Troubleshooting PC - no post

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Vis1/0N

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Hi, my new hardware is a 1GB SATA drive, which I installed onto my XFX g31 mobo. It ran but was seen as a dynamic disc. When I removed my other drives and tried to install windows I had the same error. After plugging back the older drives, my PC won't boot ( most times). When it did it would and warn about overclocking ...

I removed all the drives, leaving Mobo & PSU ( & g31 graphics onboard mobo). The PC would beep indicating RAM. Installing the RAM (1 or the other or both of 2GB sticks) the PC would come on sometimes and give the warning. When it does not start it would beep once every 15-20 sec without any display of keyboard flashing leds. The system would run fine when it did come on - sometimes I would press reset and the keyboard will flash once and the VGA comes on and it would run.

I tried a PSU from a PC at work ( identical brand) and same problems. With my DVD writer connected it would give 1beep (memory refresh timer), pause, 2beeps (parity memory), pause 5 beeps (CPU). With teh DVD disconnected it gives the one beep 20 sec with no VGA/keyboard.

It is most likely either the Mobo or CPU. I don't have any more components to swap. Do you think it is the Mobo that is faulty? Or the CPU ?- bearing in mind that the PC runs okay when it posts.
 
it would more likely be your mobo than the CPU. It could be faulty out the box. Take it back to where you got it from now.
 
Try a hard bios reset if you haven't already (mobo cmos reset jumper or remove battery for a while).
 
XFX - rather hard to find any drivers even on their site. The Mobo is 15 months old - only the SATA drive is the new h/w. Bios reset did not work, and I have not been able to get it to post again so I can't update.

Thinking about picking a replacement mobo at esquire this morning, wish I had one to swop around first. Is memory compatibility a big problem these days?
 
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Vis1/0N said:
Is memory compatibility a big problem these days?
Click to expand...

Take one of yours with to be on the safe side.

One last suggestion, loosen your mobo screws and give the chassis a real good shaking just in case there's a stray screw in there.
 
How accurate is it to interpret the Bios beep codes? According to http://www.pantherproducts.co.uk/Articles/Motherboard/BIOSbeep.shtml it could be the memory refresh circuitry is faulty. This is onboard the motherboard, right?

When the PC does come on it says that it was a failed overclocking attempt - perhaps the settings are scrambled? Or static zapped something? I have never attempted overclock in my life, though.

I was going to shoot off to esquire today, but then maybe I should first attempt to remove and add the motherboard back again...
 
I checked the RAM and it is Dynet which is not particularly great - but it has been solid. Since I had two sticks in the MB, I swopped one, then the other with boot problems. This is hardly likely to be memory failure, is it? I did not swop in a third module to test.

Dynet is even cheaper Hynix manufactured apparently. The MB I was looking at is P5KPL-AM SE and dynet is not in the QVL - so I don't know what to do, should I take a chance? But the MB is 2008 and lists very few 2GB RAM. 2x2GB DDR2 is rather expensive these days ( R400*2 excl).
 
From specs:

Based on the Intel G31/ICH7 chipset, the Asus P5KPL-AM SE supports DDR2 800 memory up to 4GB
Click to expand...

I'd guess your current memory should be OK in this mobo (assuming it's not shot) - as I said, take it with.
 
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