PC wont boot up

Duron 700
128 MB RAM
EP-8KTA+
32 MB TNT2 Riva

It fails to boot up properly, although I've looked inside, and the CPU fan and PSU fan spin for a split second. The red main power LED on the motherboard briefly flashes also. It was playing up for a week before its current state, by cutting out whilst booting up, but it was eventually ok.

I've checked a few other forums, and other people having similar problems seem to suggest a PSU, motherboard or another component problem. I've tried replacing the CPU fan with a new one, and resetting the CMOS, but to no avail. I've also tried booting without the RAM installed, but still no response.

The machine is about seven years old, and hasn't been a problem until now. The only bug being that the heatsink on the graphics card kept falling off (poor quality adhesive) but it seemed to run fine without it.

Any ideas?

 

Are you getting any POST beeps?

 

It doesn't beep at all, even if the RAM is removed. The only parts that seem to function are the CPU fan, PSU fan and red LED (main power) on the motherboard, and that is only for a split second

Yeah, I've considered that, as a few games did cause it to crash every once in a while. But it had worked ok for a few years without the heatsink attached to it, so I assumed it would be ok. Do you know if I can test the graphics card on it's own, to see if it has burnt out?

Cheers for the speedy replies. I'm a complete novice when it comes to computer components, so any advice is appreciated.

 

At this point, I'd say it's either the motherboard, or the power supply. A power supply at your local used PC store should be no more than $15. You don't need anything special to power an older rig. If the power supply replacement doesn't do it, then it's probably the motherboard. Look at the capacitors on the motherboard; they're the little green/dark blue cylinders on the board with silver tops. If the tops are even slightly "popped" or bowed outward, then they have failed or are starting to fail. I've seen motherboards with popped capacitors run OK for a while, then get flakey, then just quit, and that sounds like what you're dealing with. Also look to see if they appear to leaking, or if there's dark brown or burnt-looking crud on the tops. If so, they're dead. If the motherboard is dead, you may want to think about investing in some new gear, as that platform is outdated and replacement parts may be hard to find.

 

Yeah, a couple of the capacitors are slightly convex, but most are still flat-topped. There doesn't seem to be any crusty matter at the tops of them so hopefully they are still functioning, atleast for the time being. I'll replace the PSU and hope the motherboard holds out for a while longer. Thanks again for the replies.