Solved MSI 880gm motherboard lost POST

[loninappleton]

I have had to do a lot of replugging to test things today and a few days earlier. This board was on the morning and no post in the afternoon after being set up again. The power supply is strong, the fans go but I cannot get a BIOS screen.
Other years I've seen time out or some kind of cool down cycle where if I come back to it hours later normal operation resumes. So there's nothing I can check on it. No static discharges I'm aware of.
As I said the PS seems ok, HDs can be heard whirring. MB pilot light is on. But no single POST _beep_ is heard.
And nothing gets to the monitor.

I guess the only thing I can ask about it is overheating. It's possible I have a CPU to change out if needed. This MSI 880 has onboard video which I have always used. No add-in card. Again this problem was sudden during a single day.

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After a night shut down I replugged everything. No change so heat is likely not a cause from some kind of auto shut down.
A search on the problem said your PS is not getting enough tp POST. Well that PSU was on this board for
months if not years. Everything is the same. And my system load is always very low-- just onboard video no gaming sessions.

I did some things like reseat the memory. The motherboard speaker does not beep and it always did in the past at startup.

Only element I did not change out is a problem I thought was in a monitor but traced to a keybaord and
changed that out of another system. I'm running out of extra parts to swap around. But will try a different screen.

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alternate monitor does it's self test and plugged to the problem board. Still no beep or BIOS screen.

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I did notice one thing on the problem board: the smaller heat sink pulled up-- one of those plastic click feet to the
board. I poked that back down but that is a removable part. Anyway full disclosure on a possible problem. This old board might just be worn out but it's not sensible to just quit on a dime.

One question here would be to get a bargain video card. But I think I'd start a new build before putting dough into this.

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I have a different Phenom CPU to drop into this problem board. I'll try that while making queries on a newer AM4 Athlon based scratch build.

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I'll change out the memory for a single stick I have remaining as well before CPU swap. Something to do tomorrow.

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--> Progress. I began the memory tests-- removed the two sticks that were in and tested one. First try I got the beep. A big sigh of relief. Just to keep it going I'd get another DDR3 stick or two until I make a fresh build.

I know memory installs are in channels. The good test was in slot one of channel 2. This is all poorly marked in manuals.
2 sticks is all I ever used on this. My question is: If no memory in slot 1 of channel one, can I reuse the "bad" stick in slot 2 of channel 2?


Through all this I've lugged 75 lb CRTs around and more. I have to upgrade things like LCDs just from reduced capacity in old age. I do like that old, brighter 19 in KDS though.

Thanks for all the responses. I will mark solved shortly after I know things are stable.

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Bad RAM slots in motherboards - how common are they, repair success? | ServeTheHome Forums

This short thread describes the black screen problem related to memory for anyone with similar problem.
The advice is it's more likely the stick than the slot, but it turned out I did not have a DDR3 spare so this rig is running
one DDR3 in slot one of channel 2.

It takes me a long time to work through the things I should have thought of first. But time goes by and
without frequent practice at troubleshooting, those memories get lost.

 

[Megahertz07]

Did you try to reset BIOS (unplug the PS from the wall outlet and remove the coin battery for 1 minute)?

 

[loninappleton]

I guess I can mark solved now. This problem as stated above was fixed with removing a bad memory stick-- the usual swap around to test that. I didn'r have to remove CPU.

thanks to all who replied