GPU or Motherboard failure?

Hey there
I'm trying to figure out if I just fried my graphics card or if the whole motherboard is toast. After a nasty thunderstorm hit my neighborhood, the PC powers up, but I’m getting absolutely nothing on the screen—though I know the monitor is fine because I tested it with my laptop. The hard drive is spinning, the CPU fan is doing its thing, but the fan on the GPU isn't moving at all, and I'm not even getting that usual beep sound when I hit the power button. I'm really hoping it's just the card, because I don't want to go out and buy a new GPU only to realize the entire motherboard is dead too. Any ideas on how I can test this? Thanks! 🙂

The only way to be sure is to test your GPU in a friend's rig or maybe swap hardware with a neighbor to see if it actually works.

Just because the fans are spinning doesn't mean your power supply is actually working. If I were you, I'd start by checking that first.

It’s honestly pretty tough to say for sure without doing some hands-on testing, so I guess you might just have to try things one by one to figure out what's going on. Maybe try popping that GPU into another PC to see if it actually works (or if your rig has onboard graphics, you could try booting up with those instead). You might also want to test out a different power supply on your current setup to rule that out.

So, I've got the monitor plugged directly into the motherboard output, but still nothing—just a black screen. I already did some testing by swapping out the RAM, the GPU, the hard drive, and even the power supply into another rig, and those all work perfectly fine. Honestly, the only thing left untouched is the CPU. Is there any way to tell if the processor itself has kicked the bucket without having to toss it into a different machine, or does this look like my motherboard finally gave up the ghost?

Forget about the processor; your motherboard is completely fried.

So, you're saying the motherboard is totally dead, even if the fans are spinning and the LEDs are still glowing?

Man, if that's the case, I definitely need some suggestions for a new board—nothing crazy expensive though, just something reasonable 😁 My old setup was running an ASUS P5KL-CM, paired with an MS-400 ATX T4 power supply. I had an Intel Core 2 duo E6550 2.33 sitting under the hood, 4 GB of RAM, and an ATI Radeon HD 4670.

http://www.newegg.com/p/pc-parts...7c59780b58bd53

It’s not like there are many choices left anyway; you can barely find them in stores anymore. If the price tag is too high, maybe check eBay for some used ones. As for that power supply, I’d swap it out immediately if I were you. That old generic unit is a ticking time bomb for your rig. Not only is it weak and cheap, but it could easily fry everything else you have left in that PC. Honestly, it blows my mind that thing is even still running... 🤷

Brian Perez26 said:So you're telling me the motherboard is dead regardless of whether the fans are spinning or the LEDs are on?

In that case, I need a recommendation for a new board—nothing overpriced. 😁 My current setup is an ASUS P5KL-CM with an MS-400 ATX T4 power supply, an Intel Core 2 duo E6550 2.33 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and an ATI Radeon HD 4670.

Which LGA processor are you actually using?

EDIT: I missed where you listed your motherboard earlier. Recommendation: Asrock g41C-GS

darkowl72 said:Honestly, picking one isn't even that easy because they're getting super hard to find lately—stores just aren't stocking them anymore. If the price tag looks a bit too steep for you, maybe check out some used ones on eBay or Craigslist. And man, about that power supply... if I were you, I'd swap it out ASAP. That old generic MS unit is basically a ticking time bomb for your rig; besides being weak and cheap, it could totally fry whatever else you've got left in that machine. I'm honestly shocked that thing is even still running... 🤷

Thanks 🙂
So, what kind of power supply would actually work well with everything I listed?

If that old Microsoft power supply managed to hold up, then this one I linked should be a total breeze—it’s definitely higher quality and way more efficient, too..

Brian Perez26 said:Thanks 🙂
What kind of power supply would actually handle everything on this list?

Don't go buying anything more expensive than $67 (400W is plenty), there's just no point. You aren't building some high-end workstation here. I'm saying don't spend more than $67 because you don't need all those extra cables and premium bells and whistles on a PSU.

Honestly, you can't really test the Pro unless you physically plug it into another board, but in my experience, those things almost never fail—unless you go ahead and fry it, of course. I’d suggest looking for used ones; paying $75 at a retail store is just way too steep. You're better off hunting through online classifieds; you can usually snag one for maybe $100 or so if you look in the right places.

Jason Allen3 said:Don't go buying anything more expensive than $67 (honestly, 400W is plenty), there's really no point. It's not like you're building a high-end gaming rig for pro streaming right now. I'm saying stay under $67 because you won't need all those extra cables and little extras on the power supply.

Well, now you've gone and messed things up for both your boss and the workstation... Buying a power supply just because it's "cheap" is exactly why so many PCs die out of nowhere. At $67 retail prices, you just can't manufacture a decent unit for nothing, period. And that price gap isn't just "extra gear"—it's not like adding rims or a better stereo to a car... the difference is actually baked into the high-quality components and the internal build of the PSU itself...

Michael Jackson10 makes a good point...

The real question is whether you want to reuse this power supply for your next build or if you’re just trying to patch up this current rig. If you're planning on building a new PC down the road, it’d be smart to shell out a little extra now for a decent PSU that’ll last you years—like the one Larry Ortiz5 linked, or even something better. But if you just need something to keep this specific machine running and have zero intention of upgrading it (which isn't really an option anyway since those parts aren't being made anymore), then based on what Michael Jackson10 said—and he's spot on—you could probably get away with a cheaper, lower-tier unit that meets your current needs. Just so we're clear, this PSU happens to cost $67, and don't go thinking Jason Allen3 said anything brilliant, because he didn't 😬

http://www.newegg.com/p/product_info.php?product_id=17052

... exactly like that, specifically for one certain scenario, and just that one...
Honestly, even that Spira unit is better than the MS one when we're talking about picking up a single stray hair (I mean, come on, we're splitting hairs over three little strands here 😬), but really, it's just a battle of egos between power supplies straight out of the ninth circle of hell... though like you said, none of this is gonna last forever, and honestly, neither is this rig, so let them all go down in flames together.
If only I could track down that MS-400 FSP—you know, the one that was basically a rebranded Fortron—but man, that thing was pricey...