Gateway 8 beeps BIOS/hardware problem?

Beep Codes
As you suspect, not good news to have a beep notice of failure… but you have to talk to Gateway tech support, if you can find them. Often it is a partial system board failure caused by overheating or curling of the board. This may or may not be helpful here. We have well over 277 beep codes in the our tech lab database.

As you probably know, every time a computer is switched on it performs a short diagnostic routine known as the POST, or Power On Self Test. The POST is a small program contained in the BIOS. It checks that basic hardware is present and performs a rudimentary memory test. The POST announces the results of its routine both audibly (a series of beeps on the PC speaker) and visually (displaying a brief summary or codes on the screen).

The audible method is essential since a fault may exist with the graphics card or monitor. If all is well, the computer typically emits a single beep and carries on booting. The number and duration of the beeps is intended as a coded message and understanding them will allow you to diagnose any problems the computer may have.

The codes vary according to the manufacturer of the BIOS and the build year of the computer.. Here are some of the more common codes for two beeps we have on our list. Unfortunately, not of them are specifically listed for a Gateway laptop.: To save space they are grouped together. Remember it all depends on the BIOS and the build. Each line is a separate code, and may be from any manufacturer... I give them here as examples.

two short Parity circuit failure
two short Any non-fatal error
two short = Configuration Error (displayed on screen)
repeating two short Power Supply or System Board failure
continuous twos Supply or System Board / Keyboard stuck
one long, one short System Board failure that is preventing full normal operation
one, two, two DMA Initialization failure
one, two, three DMA Page Register Read/Write failure
two (followed by various combinations)
(First 64K RAM Chip/Data Line failure (combinations
indicate which bit)
two or four Unexpected Interrupt in Protected Mode
(tone) one, one or two System Board

For even more beep codes, take a look HERE.

Good luck.

You might want to have a first class tech take a look...

If it is a Gateway M6750 model, it could mean the motherboard is going, and it will go soon.