Need some help...

My pc started giving screwy video output, even at the BIOS screen... I have proved the monitor is good. Opened up the cpu case and noticed the fan sitting on one of the main MB chips no longer works. I removed it, cleaned up the dust, but it still does not energize. Now the BIOS does not even boot.

I think I've definitely got a MB problem, but can I be certain that my video card is not the culprit?

Anyway, I think I need to start hunting for a new MB... my video card is AGP, my nic is PCI, . My case takes an ATX form MB. Two memory sticksDR PC2100 • CL=2.5 • UNBUFFERED • NON-ECC • DDR266 • 2.5V • 32Meg x 64

Even though my AMD processor & fan are good, I think I would like to find a place I can order a pre-tested MB kit with new processor already mounted.

Any recommendations on a motherboard? I need at least one AGP slot and one PCI slot

Thanks for any help.

3/17/2006 1:15:08 PM

We'd need a socket type in order to help you pick a motherboard.


Other than that, all we can recommend are brand-names.

3/17/2006 1:56:40 PM

Bare with my as I know little about motherboards...

I assume you are referring to the CPE socket?... it's socket A...

But I want to go ahead and purchase a motherboard with a new processor, so why does the socket style matter?

I guess this is easier... here's what I have:

http://www.abit-usa.com/products/mb/products.php?categories=1&model=85

Thanks.

[Edited on March 17, 2006 at 2:30 PM. Reason : .]

3/17/2006 2:28:54 PM

Here's my first candidate:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1644629&Sku=MBM-P4M800-340

Do I sell my ATX box short by buying a miniATX bundle? I don't see alot of ATX's to choose from.

3/17/2006 2:59:57 PM

My motherboard problems are "changing"... I am now getting the "CPU is unworkable or has been changed" error.

I built this PC in 2002. I have been running the system without any problem since then. Two days ago, my system started having trouble. I did not get this error message when booting, but even at the BIOS-booting level, my video output had trouble. Windows would eventually boot, but operated very clunky, and the video output included vertical lines and flickering. I test the monitor and proved it to be good.

Upon opening the case, I noticed that the fan on the main chip did not operate. I removed it, cleaned it, and on reinstalling it noticed that it will run if I turn it upside down (motherboard is facing up).

The nature of my problems then began changing... next my computer would not even boot. I left it alone for a while, came back and it booted... that's when I got the "CPU is unworkable or has been changed" message. I can hit F1 and go straight into windows, but it runs kind of slow and I get error messages when my ZoneAlarm firewall tries to load. The video problems seem to have subsided at this point.

I should note that I have not changed any hardware or bios settings, and that I do not overclock the cpu.

Any ideas... is my motherboard shot or can this be truely fixed?

Thanks,

[Edited on March 17, 2006 at 4:38 PM. Reason : .]

3/17/2006 4:36:33 PM