Motherboard doesn't POST.

[TheDiagGuy]

I actually dug up a MSI 990XA-GD55 Mobo that my landlord buried in a cabinet that I found when I moved in then proceeded to bury in the same cabinet.
I tried breadboarding it to see if it was any good. Was crossing my fingers it would work so I could swap out my other AM3+ Mobo that’s on it’s way out.

MOBO: MSI 990XA-GD55
CPU: AMD Sempron 145 2.8 GHZ
PSU: Sentey BXP 600w
RAM: 4GB Patriot 1333 MHZ
GPU: PNY GTX 750 TI OC 2GB

Here’s my process:
I laid the board on a cardboard box.
Installed a Sempron AM3 chip with the stock cooler from my FX.
Installed one 4GB stick of RAM.
Installed my 750 TI
Hooked up the PSU.
Attempted to boot by shorting power switch.
No POST.
Hooked up a little Mobo speaker to see if I got any beeps.
No beeps. Pretty sure it’s fried…
I think maybe the “clear CMOS” jumper may have been used on it with power on possibly. Because when I got to it it was in the clear position which I luckily caught before I powered it on.
Super sad cause it’s a nice Mobo for it’s age.

Any suggestions before I throw it in the trash? lol

[phillpower2]

Hello TheDiagGuy,

You say no post, does the cpu cooling fan spin up when you short out the two power pins.

[TheDiagGuy]

I suppose that would have been useful information.

Yes the CPU fan and the GPU fan spin up.
The CPU power phase LED’s show full power.

[phillpower2]

If you are 100% certain that your BIOS error speaker is good and that it is on the correct pins on the MB, remove the single stick of RAM that you have in the board, power up, let us know if you hear any error beeps.

The CPU power phase LED’s show full power.

Sorry but all this means is that the PSU is sending an ATX +12V supply to the CPU socket and that it is being recognised, check the MB for any bulged or leaking caps, see info here

[TheDiagGuy]

Tried booting it with just the CPU, CPU Fan, Mobo (Obviously), and PSU. No beeps.
I know the speaker is good because I pulled it out of a rig that beeps everytime you start it up.
Studied all the capacitors. They look fine to this untrained but careful eye.

[phillpower2]

The CPU power phase LED’s show full power.

Tried booting it with just the CPU, CPU Fan, Mobo (Obviously), and PSU. No beeps.
I know the speaker is good because I pulled it out of a rig that beeps everytime you start it up.
Studied all the capacitors. They look fine to this untrained but careful eye.

Suggests a bad MB I[ICODE]m afraid as you should be hearing beeps with no RAM in the board, the only thing missing from the equation is a keyboard so if only for completeness, hook up a keyboard with and without the RAM in the board and see if anything changes, it shouldn[/ICODE]t but it is best to be thorough.

[TheDiagGuy]

Finally got around to hooking up a PS/2 keyboard and doing as you suggested. No beeps with RAM and without RAM. Throw the mobo in the trash?

[Bruce]

pretty sure I have come across some (rare) mobo’s that still don’t beep even without RAM.
however ALL mobo’s definitely beep without a CPU - so just to double check before you throw out what may be a good mobo, remove the CPU and try to boot.

[TheDiagGuy]

So boot it with just a power supply and the speaker?

[Bruce]

yep, and RAM, hard drive, cd unit, keyboard, mouse…
just remove the processor.

[TheDiagGuy]

yep, and RAM, hard drive, cd unit, keyboard, mouse…
just remove the processor.

I’m currently breadboarding. So I don’t have a cd drive or hard drive hooked up to it. Will the PSU and the mobo and a keyboard work?

[Bruce]

since you know the mobo doesn’t beep without RAM, yes, you can leave that out.
so just mobo (with no RAM or CPU) and a PSU will be enough to boot it up and if it’s going to beep, that will be the time.
and you are certain the little black circle speaker is connected correctly to the mobo?

[phillpower2]

Any update for us?

[TheDiagGuy]

Been super busy as of late, haven’t got a chance to try again. Will do so tomorrow night. I was going to post pictures of the speaker connection and of the mobo manual, so we can remove all doubt as to whether or not I have the speaker hooked up correctly.

[phillpower2]

No problem, we always ask for an update or two when a thread goes quiet, it helps keep the forums tidy by not having abandoned threads all over the place (y)