Interpreting POST codes (beep beep)

[jhsachs]

I'm trying to diagnose the problem with a non-functional motherboard that one of my co-workers discarded. (This is mostly a learning exercise!)

The first step, according to the instructions I've read, is to try to boot and see what POST code I get. But there I encountered a problem: different BIOSes use different POST codes. How do I know what BIOS this board uses? Well, by booting it and watching what it displays during POST. But the reason I need to know the POST codes is that it won't boot! Catch-22.

I read the board specs on the manufacturer's web site and downloaded the manual, but I couldn't identify the BIOS (or find a list of its POST codes). What should I do is this situation?

As a secondary issue, I'll be happy if someone can tell me what's likely to be wrong with this particular board. It's a Gigabyte P5E-VM HDMI. When I power it on it wakes up, beeps once, then turns itself off briefly (CPU fan and all lights go off), then repeats, over and over.

According to this site's Gigabyte FAQ, a single beep means "all good." Based on my reading of the FAQ, I suspect a thermal reset due to poor contact between the CPU and the cooler. (The cooler did not go quietly when I took it off to make sure there was a CPU there and then put it back on.) But I'd welcome more informed opinions before I start fiddling with it.

 

[Autocrat]

Beep Beep Boop Boop.

You should clean off the CPU, cooler, and reapply thermal paste.

 

[jhsachs]

Thanks, I'll try it on Monday, the next day I'll be where the machine is. I may also replace the cooler, which seems to have a bent foot that's hard to lock firmly onto the mobo.

Any special advice on how to clean them? I haven't worked with thermal paste much, and I don't know what will remove it. Rubbing alcohol maybe?

Love your avatar. One of my all-time favorite shows.

 

[Autocrat]

Thanks, I'll try it on Monday, the next day I'll be where the machine is. I may also replace the cooler, which seems to have a bent foot that's hard to lock firmly onto the mobo.

Any special advice on how to clean them? I haven't worked with thermal paste much, and I don't know what will remove it. Rubbing alcohol maybe?

Love your avatar. One of my all-time favorite shows.

Yep rubbing alcohol is exactly what you want to use

 

[jhsachs]

Getting back to this took a bit longer than I expected, but I now have a functioning motherboard and video card. The system displays a "no keyboard" message, which is quite correct. I'll add a keyboard and mouse and try again. Unless something unexpected happens, we can consider this line of inquiry closed.

My original question is still unanswered, though: given an unfamiliar non-booting motherboard, how can I tell what the beep codes mean? As I said in the OP, I need to know what BIOS the board uses to interpret the codes, and manufacturers (at least Gigabyte) are vague about it.

 

[Autocrat]

You would have to go by the manufacturers guide for that. I don't think beep codes are uniform across different manufacturers, so the data they have on it is probably as good as it gets.

 

[jhsachs]

We've returned to the original problem.

As I explained, the manufacturer's user's guide for this particular board does not list the POST codes. Nor does it tell me what BIOS the board uses, so that I can look up the codes elsewhere; it claims the BIOS is a "Gigabyte BIOS," which seems unlikely, and is useless information if true. I looked for POST codes elsewhere on Gigabyte's web site, and then on the Web at large, but I didn't find them.

Maybe this situation is unusual, and over time I'll find that most other boards reveal their POST codes more willingly. Or maybe I just had a brain fart and failed to find something that's really easy to find. It happens sometimes. But I've looked until it seemed that further looking was a waste of time, and I don't think I'm going to know I've asked a dumb question until someone explains the answer.