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Specs:

Gigabyte M55-SLI 4
AMD 64 x2 4200+ 2.2 GHz
e-GeForce 8800 GTS
40 GB Seagate IDE HDD - master
120 GB Seagate IDE HDD - slave
2 GB (2x1GB) A-DATA DDR2 800
Zumax X3 series ZU-550w

This system worked for about 1 week and today it does as the title says. I push the power button on the front panel of the case and the LED lights for the HDD flash on then off one time, the same for the PSU fan in the back. In order to get the lights to flash again I have to depress the power button in front for 10 seconds or remove the power cable, turn the PSU off, plug the power cable back in and then turn the PSU on. This lead me to believe that something is making the PSU shut itself off, but I can't figure out what. There's nothing that could cause a short that I can see, and there wasn't any kind of power surge earlier.

Also, my mouse is getting power, and the ethernet LED in the back flashes once when I turn the PSU on with the power cable in.

Any kind of help would be appreciated.

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Dani AI

Generated

As later reported the motherboard was the fault, here is a compact, practical checklist for the same symptom: how to confirm a dead motherboard, isolate other parts, and what to do next.

  1. Minimal-boot first: remove all drives, optical/media, and nonessential PCI cards. Boot with only CPU, one known-good RAM stick (try each slot), and video. Hook up a system speaker for beep codes.
  2. Eliminate the PSU: swap in a known-good PSU or use a bench PSU. Measuring the main rails with a multimeter can help, but swapping is faster and safer if unsure.
  3. Clear CMOS and reseat everything: remove the battery or use the CMOS jumper, reseat RAM, GPU, and power connectors. Try shorting the front-panel power pins briefly to rule out a faulty case switch.
  4. Bench test: remove the motherboard from the case and run it on a non-conductive surface to rule out standoffs/shorts.
  5. Physical check: look for bulging/leaking capacitors, scorch marks, or damaged VRM components. Those are strong indicators of board failure.
  6. Use diagnostics: a POST card, motherboard debug LEDs, or swapping the CPU/RAM into a known-good board are definitive ways to isolate the problem.
  7. Data and next steps: if the board is confirmed dead, recover drives by connecting them to another system or a USB/SATA adapter. If under warranty, pursue RMA; if replacing, match socket/chipset and confirm BIOS compatibility (some boards require an older CPU to update BIOS).

Safety notes: avoid opening PSUs, observe ESD precautions, and only use multimeters or PSU jumpers if comfortable with mains-adjacent electronics. These steps help avoid replacing parts unnecessarily and preserve data and reusable components.

Member Avatar for DCM

Problem identified. Motherboard dead.

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