How to Know If a Processor or Motherboard Is Bad
Troubleshooting computer hardware problems can be a pain. If your computer will not turn on, it can be difficult to determine what the source of the problem is. Often finding out what the problem is can be more difficult than fixing it. This article will give you a simple yet effective way to determine whether your computer's CPU and motherboard are working.
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Instructions
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Removing External Components
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Turn off your computer and unplug your power supply.
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Remove all plug-and-play cards such as your sound and video cards. Unplug your hard drives from your motherboard, as well as any other devices aside from your RAM.
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Reconnect your power supply and plug it back in to the wall.
Testing Your Processor
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Turn on your PC and listen for a beep. Your computer runs a diagnostic upon start-up called "post." Post checks for the basic requirements for your system to start up and function. This includes RAM, processor and video functions. If those three basic elements are working properly, you will hear one beep from your computer's speaker and can be assured your processor still works.
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If you hear multiple beeps, count the number of beeps you hear, as this will help you determine whether your processor is functioning properly. If you are running Phoenix BIOS, make sure you count and write down the beep sequence.
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Consult your motherboard's BIOS instruction manual; there will be a section on the "post" start-up. Five beeps means a processor error for most standard AMI BIOS systems. The number of beeps you here will tell you the problem your computer is experiencing that is preventing it from booting up. Once you know what beeps to listen out for, you can safely determine whether your CPU is still functioning properly. This process will also tell you whether your motherboard is malfunctioning. Depending on the number of beeps you here, you can determine whether your motherboard is the problem by cross-referencing the number and pattern of beeps with your motherboard's instruction manual.
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References
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Comments
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Anonymous
Jul 02, 2011
It may not be a virus, but symptoms of a bad system board. If your computer behaves erratically, blue screens; if it faults, reboots, is difficult to reboot, freezes, powers off, has video problems, or has problems recognizing or using USB devices, chances are it may have received an electrical surge.
