Question Do mobo leds work just as well as beep codes?

[Mac029]

Suppose I could make it a poll. Do builders find them to be an improvement? I would think they fail more often.

I was adamant a board for my next build would have a speaker, even if I bought it myself. I'd love led 'digits' but in my price range seems it's simple colored leds or nothing. Unless some models are just not specifying the speaker. Which doesn't sound right.

Anyone care to weigh in?

 

[AllanGH]

The speaker is the time-honored minimal diagnostic when you don't have active video output to read error codes. Personally, I tend to ignore discrete LEDs and listen for beep codes, or use a POST card. If the MB has an LED hexadecimal display, that's good as well.

 

[SgtScream]

There isn't really much improvement per say because either way you'll have to refer to the manual weather it'd be the speaker or led to see:

1. Which light is luminated (unless clearly marked on the motherboard, then yes LED would be preferable)
2. Looking up the beep code either online or in the manual.

Note: Having a speaker lying around as a backup for troubleshooting wouldn't be a bad idea and you can purchase an additional one if desired.

What motherboard are you looking at? We can determine if it has a speaker header.

 

[Mac029]

My first choice mobo has speaker header(s) as well as leds. I just don't recall if beep codes can give you more detail vs. simple leds for cpu, gpu, mem or boot. I think they can. I'd really love the digit led though.

I have a post card somewhere but it's so old I think the slot is obsolete.