UPDATE: Motherboard Okay -- CPU Dead!

[Dan]

It seems as if EPoX and I don't play well together. :disgust: I've gone through three EPoX boards in three weeks!

The first one, an 8KTA3+ was DOA. The second one, also an 8KTA3+ ran for two weeks before the bios suddenly went south on me. Those two boards came from Fry's, so I figured maybe it was just that they had a bad batch or something.

I searched for alternatives but nothing seemed to have as many of the features I want so I ordered an 8K7A+ from newegg. (Decided to go the DDR route.)

When that one came in today (along with RAM from Crucial) I installed it and hit the switch. The system powered up for just a couple of seconds and then nothing. Dead.

I pulled the board from the system and set it up with just the RAM, CPU, HSF & video card and still nothing. Dead.

I put my Abit KT7/Duron 700 combo back in the case and it powered up without any problems.

If it makes a difference, I'm using an Athlon 1.33GHz chip, SK6 heatsink with a Delta fan and 512MB of PC2100 DDR RAM. Everything was set to default with the Delta plugged into the mobo.

Now I've got to get newegg to take the mobo back. My first priority though is to get a new board tomorrow morning.

I live in the San Fernando Valley. I won't get one from Fry's and the selection at PCClub in Burbank is pathetic. Does anyone have any suggestions as to an alternative to EPoX and a good source? (Mom & Pop shops are fine as long as they are open tomorrow -- the 4th.)

 

[okydoky]

Some Delta fans will kill fan headers on a motherboard. Anyway, did you test the cpu on another known working machine to be sure the processor did not take a dive as well???

 

[rickn]

I just installed my DFI AK76-SN, so far so good. Very fast, no problems yet other than some weird USB glitch with my mouse. Probably some driver or update issue with 98SE. I have a 1.22ghz, right now I am running prime95 torture test and the cpu temp reading by the thermistor underneath the cpu is 40.4C. Not to shabby. I wish the temp was taken from a diode like my P3

 

[CurtOien]

Are you sure it's not the CPU?

 

[Technonut]

Sorry to hear it Dan. I have been running the 8K7A+ that I purchased from newegg without a hiccup. Very nice, stable board. Maybe you could try another one out If you can find one tomorrow at the same $$ as newegg. Is it possible the fan header went out with the Delta installed long enough for your processor to cook? I already retired my A7V133 to a growing collection of backup systems.

EDIT: Content

 

[Dan]

I've run the Delta fan, plugged into the motherboard, with the T-Bird on the second 8KTA3+ and on my Abit KT7 with the Duron. The point about checking the CPU is well-taken though. I'll have a look at that first thing in the morning.

 

[Grendel99]

Stupid questions, but did you set the jumper to 133/266? You said you had it at all the default settings? Well isn't the default setting on the mobo 100/200?

Hope that heps

 

[Dan]

Grendel99: Good question. I had changed that jumper. By "everything at default settings" I meant that I wasn't overclocking anything.

 

[SpeedTrap]

epox rock, 3 boards in a row sounds more like user eror. , may wanna test those parts first

 

[Dan]

Here's the upshot: the mobo is fine, the cpu is toast. I did some switching around, put the EPoX board back in with the Duron chip and a different HSF and it booted up fine.

All I can figure is that plugging the Delta fan directly into the motherboard isn't a good idea. So, I'll be a Fry's when it opens to get a new CPU.

I'm also going to either replace the Delta fan or get and adaptor to go from it's 3-pin connector to a molex connector.