Computer won't boot, POST freezes.

My computer will not boot. When I have any AGP card in the system the system will not even give me any beep code; unless I remove all RAM, then I get a DRAM error beep code. We have tried compatable memory from other systems and we get the same error.
When I remove the video card I get a no video card beep code. I put an old PCI video card in the system (the card is some old Trident from 1994),unlike the AGP cards, I get the POST screen instead of a blank screen. But, the system freezes at the POST screen. We bought a new motherboard of the same model, and we still get the same problem as we did with the orignal motherboard. I thought it might be a grounding problem, considering that the system is acrylic and not metal, but I called up Gigabyte's tech support and they said that grounding the system to the power supply is not needed. I would appreciate your help.
Thank You.

-AMD Athlon 64 3000+
-Gigabyte GA-K8VNXP Motherboard
-Corsair XMS 512MB PC3200, non-ecc, unbuffered (2)
-Seagate SATA 80GB
-Radeon 9600, 256MB, AGP 8x
-Toshiba SD-R5372 DVD Burner
-Samsung DVD-ROM
-LogiSys 500 watt power supply
-LogiSys acrylic case

 

I had a VERY similar problem a few months ago ie no boot with no POST beeps. I (like you) originally concluded that the MoBo was at fault so bought a new one but ended up with exactly thesame fault. I also tried a PCI video card but again like you got nowhere.

In the end when I tried a new AGP card it all finally worked properly again so see if you can borrow an AGP card from someone (or buy a cheap one) and see if that works.

I obviously can't promise that it will but as it sounds SOOOOO much like the problem I had it may be worth a shot.

 

Could be a bad combination of cards. Doesn't the K8NVXP have the nForce chipset? Some gfx cards won't work too well with that. Still, that's just a guess.

Question; has it ever worked?

Freezing graphics is no new thing, and it usually tends to be overheated cards due to fan failiure but in this case it won't even boot to win so that's probably not the issue.

All you can try is to swap stuff from your computer to another and try piece by piece.

 

Howdy,
I think I found out the problem. We tested every piece of equipment with another system, except one, the cpu. We didn't have another system compatable with it so we couldn't test it on another system. I don't know why I hadn't confronted this possible problem (a bad cpu). I think I was in denial about it being the problem (the darn thing is expensive). But, when you start thinking abuot it a bad cpu is really the only explaination. I am going to have a different cpu tested in it before buying a new one, just to be sure I won't be buying a new cpu to find out that it wasn't problem. I will post the results.

P.S.- The chipset is a VIA K8T800. The V in K8VNXP refers to a VIA chipset.

 

i was just about to say it might be your cpu. but you got there first

 

Howdy,
"Supossedly" the problem has been identified. I will update you guys of the situation on monday or tuesday.

 

Howdy,
The system works now. It is a mystery to me why the thing that fixed the system is the thing that fixed it. The computer had a bad video card. We tried two other video cards that worked, and were unsucsessful with them in that system. But, the new video card works now. I wish I knew why this is. I will post pictures of our build tomorrow.

 

Howdy,
Here are the pictures of our new build that I said I would have posted yaesterday.

 

Nice,so who gets it?

 

Another possible cause of Post Freeze is a sticking Pause Break key on your keyboard.

 

Told you it sounded like my problem.

 

The Computer stays in the classroom as a graphics works station. It will be running programs such as Macromedia Studio, Adobe Photoshop, Visual Communicator, possibly Rhino 3d, among others.

Yeah, I have had that happen before. It happens on the Dells. Heck, we once though one of the keyboards was only to later find the Alt key stuck. Our system's POST still froze even without a keyboard.