is this a cpu or mobo problem?

hi-

i have built maybe ten computers for people, and have never really had a
problem.. guess what just hit the fan. i have had boot problems of one
kind or another for 3 weeks! as i solve one problem, the box
immediately starts doing something else. i flashed the bios for the 2.8
prescott chip i put into it, etc., it STILL would not recognize the hard
drive. so i called intel, and they told me that the processor had
probably fried, and sent me another one. i just put it in, and now the
box doesn't even go through the whole boot process, and i never get a
signal to the monitor-just a signal error message. the mobo
manufacturer says it's the chip, but now i am beginning to wonder. i
though it was odd that i was only on the phone w/intel for about a
minute, and she suggested they send me another chip-no cost. i asked
her if there were any known problems with the new prescott chip, she
said no. i asked the mobo manufacturer if there are any know probs.
w/the mobo, he said no. how can i be sure that it's either one or the
other? is this new signal error simply a step that i need to take to
finish the install of the processor? what would your next step be????



thanx mucho
system specs:

asrock p4s55fx mobo
p42.8gig 1mb L2-cache
radeon 9200le video
chaintechav710sound

You say it doesn't see the HDD. Is your IDE/PCI cable faulty? If you
have a bad cable, BIOS will report 'DISABLED' on boot-up. After trying
2 PCUs I would try to find a working computer to swap your 2 PCUs
into. I doubt that 2 CPUs are both bad. An ATX power supply is also
easy to swap in. I would look at the mobo and the power supply as
suspects but I would swap in the power supply first
simply because it's easier and they're relatively inexpensive. By the
way, if the dealer from whom you bought the mobo is that confident
that the mobo they sold you is good, then they shouldn't hesitate to
exchange it for another.
Good luck.

Bill Murn




jon wrote in message news:mFaWc.127123$sh.56861@fed1read06...
hi-

i have built maybe ten computers for people, and have never really had a
problem.. guess what just hit the fan. i have had boot problems of one
kind or another for 3 weeks! as i solve one problem, the box
immediately starts doing something else. i flashed the bios for the 2.8
prescott chip i put into it, etc., it STILL would not recognize the hard
drive. so i called intel, and they told me that the processor had
probably fried, and sent me another one. i just put it in, and now the
box doesn't even go through the whole boot process, and i never get a
signal to the monitor-just a signal error message. the mobo
manufacturer says it's the chip, but now i am beginning to wonder. i
though it was odd that i was only on the phone w/intel for about a
minute, and she suggested they send me another chip-no cost. i asked
her if there were any known problems with the new prescott chip, she
said no. i asked the mobo manufacturer if there are any know probs.
w/the mobo, he said no. how can i be sure that it's either one or the
other? is this new signal error simply a step that i need to take to
finish the install of the processor? what would your next step be????



thanx mucho
system specs:

asrock p4s55fx mobo
p42.8gig 1mb L2-cache
radeon 9200le video
chaintechav710sound

jon wrote:mFaWc.127123$sh.56861@fed1read06...

i have built maybe ten computers for people, and have never really had a
problem.. guess what just hit the fan. i have had boot problems of one
kind or another for 3 weeks! as i solve one problem, the box
immediately starts doing something else. i flashed the bios for the 2.8
prescott chip i put into it, etc., it STILL would not recognize the hard
drive.

So- is this your current problem? HD not recognized when booting?
You are getting some kind of error message? What is it exactly?

so i called intel, and they told me that the processor had
probably fried, and sent me another one. i just put it in, and now the
box doesn't even go through the whole boot process, and i never get a
signal to the monitor-just a signal error message.

Is this your problem? A "no signal" error message on the monitor? Is
everything else getting power (fans on when you power up, etc.)?

the mobo
manufacturer says it's the chip, but now i am beginning to wonder. i
though it was odd that i was only on the phone w/intel for about a
minute, and she suggested they send me another chip-no cost.

Er- no, it's relatively cheap to make a single processor. The cost
comes from R&D and building clean facilities to gear up to make that
processor. So for Intel, it's a lot cheaper to send you a new one
than to worry about what happened to the old one. I'm sure lots of
people "fry" processors everyday - through ESD. And they (Intel)
really, really, don't want you to go to AMD.

i asked
her if there were any known problems with the new prescott chip, she
said no. i asked the mobo manufacturer if there are any know probs.
w/the mobo, he said no. how can i be sure that it's either one or the
other? is this new signal error simply a step that i need to take to
finish the install of the processor? what would your next step be????

1) Do you get any BIOS beeps when you power up? Look up the beeping
error codes.
2) Reseat the video card and monitor cables. See if you get a video
signal.
3) Try the video card in another "known good" computer. If it works,
that rules out the video card.
4) Try the Prescott chip in another "known good" computer. If it
works, that rules out the processor.
5) Try a "known good" Pentium IV in your motherboard. If it works,
that rules out the motherboard.

yeah, i replaced cable and p.s.-i unfortunately don't know anyone w/a
prescott ready board.

bill murn wrote:

You say it doesn't see the HDD. Is your IDE/PCI cable faulty? If you
have a bad cable, BIOS will report 'DISABLED' on boot-up. After trying
2 PCUs I would try to find a working computer to swap your 2 PCUs
into. I doubt that 2 CPUs are both bad. An ATX power supply is also
easy to swap in. I would look at the mobo and the power supply as
suspects but I would swap in the power supply first
simply because it's easier and they're relatively inexpensive. By the
way, if the dealer from whom you bought the mobo is that confident
that the mobo they sold you is good, then they shouldn't hesitate to
exchange it for another.
Good luck.

Bill Murn




jon wrote in message news:mFaWc.127123$sh.56861@fed1read06...

hi-

i have built maybe ten computers for people, and have never really had a
problem.. guess what just hit the fan. i have had boot problems of one
kind or another for 3 weeks! as i solve one problem, the box
immediately starts doing something else. i flashed the bios for the 2.8
prescott chip i put into it, etc., it STILL would not recognize the hard
drive. so i called intel, and they told me that the processor had
probably fried, and sent me another one. i just put it in, and now the
box doesn't even go through the whole boot process, and i never get a
signal to the monitor-just a signal error message. the mobo
manufacturer says it's the chip, but now i am beginning to wonder. i
though it was odd that i was only on the phone w/intel for about a
minute, and she suggested they send me another chip-no cost. i asked
her if there were any known problems with the new prescott chip, she
said no. i asked the mobo manufacturer if there are any know probs.
w/the mobo, he said no. how can i be sure that it's either one or the
other? is this new signal error simply a step that i need to take to
finish the install of the processor? what would your next step be????



thanx mucho
system specs:

asrock p4s55fx mobo
p42.8gig 1mb L2-cache
radeon 9200le video
chaintechav710sound

i treid and replaced parts in other boxes, except the chip-but i got a
new chip. no error codes now either.

thanx

Anonymous Jack wrote:

jon wrote:mFaWc.127123$sh.56861@fed1read06...


i have built maybe ten computers for people, and have never really had a
problem.. guess what just hit the fan. i have had boot problems of one
kind or another for 3 weeks! as i solve one problem, the box
immediately starts doing something else. i flashed the bios for the 2.8
prescott chip i put into it, etc., it STILL would not recognize the hard
drive.


So- is this your current problem? HD not recognized when booting?
You are getting some kind of error message? What is it exactly?


so i called intel, and they told me that the processor had
probably fried, and sent me another one. i just put it in, and now the
box doesn't even go through the whole boot process, and i never get a
signal to the monitor-just a signal error message.


Is this your problem? A "no signal" error message on the monitor? Is
everything else getting power (fans on when you power up, etc.)?


the mobo
manufacturer says it's the chip, but now i am beginning to wonder. i
though it was odd that i was only on the phone w/intel for about a
minute, and she suggested they send me another chip-no cost.


Er- no, it's relatively cheap to make a single processor. The cost
comes from R&D and building clean facilities to gear up to make that
processor. So for Intel, it's a lot cheaper to send you a new one
than to worry about what happened to the old one. I'm sure lots of
people "fry" processors everyday - through ESD. And they (Intel)
really, really, don't want you to go to AMD.


i asked
her if there were any known problems with the new prescott chip, she
said no. i asked the mobo manufacturer if there are any know probs.
w/the mobo, he said no. how can i be sure that it's either one or the
other? is this new signal error simply a step that i need to take to
finish the install of the processor? what would your next step be????


1) Do you get any BIOS beeps when you power up? Look up the beeping
error codes.
2) Reseat the video card and monitor cables. See if you get a video
signal.
3) Try the video card in another "known good" computer. If it works,
that rules out the video card.
4) Try the Prescott chip in another "known good" computer. If it
works, that rules out the processor.
5) Try a "known good" Pentium IV in your motherboard. If it works,
that rules out the motherboard.