19:44:

the dallas depleted battery could be the problem, but for example the ASUS p/i-p55t2p4, that use the same chipset and same battery, works even when the battery is depleted, it just can't save the bios settings.

Hopefully it's the case. Nothing else seems to be bad visually, and pressing down on chips to test for cracked solder joints didn't do anything either. I have some replacement RTCs coming hopefully around the end of the year. That'll leave me a few days to test before the window to open a return request closes.

themajortechie wrote on 2021-12-15, 05:38:

Nemo1985 wrote on 2021-12-14, 19:44:

the dallas depleted battery could be the problem, but for example the ASUS p/i-p55t2p4, that use the same chipset and same battery, works even when the battery is depleted, it just can't save the bios settings.

Hopefully it's the case. Nothing else seems to be bad visually, and pressing down on chips to test for cracked solder joints didn't do anything either. I have some replacement RTCs coming hopefully around the end of the year. That'll leave me a few days to test before the window to open a return request closes.

If you have a battery holder and the chip is socketed you can modify the depleted battery, there are plenty of tutorials, the one I prefer is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBvw1TLHyqM

Nemo1985 wrote on 2021-12-15, 13:49:

themajortechie wrote on 2021-12-15, 05:38:

Nemo1985 wrote on 2021-12-14, 19:44:

the dallas depleted battery could be the problem, but for example the ASUS p/i-p55t2p4, that use the same chipset and same battery, works even when the battery is depleted, it just can't save the bios settings.

Hopefully it's the case. Nothing else seems to be bad visually, and pressing down on chips to test for cracked solder joints didn't do anything either. I have some replacement RTCs coming hopefully around the end of the year. That'll leave me a few days to test before the window to open a return request closes.

If you have a battery holder and the chip is socketed you can modify the depleted battery, there are plenty of tutorials, the one I prefer is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBvw1TLHyqM

Did that already. Unfortunately, the board still doesn't POST.

themajortechie wrote on 2021-12-19, 04:44:

Nemo1985 wrote on 2021-12-15, 13:49:

themajortechie wrote on 2021-12-15, 05:38:

Hopefully it's the case. Nothing else seems to be bad visually, and pressing down on chips to test for cracked solder joints didn't do anything either. I have some replacement RTCs coming hopefully around the end of the year. That'll leave me a few days to test before the window to open a return request closes.

If you have a battery holder and the chip is socketed you can modify the depleted battery, there are plenty of tutorials, the one I prefer is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBvw1TLHyqM

Did that already. Unfortunately, the board still doesn't POST.

Well that's a bad news, if you did it right, clearly the problem is not the dellas chip, then :\

Check the voltage from the V.reg transistor to ground, it should be about 3.45v. Do you have a speaker hooked up ? Any beeps ?

Voltages read fine, and no beeps ever come up.

Those are very large sticks of memory, have you tried anything smaller like 2x16mb? Also the rage clip pci card I have only works in much newer boards than any of my pentium machines have.

Hook up a speaker and remove everything except the known working CPU and PSU (and of course keep the BIOS EEPROM with correct BIOS on the board as well).
If you turn the system on now you should hear the board/speaker complain about RAM.
If that doesn't happen some form of hardware defect is almost certain.

I've tried with 8MB SIMMs instead, and an ISA VGA card. Still nothing happens, and it doesn't complain about RAM when none is installed either. I already got my refund and the board is now in my parts box. 😜

themajortechie wrote on 2022-01-22, 22:01:

I've tried with 8MB SIMMs instead, and an ISA VGA card. Still nothing happens, and it doesn't complain about RAM when none is installed either. I already got my refund and the board is now in my parts box. 😜

Hi, I know it's an old thread. I have that same board. stored more than about 15 - 16 years ago. nostalgia assaulted me a few months ago and I am rebuilding my two old PCs (this one and a 486) of which I have almost all its parts. Both were functional when I put them away. They have been well cleaned and visually checked and look good. the voltages are ok. I want to check with an oscilloscope if there is a clock signal.

in the case of this board it was tested with a Pentium MMX 200 (the last used in it) and a Pentium 133MHz. I can also try two other Pentiums of 133 and 75 Mhz. but no answer, no beeps, nothing. After so much time it is clear that the RTC battery is more than dead. I don't know if, as you say, it is a case of the board not starting if the battery is dry. Although I always assumed that the battery was recharged with the power of the board.

kinetix wrote on 2023-07-27, 03:02:

themajortechie wrote on 2022-01-22, 22:01:

I've tried with 8MB SIMMs instead, and an ISA VGA card. Still nothing happens, and it doesn't complain about RAM when none is installed either. I already got my refund and the board is now in my parts box. 😜

Hi, I know it's an old thread. I have that same board. stored more than about 15 - 16 years ago. nostalgia assaulted me a few months ago and I am rebuilding my two old PCs (this one and a 486) of which I have almost all its parts. Both were functional when I put them away. They have been well cleaned and visually checked and look good. the voltages are ok. I want to check with an oscilloscope if there is a clock signal.

in the case of this board it was tested with a Pentium MMX 200 (the last used in it) and a Pentium 133MHz. I can also try two other Pentiums of 133 and 75 Mhz. but no answer, no beeps, nothing. After so much time it is clear that the RTC battery is more than dead. I don't know if, as you say, it is a case of the board not starting if the battery is dry. Although I always assumed that the battery was recharged with the power of the board.

I'm not really sure myself either at this point. I've long-since added the board to my parts bin in the meantime. Replacing the Dallas RTC didn't appear to have any effect on the board iirc