advice on figuring out what is wrong between motherboard, cpu, ram

I have 2 computers, that is 2 motherboards, 2 cpus, 5 ram chips.

Both have stopped POSTing in the last week.

One following a mistake I made with plugging it in the case (the sound connectors) - I find it hard to believe it wrecked it but it was wrong and electricity is involved so heck, my bad.

The other one after changing a vga cable to a dvi cable, which seems totally impossible to me!

It's a long saga but if anyone has any
- insight as to what is likely to be wrecked and not
- advice on how to test what, which combinations are most likely to work

I would be super grateful

full story in another thread http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic91001.html

try clearing the cmos ( either by shorting the pins or removing the battery) and try again.

You're right. Rule #1: In doubt, remove all components, put them back in, take cmos battery out, put it back in.

I had done the other bits but hadnt done the cmos battery.

PC4 is breathing again.

Still, I wonder what this episode was, a warning or just a fluke?

I can at least start testing the components of PC3 now, the one i fried via the case headphone connectors :S

I've gone thru the dead motherboard case before were it comes back to life after clearing the cmos... some motherboards are just weird like that. Good to have been of help, I think it was just a fluke.