dead Asus P4P800 DELUXE/P4 2.8

I've have the system running for 1.5 years. It died 2 days ago. I was
compressing some files and left. When I came back, the system was
freezed half way on the job. The mouse isn't moiving so I rebooted the
PC by shutting the power off and on again. The sytem powered up and it
appeared that HD was powered too. But no video signal out. No BIOS
screen. I then tried a different DDR RAM, switching locations.
Unplugged video card and plugged a basic one in. Check all the
connections. It looked fine but still won't boot. I then replaced with
the new battery but still no go. My Power supply is 1.5 years too and
it's 450W. Since it powers up so it don't think there is anything wrong
with it.

What's left is either CPU or motherboard (or both). I'm researching on
buying a new CPU and motherboard, but still wonder what's wrong with
the old system. Is there anything else I can try before giving up on
it? I'm amazed that most my systems lasted only ~2 years. I wonder if I
didn't handle them correctly?

Thanks for any suggestions,

cpliu

In article < .com>, "liu"
<> wrote:

> I've have the system running for 1.5 years. It died 2 days ago. I was
> compressing some files and left. When I came back, the system was
> freezed half way on the job. The mouse isn't moiving so I rebooted the
> PC by shutting the power off and on again. The sytem powered up and it
> appeared that HD was powered too. But no video signal out. No BIOS
> screen. I then tried a different DDR RAM, switching locations.
> Unplugged video card and plugged a basic one in. Check all the
> connections. It looked fine but still won't boot. I then replaced with
> the new battery but still no go. My Power supply is 1.5 years too and
> it's 450W. Since it powers up so it don't think there is anything wrong
> with it.
>
> What's left is either CPU or motherboard (or both). I'm researching on
> buying a new CPU and motherboard, but still wonder what's wrong with
> the old system. Is there anything else I can try before giving up on
> it? I'm amazed that most my systems lasted only ~2 years. I wonder if I
> didn't handle them correctly?
>
> Thanks for any suggestions,
>
> cpliu

Have you checked the Southbridge ? There have been a fair number
of failures reported. Use the warranty and get it repaired, if
this is what it looks like. What you are seeing in these pictures,
is burning caused by power conductors in the USB data pair area
of the chip. All failed chips should burn the same way (although
we have one report of someone who just had the USB ports fail,
without the rest of the motherboard failing too).

http://www.abxzone.com/forums/showth...light=usb+port

Typically the problem correlates with the hot plugging of a USB
device (front or back USB port can cause it). But, there are people
who weren't plugging anything at the time, who suffered a failure.

If your Southbridge is toasted, please post the details leading up
to the failure, to add to all the other reports posted so far.

You could have some kind of power supply failure, but due to the
prevalence of this kind of ICH5/ICH5R Southbridge failure, I
somehow doubt that trying a different power supply is going to
help in this case.

http://tw.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/...AQ/FAQ_456.htm

Paul

if your not getting any post screen, what type of beeps do you get ?
That may be your clue, but it sounds like the board. At this point,
considering you have tried another video card, it's either the psu or
the board...Mine only lasted a year, same board...

On 6 Jun 2005 18:29:22 -0700, "liu" <> wrote:

>I've have the system running for 1.5 years. It died 2 days ago. I was
>compressing some files and left. When I came back, the system was
>freezed half way on the job. The mouse isn't moiving so I rebooted the
>PC by shutting the power off and on again. The sytem powered up and it
>appeared that HD was powered too. But no video signal out. No BIOS
>screen. I then tried a different DDR RAM, switching locations.
>Unplugged video card and plugged a basic one in. Check all the
>connections. It looked fine but still won't boot. I then replaced with
>the new battery but still no go. My Power supply is 1.5 years too and
>it's 450W. Since it powers up so it don't think there is anything wrong
>with it.
>
>What's left is either CPU or motherboard (or both). I'm researching on
>buying a new CPU and motherboard, but still wonder what's wrong with
>the old system. Is there anything else I can try before giving up on
>it? I'm amazed that most my systems lasted only ~2 years. I wonder if I
>didn't handle them correctly?
>
>Thanks for any suggestions,
>
>cpliu

No beep at all. If I take the RAM out, I hear continous beep. So the
beep system still works.

I don't run it 24/7. The day it died, it was running overnight. I
usually turn it off if I know I won't use it for a long time. By
average, probably turn on and off 1 to 2 times each day. In the
weekend, maybe 3 or 4 times a day. By average, I probably use it 5
hours a day in thee weekdays, 8 to 10 hours in the weekend.

Is Southbridge one of the chips on the motherboard? I checked briefly
before going to bed but didn't see any burn mark on on big black chip
close to the battery. I will check again tonight.

Using the ASUS P4P800 Deluxe picture below, which chip is the south
bridge?
http://usa.asus.com/products/mb/sock...-d/enlarge.htm

Thanks a lot for your help,

cpliu

Per liu:
>I'm amazed that most my systems lasted only ~2 years.

Do you run your PC's 24-7 or turn them off when not in use?
--
PeteCresswell

In article <. com>, "liu"
<> wrote:

> No beep at all. If I take the RAM out, I hear continous beep. So the
> beep system still works.

That is a good sign. For the board to beep, the processor has to be
able to run BIOS code. It could be, when a DIMM is present, that
the BIOS code is getting stuck on some other busted hardware.

Your board has "Vocal POST". If you plug an amplified computer
speaker into the green Lineout connector on the motherboard, you
may hear a voice error message. The error messages are listed
in the user manual, and you will have to compare the sounds made,
to the list of error messages, as the voice samples are highly
compressed.

HTH,
Paul

Check for leaking capacitors on the MB?

Per liu:
> By
>average, probably turn on and off 1 to 2 times each day. In the
>weekend, maybe 3 or 4 times a day. By average, I probably use it 5
>hours a day in thee weekdays, 8 to 10 hours in the weekend.

I used to run my old one 24/7. Now, with my new box (P4P800 Deluxe also) I've
been doing the same thing you are.... couple on/offs per day.

Long time ago, when I was working in the IT department of a major electric
utility, somebody reasoned that we could save significant money by turning all
our IBM 3290 terminals off each night and back on again in the morning.

Electric consumption, obviously, went down by the precise calculated amount of
TerminalCount * Watts/Terminal * HoursOff.

What nobody expected was that repair costs on the terminals went through the
roof - far outweighing the savings in electricity. Something about
heating/cooling the circuit boards over-and-over.

But that was a long time ago.... and I'm hoping that circuit board design has
progressed since then.

I guess I'm gonna find out... but until somebody who knows chimes in I'd hold
that out as a possible factor in your bad luck.
--
PeteCresswell