Hm... bummer
Thought I'd build my bro's gf a "new" computer for her out of all the spare parts I've collected from customers who've claimed their computers had "broke" and just bought new ones. I'm like a PC Jesus, and breathe life into new ones out of the ashes of the previous ones. However, a rather large fear came true for me today...
Was making great progress on the computer. Told my bro it'd take about a week to build, and here I was on day 2 and just about complete. Got some thermal compound and that was all that was left. Used my motherboard from Washu, Mark1. She had previously had a fit of the "OMFG I'M BURNING" and luckily my roommate of the time freaked out fast enough to shut it off while I was still sleeping. Anywho, I thought at first it was the motherboard and replaced it. Still nothing. Replaced the processor, and it worked. So the motherboard was still good! Rather than return the new one, I just kept it as a spare since it was far cheaper than the processor.
Gathered memory, mostly from spent upgrades over the years and, of course, "broken" machines from other people. Threw it all together, and it was less than a masterpiece, but it would still operate better by far than the one it would be replacing. I got the compound, lathered it onto the processor and slapped on the newest, largest cooling solution I had spare (I have tons) and lugged it downstairs for testing and OS installation.
All went well as I plugged in power, keyboard, mouse, and video. The green status light on the motherboard winked on. Awesome, I thought, this ought to go really fast and I'll be done installing Windows before dinner's done cooking. Power switch............nothing. Again....... still nothing. Took off the connector for the power switch and shorted the two leads manually with a screwdriver.... nada. Well wtf?
To make an hour-story short, I went thru the entire phase of testing parts individually while going thru three KNOWN GOOD processors and disconnected everything not necessary for initial bootup. Same results...
...every...
...single...
...time.
>=(
So, the problem I had about 3 years ago still haunts me today. I guess it was a compound problem, where basically the failure of one part caused the failure of another, so I was correct in replacing both the processor and motherboard, which is good because now I know I didn't waste money way back when, but still sad because I have everything EXCEPT a working motherboard for this new computer. Although they used to be easy and cheap to find, it's just now starting the other end of the hill where its availability falls and prices rise. I was trying not to spend money on this project, but it really would be a waste not to fix just this one problem now. I still have one more thing I'm going to try, but I'm gonna take a break first. Stomach demands sustenance, and I would do well to obey it. *ROOOOAR* Yes, Master! Please, not with the gnawing!!! AAaaaaAaAghhggghghg!!!1!1!!!!111
Days later, crime scene investigators would find an incomplete livejournal post displayed on an apartment resident's laptop computer with bite marks near the base of the keyboard and claw marks trailing from the space bar all the way across the linoleum to the kitchen. All cabinets were emptied of their contents, and the fridge was void of anything edible. Although both the tenant's cars were present in the parking lot, witnesses reported strange noises around 9:30pm that sounded like a one-sided argument, frantic screaming, roaring, and heavy stomps that could only be described as "that scene from Jurassic Park where the T-Rex was chasing the car through the forest." Investigators lost trace of the tracks they discovered deep in the nearby forest...
Was making great progress on the computer. Told my bro it'd take about a week to build, and here I was on day 2 and just about complete. Got some thermal compound and that was all that was left. Used my motherboard from Washu, Mark1. She had previously had a fit of the "OMFG I'M BURNING" and luckily my roommate of the time freaked out fast enough to shut it off while I was still sleeping. Anywho, I thought at first it was the motherboard and replaced it. Still nothing. Replaced the processor, and it worked. So the motherboard was still good! Rather than return the new one, I just kept it as a spare since it was far cheaper than the processor.
Gathered memory, mostly from spent upgrades over the years and, of course, "broken" machines from other people. Threw it all together, and it was less than a masterpiece, but it would still operate better by far than the one it would be replacing. I got the compound, lathered it onto the processor and slapped on the newest, largest cooling solution I had spare (I have tons) and lugged it downstairs for testing and OS installation.
All went well as I plugged in power, keyboard, mouse, and video. The green status light on the motherboard winked on. Awesome, I thought, this ought to go really fast and I'll be done installing Windows before dinner's done cooking. Power switch............nothing. Again....... still nothing. Took off the connector for the power switch and shorted the two leads manually with a screwdriver.... nada. Well wtf?
To make an hour-story short, I went thru the entire phase of testing parts individually while going thru three KNOWN GOOD processors and disconnected everything not necessary for initial bootup. Same results...
...every...
...single...
...time.
>=(
So, the problem I had about 3 years ago still haunts me today. I guess it was a compound problem, where basically the failure of one part caused the failure of another, so I was correct in replacing both the processor and motherboard, which is good because now I know I didn't waste money way back when, but still sad because I have everything EXCEPT a working motherboard for this new computer. Although they used to be easy and cheap to find, it's just now starting the other end of the hill where its availability falls and prices rise. I was trying not to spend money on this project, but it really would be a waste not to fix just this one problem now. I still have one more thing I'm going to try, but I'm gonna take a break first. Stomach demands sustenance, and I would do well to obey it. *ROOOOAR* Yes, Master! Please, not with the gnawing!!! AAaaaaAaAghhggghghg!!!1!1!!!!111
Days later, crime scene investigators would find an incomplete livejournal post displayed on an apartment resident's laptop computer with bite marks near the base of the keyboard and claw marks trailing from the space bar all the way across the linoleum to the kitchen. All cabinets were emptied of their contents, and the fridge was void of anything edible. Although both the tenant's cars were present in the parking lot, witnesses reported strange noises around 9:30pm that sounded like a one-sided argument, frantic screaming, roaring, and heavy stomps that could only be described as "that scene from Jurassic Park where the T-Rex was chasing the car through the forest." Investigators lost trace of the tracks they discovered deep in the nearby forest...