Member Avatar for Dante2

ok, here's the deal: working in a Dell Inspiring 518. looked into all kinds of info and ran a shot test on the power supply and all sources and tests pointed to a dead motherboard. so I went and got a new mobo. made sure it was the same exact model as the original. easy enough to do. mobo arrives, and I go to work switching it out. make sure I ground myself before working and periodically throughout. keep my fingers off all strips, pins, and plugs. get everything moved over to the new mobo and get the mobo situated in the chasis and all of the wires connected properly. I took pictures (lots of them) of the original set up so I could be sure beyond shadow of reasonable doubt that everything was plugged in where it was supposed to be. closer her up and power on...... nothing happens. not even a flicker of life. look on the back and the green power light is on. pop her open again and the little yellow light is on on the mobo. what did I do wrong? what other problems could there be?
tried removing the ram and turning the thing on. still nothing. I don't know what else to do. :( Help me Dani-WAN-memphis. you're my only hope. thanks.

  • 2 Contributors
  • 6 Replies
  • 112 Views
  • 2 Weeks Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

Dani AI

Generated

Practical checklist and measurement guide to use when a replaced or repaired motherboard shows no signs of life — expands on points raised by and with steps often missed during a swap.

Start with the chassis and board: remove the motherboard from the case and place it on a nonconductive surface (cardboard or wood) to rule out standoffs or stray screws shorting the PCB. Inspect the socket area and power connectors for bent pins, loose solder, missing standoffs, or foreign metal fragments. Reseat the CPU and cooler if accessible, and test with a single known-good RAM stick in the recommended slot.

Verify the power rails rather than guessing. Use a digital multimeter or a dedicated PSU tester and measure the PSU rails on the 24‑pin and CPU power connectors while trying to power the board. Expected nominal ranges per ATX are roughly:

  • +12V: ~11.4–12.6V
  • +5V: ~4.75–5.25V
  • +3.3V: ~3.135–3.465V
  • -12V: ~-10.8–-13.2V
  • +5VSB: ≈5V

Reference: ATX power supply - Wikipedia.

Try a minimal “bench” configuration (motherboard, CPU+cooler, one RAM stick, PSU, and video only if required). If 5VSB is present (standby LED on) but main rails are absent or out of spec, the PSU is at fault; if rails are correct and the board still does nothing, inspect for bulging capacitors, burn marks, or blown components and consider swapping in a known-good PSU or taking the unit to a shop with PSU testers. Leave any mains-voltage selector alone unless the mains voltage is verified, and always disconnect mains before swapping hardware.

Recommended Answers

All 6 Replies

Member Avatar for Dante2

just tried unplugging the power button from the mobo and using a paper clip to jump it and it still didn't work. :(

Member Avatar for caperjack

whats a shot test of the power supply .

only true test of one is replacing with a know good one or with a PS tester or Digital it not putting out enough it will act as your is

Member Avatar for Dante2

Oops. Meant to say short test. But this is valuable information. Quick question, though, on the back of the PSU there is a switch to change the voltage from 115 to 230. If I turn it up to 230 do I run the risk of burning out my motherboard? Or would it not make a difference if the PSU is not putting out what it's supposed to anyways?

Member Avatar for caperjack

Oops. Meant to say short test. But this is valuable information. Quick question, though, on the back of the PSU there is a switch to change the voltage from 115 to 230. If I turn it up to 230 do I run the risk of burning out my motherboard? Or would it not make a difference if the PSU is not putting out what it's supposed to anyways?

no don't change that ,it will not work at all on 230 , because you house is only wired 120.
if you dont have a digital multi meter ,then take the PSU out and take it to local computer/electronic shop and have them test it for you

Member Avatar for Dante2

Thanks. Found out it was the power supply after all. Will be buying a new one here shortly. So thank you for your help and advice. :)

Member Avatar for caperjack

great news ,happy computing

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.