Hardware problem: Dead desktop

[Owen Townend]

On Sat, 2007-11-10 at 16:08 +1100, Blindraven wrote:
> MSY is the be all and end all of cheapness, there is no cheaper
> service anywhere in Australia.
> However, with that price comes being treated like an idiot, standing
> in queues for in excess off and hour+ and general shitty service. 
> 
> On Nov 10, 2007 2:40 PM, martin fricke <camelgrass at gmail.com> wrote:
>         
>         On Sat, 10 Nov 2007 13:19:20 +1000, Leslie Gossner
>         <clownius at gossner.id.au> wrote:
>         
>         > Mark M Lambert wrote:
>         >> Hi Leslie, thanks for your reply. The computer is about 3
>         years old, 
>         >> assembled by myself from bits and pieces so no warranty
>         (didn't keep
>         >> receipts). I don't have a spare video card, foolishly threw
>         away when I
>         >> moved house 2 months ago! I live in St Peters, about 10
>         mins from the 
>         >> Sydney CBD.
>         >> Specs:
>         >> Intel PEntium 4 2.4GHz
>         >> 512Mb DDR RAM (one stick)
>         >> Gigabyte GA-8S648FX mobo
>         >> Unknown brand low-end Nvidia card near-new
>         >> Samsung DVD burner 
>         >> Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 hard drive
>         >>  .. and i've just noticed a bad burning smell coming from
>         the CPU...
>         >> :(
>         >>
>         >>
>         >>
>         >> ----- Original message ----- 
>         >> From: "Leslie Gossner" <clownius at gossner.id.au>
>         >> To: "Mark M Lambert" <mark+linux.ubuntu at marklambert.net>
>         >> Cc: "Ubuntu" <ubuntu-au at lists.ubuntu.com> Date: Sat, 10 Nov
>         2007
>         >>     11:41:17 +1100 Subject: Re: Hardware problem: Dead
>         desktop 
>         >>
>         >> Hi Mark Depends where in Sydney you are and how comfortable
>         you are
>         >> opening your computer up. Firstly is it under warranty?  If
>         its not
>         >> heres what i would check out. Quick and easy check is the
>         Video card. If 
>         >> you have a spare or can borrow one try swapping it.  Most
>         of all it
>         >> sounds like a dead Motherboard (how old is the machine?)
>         They can die
>         >> due to power issues (like storms).  I know a great place in
>         the Blue 
>         >> Mountains and if your in western Sydney i could even pop
>         over and have a
>         >> look myself if you need the help. Give some more details on
>         the specs of
>         >> the machine and where in Sydney you are and we can work it
>         out from 
>         >> there. Good Luck Leslie Gossner
>         >>
>         >>
>         > Doesn't sound good at all.  Id say its a dead mobo or CPU.
>          If its a
>         > socket 775 board its easy enough to get a replacement.  But
>         478's are 
>         > hard to come by.  I highly doubt just the CPU would go
>         without taking
>         > the board with it but for a cheap option go for  Pentium
>         E2140 or a Core
>         > 2 Duo E4500.  Both are very low priced dual cores and the
>         E4500 is a 
>         > very solid performer that would give you a great speed
>         increase.
>         > As for mobo check out AsRock boards (Dirt cheap) and some
>         will support
>         > both DDR and DDR2. (ASRock 4CoreDX90).  Or if you like high
>         end gear the 
>         > ASUS P5K-E is very nice but then you gonna need to go a big
>         upgrade.
>         > eg. DDR2.
>         > I do know a make is selling one of the AsRocks and an E2160
>         with a Gig
>         > of DDR (2*512) for $200 bucks if you need to get it up and
>         running again 
>         > on the cheap.  Give us a yell if you want if not i think ill
>         add it to
>         > my collection anyway.
>         > Not familiar with the PC stores in that area but someone
>         down there
>         > would be or would be willing to help out im certain. 
>         > Good Luck
>         > Leslie
>         
>         
>         For parts at cheap prices you could also try MSY at Ultimo.
>         Check out
>         their prices here http://msy.com.au/Parts/PARTS.pdf .
>         
>         
>         --
>         ubuntu-au mailing list
>         ubuntu-au at lists.ubuntu.com
>         https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-au
>         
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> When one burns ones bridges, what a very nice fire it makes.

Hey,
  MSY is cheap, but not always the cheapest. Fluidtek
(http://www.fluidtek.com.au/) is often cheaper, and are closer to home
for me. They're in Carlingford. Service is better, prices are similar.
If price is less of an issue and you're in the city try going to Capitol
Square in Chinatown on George St. just near the intersection of the
light rail tracks. There are about a dozen little pc shops in a small
area upstairs between a karaoke place and a computer shop. None of them
will match MSY but there's a lot of choice and they'll beat each other.
Great especially for browsing.

  On the original issue, I'll second the probability of the mobo being
dead, but I'd try checking the power supply first. I've had some very
strange symptoms attributed to PSU issues in the past. 
  If you have a multimeter check all the voltages. You can turn the psu
on without it being connected to the mobo by shorting the green wire to
any of the black ones. There's only one green wire. A bent paper clip
will do the trick. Then you can check all the voltages on the connector.

cheers,
Owen.