FIC Ice Cube won't boot w/PCI card

[AmoebaMan]

This is a weird one:

I've got several FIC Ice Cube socket 478 cases (specifically IC-VL67's)that I'm installing MyHD 120 cards into. Most of the computers took the cards just fine, but two won't boot.

When the card is inserted, they don't wake the monitor, don't beep, don't do anything related to booting. The lights do come on, the fans do spin up, and the drives do spin up, but nothing else happens.

When the cards are removed, the computers boot and run fine.

All of the computers in this batch have the same processors (P4-2.8), same memory, etc... As far as I can tell, all the jumpers across the batch are identically set, and all the BIOS settings are identical.

I've swapped out the MyHD cards between the working/non-working computers, and it doesn't change their working/non-working status, so it's not the cards.

I'm stumped. I've never seen a PCI card stop a computer completely from booting.

Since the computers run fine without the cards, it must be the PCI slot, right?
(BTW, Ice Cubes only have 1 PCI slot.)

Anyone had this problem?

Thanks,
AmoebaMan

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by AmoebaMan
I'm stumped. I've never seen a PCI card stop a computer completely from booting.

I have.


From what you are saying, you have several identical systems. It works on most, but not two of them. I think you should inspect what the differences are and play PC sleuth for a bit.

Some things I might try

• Try placing the card in different PCI slots
• Reset the CMOS to default settings via the cmos clear jumper or removing the CMOS battery
• Remove all unecessary components, including all PCI cards
• Analyze each system and its configuration and find out what they have in common or don't have in common. Suspect the impossible! I have come across many problems where what I thought was "impossible" turned out to be the cause.

Other than that, I'm not sure what else you can do.

 

[Masque]

Have you tried using a different PCI slot in the boxes for your card? It's not unheard of to have a bad slot....even on new boards.

 

[AmoebaMan]

Thanks for the ideas.

Ice Cubes only have 1 PCI slot.

The other weird thing is it runs the PCI card really hot. Like hot to the touch. No idea what it's problem is.

-AmoebaMan

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Check the voltages in the BIOS and the wiring from the power-supply to the mobo on those troublemakers. From what you tell us, it looks like the slot either get too much or not enough power.
Take a "bad" mobo out, and swap it with a "good" one, then try both PCs with the swapped mobo. (Or try to swap PSUs, probably easier).
That way at least you know if it is the mobo or another component.

 

[AmoebaMan]

Looks like the decision was made for me. They're sending it back to the reseller. Since the mobo and PSU came with the case, getting replacement parts would be tough.

Sorry that cuts this short, but thanks for your help.

-AmoebaMan