Big help/advice needed (mobo trouble?)

[jehnx]

I'd be eternally grateful for help on this:

ASUS K8N (64 bit) motherboard is what I'm using. ATI Radeon 9200 128mb PCI is the graphics card.

So, my friend had a stick of RAM that he couldn't get to work on his computer, and he wanted me to see if it'd work in mine. So I put in the RAM, and turn my computer on, and my monitor won't come on, but everything boots fine.

So I take it out and tell him that I can't tell if it works because my monitor won't come on when it's in there. So I turn the computer back on, and the monitor still won't come on... which was very weird.

I thought maybe I forgot to plug something in correctly, so I checked, and it was all good.

I thought maybe something was wrong with my monitor, so I plugged the monitor into a different computer, and it worked fine. Tried it also in a laptop, and it worked fine. So, the monitor is not the problem.

I thought perhaps it was the graphics card port (the PCI slot), so I tried it in two other ones in the same computer, and it didn't work.

So I thought perhaps the card went bad. So, I went out and bought a ATI Radeon 9250 PCI 256mb card, and a GeForce 6800GT OverClocked 256mb AGP. Neither one of them will work, either.

So, I have NO idea what it could be. Does anyone have any input on what I could try, or what could be wrong? The computer turns on; I hear spinning, and my fans all work, etc. I'm just getting no signal to my monitor now for some awfully odd reason.

So, the only thing I can think of is that something is wrong on the motherboard. What do you guys think?

THANKS SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!!!!

[Egaladeist]

There was another person on another forum who had the exact same problem as you and after all the advice and trial and error ( two pages worth of connectors, motherboard, etc... )this was the result...

Anyway, I worked out that it was the RAM - my mobo doesn't like genric RAM alledgedly - another 30 squid to get Kingmax branded memory and I'm away! Hurrah! Still don't know what went wrong with the orginal kit tho... will have to see what i can salvage from it the next rainy day I get (shouldn't be too long off in Manchester!)

the RAM wasn't compatible.

[jehnx]

Egaladeist, can you please link me to that forum post?

I completely agree it was RAM that did it, but I took out the new/bad RAM, and it still won't work

I'd really be interested in reading that other thread, though, if you could hook me up. Thanks mate.

[foxyloxley]

I had a similar fault on an 'upgrade'
My prob was due to mismatch of RAM
was 512MB 266MHz DDR RAM -----------> 1024MB 400MHz DDR RAM

BUT, fault cleared on re-install of original RAM .................

however, I managed to trash BOTH OS's before I got it to go again.

I cannot find nor think of any reason for the fault NOT to clear, when the original set up is re-instated.

Do you have Check IT or PC Check to test your MO/BO and system.

I'll send PC Check in an EMail if req ?
[helps if you are on at least ADSL approx 3MB]

[Egaladeist]

Haven't been able to relocate the forum...I'll try again later...what kind of RAM was it?

[aeallison]

Try removing all the Ram, Disconnect the Mobo from power supply completely and reset the BIOS (usually a small jumper by the battery) I assume you still have the booklet that came with Mobo, follow the BIOS reset instructions in the book to the letter. Then go get a Soda Pop or a cold beer let the board sit for 30 min to an hour before reconnecting to PSU, then install the Ram you know was compatable. I have had to do this on several occasions and it usually works fine. The PSU has capacitors in it that can supply small voltages to your board even when unplugged from the wall. Good Luck.

[Und3ertak3r]

It is possable the CMOS has been corrupted.. two common causes (for me) Video Cards and RAM

ahh bugger just follow aeallison's instructions thats enough..(just finished reading them)

The PSU has capacitors in it that can supply small voltages to your board even when unplugged from the wall

the psu has a few bit bigger than small ones.. but the mobo also has a number of small electros that will store enough charge to be annoying.. [jk] but because of the electrons bouncing around at high speed..you know +5 to 0 to +5 at what ever Gigahurts.. the poor little electrons will be bouncing for a while.. give them at least half an hour to calm down.. and hour is better..[/jk]

[The Duck]

I think aeallison and undertaker hit it, but during the boot up process, do you hear any beep codes?

[nihil]

Sounds like good advice to me. I had a very similar problem a while back when they guy tried to run a Duron at 133 instead of 100

I just reset the BIOS and it worked fine.

[The Duck]

jumping the cmos is the cure to alot of problems and you won't lose any valuable settings unless your in to overclocking stuff...