System won't post, no system speaker beeps, power light on

[ronnie76]

I am having power up issues with the following system
Gateway 503GR System
Intel Pentium 4 530 3.00GHz
103390Intel (Augsburg) 915G Motherboard
Northbridge Intel i915P/i915G rev. B1
Southbridge Intel 82801FB (ICH6) rev. 03
Stock Cooler Master fan and heatsink
Stock 300 watt power supply


I recently decided to upgrade my desktop. I purchased an EVGA 750i SLI FTW motherboard so I could use my old cpu for now. I installed the new motherboard, P4 3.0 cpu, with the stock Gateway Sooler Master fan & heatsink, and the stock 300 watt power supply. After getting the system up and running I tried to move over everything from the old Gateway 503GR operating system. After much frustration trying to easily get all software moved over without reinstalling everything I decided to just buy a Core 2 Duo processor and 600 watt power supply for the system and just keep both systems going.

I reinstalled everything back to the Gateway system making the same as it was stock except the memory. Now the Gateway will not power up. When the power switch is turned on the power LED comes on, but absolutely nothing else happens (no beeps no case fan power up, nothing). I have tried the following to try to diagnose the problem.

• Rechecked in the new system and or other system
o Power Supply = Good
o CPU = Good
o Fan = Acts funny (comes on at power up but then doesn’t run after that) not sure if this could be related to not enough power from the PSU or not.
o Ram = Good
o Power switch = Good


• Bread boarded 503GR components but still no luck
• Disconnected everything except the cpu, fan, and power switch = not working
• Removed system battery to reset CMOS = no help
• Disconnected Auxiliary 12-V ATX Connector = Standby power LED on Power LED lights up when power switch pressed
• Disconnected ATX power supply connector and plugged in power = No power indicators working
• No sounds coming from system speaker at any time (even when removing RAM sticks)

There are 3 things that happened in the disassembly – reassembly of the stock 503GR system process that I am wondering if they could be causing the problem.
1. Removing the stock heatsink and fan from Gateway motherboard required considerable effort as the bracket mounted on the backside of the Augsburg mobo was glued.
2. When first reconnecting the power switch to I had the header connectors upside down (not in the wrong place) just with the “Power SW” lettering down when it should have been up.
3. I think I may have had a little too much thermal paste on the heatsink when reinstalling, none seems to have gotten on the mobo anywhere but it was a bit thick.

I do not think that I zapped statically, but that is always a possibility. Nothing looks fried and no capacitors look blown.

I am wondering if the board is fixable and if the problem will likely require a trained technician would the repair likely be under $50.00 which is the limit of what I would be willing to pay to not have to reinstall everything. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ronnie

 

[Tmagic650]

Hi Ronnie,
The Gateway motherboard will beep if no memory is installed at all. If you hear no beeps, the motherboard may be toast. Motherboards sometime fail for little or no reason. Did you reinstall the CPU properly? Too much thermal compound will act as an insulator and not as a heat conductor

 

[ronnie76]

Thanks for the response

No beeps at all none. CPU is installed correctly that I know. I moved it to a newer mobo and it worked fine. The board didn't just fail out of nowhere it failed after I tried to put it back together. No capacitors look bad and I don't see any fried spots. I think the board is dead for sure but I would just like to know what killed it so I can avoid doing it again in the future.

Thanks again,
Ronnie

 

[Tmagic650]

One small discharge of static electricity can trash a motherboard. How is the weather in your area? Do you suffer with static shocks at all?

 

[ronnie76]

Static

I didn't feel any static shocks and tried to make sure to touch the psu and case all the time. It has been quite warm and humid here lately. Clearwater, FL. It is always a possibility though.

 

[Tmagic650]

Well knowing now that you are in Clearwater, Florida, I have much more of a chance having static electricity than you do, living here in Billings, Montana. Knowing that motherboards can go "belly up" at any time, have you tried resetting the CMOS?

 

[ronnie76]

Cmos

Yup I reset the CMOS and no go.

I took it by a local shop and the guy said that it was more than likely gone and that it wouldn't be worth the money he would have to charge to diagnose it.