Need server help or general PC help

[IamNaetH]

Okay everyone, my server is dead! After having problems with my power supply in the last weeks I finally replaced it and everything was working well. Last night I started burning off some of my music to DVDs and everything was working well. I finished and went to bed. The computer goes into sleep mode overnight so this morning when i went to wake it, everything had power, the monitor was asleep but it wouldn't wake up. I restarted it and had the same problem, everything had power but nothing was happening. I noticed it didn't have the usual system beep from the motherboard. I thought, hmm thats odd. So I unplugged power from all the hard drives and the DVD drive trying to induce a beep. Nothing. I removed the RAM. Nothing. I removed the processor. Still no beep. So, am I safe in assuming the motherboard is dead? It get power and everything in the system has power, including my raid card but just won't post. Any clues? Thanks!

 

[evongugg]

Sometimes a fresh battery, makes it beep and work again.
Try removing the video card also if it has one and see if it beeps.
I think you should try replacing the motherboard if you still have problems, as long as there are no burn marks on the processor.

 

[IamNaetH]

A little more info!

I built the PC about 3 years ago and its been running nearly 24/7 since then. No problems whatsoever until the last month or so. The motherboard is an ABIT IS7-E2 (only know this because i saw it on the board this morning). It has either 512 or 1GB of Ram (2 sticks) and is corsair. The motherboard, if you didn't know, is a socket 478. I don't remember getting a top of the line processors at the time so lets just say 1.5GHz P4? The power supply is this one here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104934 and is brand new. In the PCI slots i have a hauppage 150 TV tuner card. A 3ware Escalade 7000-2 raid card which runs 8 hard drive in a raid 5 configuration. (1.4 TB of data baby!) Finally, i have a middle of the line video card. Some sort of ATI, I don't think it is a radeon but it is AGP. Like I said, last night the PC gave me no indication that it was having a problem at all. All the lights on the Raid card light, the motherboard lights up red, all the fans and hard drive spin up. I'm clueless!

 

[IamNaetH]

Nice VA is for lovers pic. I'm in Norfolk VA myself. The Processor had no burn marks, in fact my hands got coated by thermal paste this morning so I don't think that was the problem either. If I replace the battery and it beeps, that still doesn't explain the inability to post, right? What are the odds of both the battery (no beep) and the video card (no video) failing simultaneously.

 

[evongugg]

If the battery is low, it won't do anything. In that case a new battery will make it beep, post and get into windows. You will have to enter Bios, by pressing delete and configure the Bios after replacing the battery.
It's better to change the battery or to borrow the battery from another working computer, than to spend more on a new motherboard.
I have seen dead computers, that just needed a $5.00 battery.
Try starting the computer with just the processor. If it beeps the motherboard and processor are working. Insert RAM, try to get a beep, insert the video card, try to get a beep and post and so forth.

 

[IamNaetH]

Wow, I hope thats the case! What kind of battery does an motherboard use? I've seen it in there but never replaced it! Can i pick that up anywhere?

 

[evongugg]

Most motherboards use CR-2032. You can get one at Radio Shack.
Look on your motherboard for the silver battery and confirm that this is correct.

 

[IamNaetH]

Man, that sure would be great. I'll look when I get home! Thanks!

 

[Rhinofart]

What are you talking about?? A new battery will make it post? NO! The battery keeps the CMOS settings intact when there is no power to the board from the mains. Even with the battery taken out a functional mobo will still post, it will just load the BIOS defaults, which you can change and everything will work like that until you take power away. At which point boot it up again go into BIOS and make your changes again.

As for the originator of the post, I would say put your proc in a different machine if you have one available just to rule it out for sure. I have seen both a bad proc and a bad mobo do the exact same thing as you are describing. (2 different instances with 2 totaly separate customers)

Proc works in a different machine then your mobo is probably to blame.

 

[The_OGS]

Hi guys,
Good advice - but usually you will get message 'battery low'.
You can setup BIOS okay but then, should get error again upon reboot...

I finished and went to bed. The computer goes into sleep mode overnight

I built the PC about 3 years ago and its been running nearly 24/7 since then

You guys are confused (or maybe I am confused) - you can't leave your PC running 24/7 and call it a 'server' because there's much more to it than that! No offense but real servers are very carefully designed and constructed, for 24/7 use.
WD has their excellent SE harddisks but the RE model is heavy-duty, rated for 24/7 in servers. Also fans and cooling, including powersupply, must be specially designed...
I think you guys are nutty to not switch off your rigs, just my $.02, but you probably have your reasons.

No problems whatsoever until the last month or so.

Uh huh...
The mobos aren't gonna last forever running hard all the time, there are special mobos for 24/7 that have 5-phase and even 8-phase power circuits for continuous high temp, high power use.
[/end rant]
Anyway, yes it's quite possible your mobos or any of these components are deceased.
Remember, prevention is the best cure...
Regards

 

[misry]

Unless you're gonna donate to my cause I'll continue to use the last platform I've upgraded from as my "server" at home.

For busnesses that can justify it, server class hardware is called for but for a torrent box in the basement I'll keep it cost effective if you don't mind.

 

[leo2kp]

<~~~ has 12-phase power with 3xWD Enterprise drives and I shut it off every night. My own preference though.

CMOS battery will still allow your computer to boot if it's dead. Your system time will just be wrong. Since it's a new PSU I'd look in to that as well as motherboard. Never know if you got a bad part.

 

[The_OGS]

Hey I hear ya - I'm just saying, you gotta be aware.
You guys are running those rigs like a taxi, that's what General Motors calls 'severe service' and there is a special maintenance schedule for that, right?
You have to make sure you get your rig opened up on the table ~1/ month to vacuum and maintain your coolers etc, you gotta stay on top of this stuff and usually, heavy-duty cooling is called for.
Some coolers cost as much as a nice CPU, LoL... now, none of this is news to anybody but I was just pointing it out, heheh.
24/7 use is a special, specific design consideration. Witness the creation of these new 65W AM2 processors, like that x2 4600+ 65W which would be excellent for 24/7 use!
I hope everyone is using SpeedStep or Cool 'n Quiet or whatever, I've got a mild OC going here (to 2.4GHz) and it works just fine with the Speedstep.
My 'resting' idle speed has gone up from 1.6GHz to 1.8GHz, but most importantly the lower voltage (and lower heat) are still successfully applied.
Heat is the enemy :twisted:
L8R

 

[4745454b]

Unplug the 20 pin bundle, and the 4 pin bundle. Then reseat the ram. Look at the motherboard caps. Are any of them leaking? (would look like this.) If any are leaking, you need to replace them. Its possible with leaking caps that your old psu was fine. If everything is fine, plug the 20 and 4 pin bundles back in, and try restarting.

 

[IamNaetH]

Well, i went home at lunch and replaced the battery. Still no post or beep. So I did the next thing, pull out the video card to see if I could get a PC beep. Still nothing. The only thing in there now is a Raid card connect to no HDs, a TV tuner card, and a sound card. Still no beep or anything when the PC is turned on. The PC is getting power. Sounds more and more like a hosed motherboard. I didn't have time to do a detail inspection of the motherboard. Honestly, its worked great for 3 years. If I finally killed it I'll suck up the $100 bucks or whatever and buy a new one. What motherboard should I look at that will accept a socket 478 processor, uses DDR 184 pin ram, and needs an AGP card?

 

[IamNaetH]

After doing some quick research over a newegg I found. So whats the call, good board and do I need it?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131527

 

[4745454b]

Not a fan of the SiS chipsets, but thats pretty much what your left with for full size motherboards from newegg. (I'd check some of the other sites like TD, zipzoomfly, monarch, etc.) Don't forget to do EXACTLY what I said to, in order.

 

[The_OGS]

The same Asus mobo (SiS 655FX) that I came up with, too!
That's a good mobo for only $50 bucks or whatever, hell, you can pick one up just to check it out...
L8R

 

[RyanMicah]

There are a slew of Socket 478 mobo's for cheap out there. You should be able to get one for $40 if you're in America. As for recommendations, just make sure it has the required memory slots and an 8X AGP slot. Also, make sure it supports your CPU's bus speed. Some have buses rated at 400, 533, and 800mhz. Any that are still "NEW" in box should be decent, since only the best ones and ones with newer, faster parts stayed in production.

There's even socket 478 mobo's with PCI-E X16 out there, but they're not cheap.