If your building a pc, how can you know if a part is defective?

Question

Say you're building a pc with all parts you bought online. You put it together and it doesn't post, how are you supposed to figure out which part is defective in the scenario that there is a defective part and you didn't just do something wrong?

Oops, I meant to ask how do you know which individual part is defective to send it back.

Answer 1

if the pc doesnt start up or there are error messages popping up each time you start up. it may even boot to safe mode instead of normal mode

Answer 2

Building a pc can be fun, but if it does not work, it can be a real pain. Make sure u ground yourself before u start. Then start the connections. The CPUs are generally very reliable. I had a defective motherboard one time. First thing to do is to make sure that your connections are correct before you power up. Then u have to isolate the problem step by step.

Example:

1) If it does not power up, either u have a defective power supply or motherboard or u hook it up wrong.

Check the led on the motherboard or the fan on the CPU, if it is working, then it is probably not the power supply.

Then check the motherboard, u can listen to beep sounds during boot up, if there is power and no beep sound, then there is probably something wrong with the motherboard.

If there is either something wrong with the motherboard or power supply, the only fix is an exchange. So, buying on line is a real hassle if u have to exchange stuff.

Answer 3

By saying it doesnt POST are you meaning it does nothing, ? of does it just come on and go back off, ? were the parts you bought all new ? or used ? many factors involved, if you have the manual for mainboard, then double check all your connections, if parts were used, then here is a very simple fix that many people dont think about,, and in fact turning machine on and no POST is one of the symptoms -- Check or change the battery on the mainboard, if battery is dead then nothing in memory to tell computer what to do, and also,, any cards you put in the AGP or PCI slots, take them out and then if it will POST then start putting them back in one at a time till it wont POST, and remember computers are VERY sensitive to static discharge, so when building a machine take precautions to avoid zapping a board,, i.e. grab the metal case first before you touch the boards,, good luck, if all else fails E-Mail me back if it still wont work I can help you out,,,,, As for finding the defective one, usually a video or sound card or something like that wont keep it from booting, it just wont work when you do get the machine going, I still say get the mainboard manual and DOUBLE Check ALL your connections,, make sure all your drives are set to master, slave or cable select,,

Answer 4

I've built my own computer so hopefully I can help.

The first thing you should do is make sure everything is connected properly. Make sure all of the wires from the power supply are connected to the proper plugs on the motherboard. Double check everything.

If it seems like the system just isn't getting any power, check to make sure the power supply you bought is powerful enough to handle your rig. A 300 watt PSU can't support two 8800GTX's, it can't even handle one. A 500+ watt PSU can handle most situations.

If you have spare computer parts laying around or ones you can borrow from an old PC that are compatible with the new one, swap them in. See if that gets you anywhere. You can often find the broken part this way.

It really helps to go your motherboard's website. They usually have a public forum to help with troubleshooting. Reseting CMOS is a common fix. CMOS stores settings for BIOS. Check your mobo's site for instructions on reseting it.

Also, this may sound stupid, but make sure the monitor is plugged in properly. It's easier to overlook than one would think.

Answer 5

Try a bare minimum set up. No FDD, CD Drive and HDD. Bare set up should beep once, POST and be able to open BIOS menu. If bare set up is ok, install the disconnected devices one at a time to identify the defective part that causes no POST.

If bare set up does not work, observe the power supply and cpu cooling fans.
1. If they do not move at all, power button or connection to motherboard is bad. You could try turning PC on by shorting the power switch pins on the board. If still no response, either motherboard or power supply is dead.
2. Test power supply by shorting the green wire on the ATX power connector to any adjacent black wire. Power supply fan should turn on if it is ok. Motherboard could be dead.
3. If fans turn for a second or two then shuts off, motherboard could be grounded to the case.
4. If fans continue rotating but no post, 4 pin 12V cpu power connector might not be properly seated or motherboard is defective.

Answer 6

Ok, if it's completely dead then fist what I would do is to check power supply switch and power outlet :)
Then I would try to start the computer with just minimum parts - just motherboard, processor, memory, videocard.
Then I would try to clear CMOS. If it's still doesn't start then the problem is PSU, CPU or motherboard (problems with videocard or memory would let computer start but it wil lhave errors in POST)..
sure, i can try to booth without memory and then without videocard too and if it's still dead..
I'd replace a power supply (I usually have one laying around) If it's still dead, then CPU or motherboard is defective. CPU is a very reliable piece of hardware, so I would exchange the motherboard (I'd have to ship mine back and pay for shipping)

Answer 7

If the parts are new it's most likely due to an error on your part. Did you forget something, or plug something in wrong? Do you have 2 drives set as master on the same bus? Or as 'slave' on the same bus?

If that doesn't help, unfortunately, I suggest you take it apart and start over - sorry. If you still get the same thing, try again with only the minimal items plugged in first to see if things change as you add each.