Hardware help: monitor suddenly stopped getting a signal from PC

[ChimpMaster]

after searching google for "GA-945P-S3 does not power on"

the top answer is this thread

Exact same symptoms as you have, solution that worked for them is to replace the CMOS battery, the manual for the motherboard shows you where the battery is located. Remove it and replace it. Cheapest option to test first IMO. If someone knows of a standard CMOS battery type on here then you could grab one during lunch and test when you get home tonight. Unfortunately I have no idea of the Battery Type or even if there is such a thing as a standard motherboard battery type, it look slike an old watch battery is all I know.

Hmmm thanks Chef! I'll take a look and see if I can ebay a replacement battery.

[chef]

Hmmm thanks Chef! I'll take a look and see if I can ebay a replacement battery.

im fairly certain any watch shop will sell them, the sort you find on a market stall that do watch repairs, problem is trying to find the exact one, it would be easier to take the original and ask for a replacement.

[ChimpMaster]

Tried a different battery but no joy

Checked the existing battery on a meter and it shows full charge so the problem isn't there.

Have removed all RAM cleaned it and replaced it one by one, but no change there.

Have removed numerous other components but nothing changes.

This seems to leave only the CPU - or something within the motherboard itself?

[gingerjedi]

If no onboard graphics adaptor on the mobo to test (I know, always worth checking though ) then if you have a PC World go an get a cheap £30 card, take it home, unpack it carefully, try it and then take it back and ask for a refund. "It was for my son / dad / wife and they already picked one up, I would like a refund please." Has to be the cheapest option for testing!

Just saw chef suggesting the onboard graphics in the last post - most mobo's have them so worth a check.

WHS^

They have a no quibble return policy, I tried several routers from there before I settled on one that done the job and even then I took it back and got it cheaper online.

[chef]

and if that fails then you can assume that it's the motherboard or cpu and at that point starts to get expensive to repair

[BoredBloke]

Your other option could be to pull all the components out except the CPU and the graphics card. Do you see or hear anything. The very least this will ensure that you reseat all the bits. Scan sell cheap graphics cards for £20 including Vat and it's handy to have a spare.

[ChimpMaster]

Thanks guys - but even without the graphics card, I should get a POST beep. The fact that I'm not even getting that is leading me to the CPU or motherboard as the source of the problem.

PSU is OK - I used a meter to check all voltages and they are on spec.

I've tried stipping everything off the board except the core components, but still nothing. Even if I pull out all of the RAM sticks, nothing - not even the warning beeps that indicate no RAM.

I'm not sure what to do next. Might pick up a CPU off eBay - it's an Intel core 2 duo E6600 which is quite old now so can be had for around £30 I reckon.

If it's the mobo then I guess I might as well just get a new PC! I'll get a disk caddy to make sure I can get access to my old drives too.

[ChimpMaster]

And after all that it seems that it is the graphics card which is dead. I was only able to confirm this after getting hold of another card to test this with.

Odd that I wasn't getting the POST beeps though.

I've ordered a refurbished one off ebay for £20.

Thanks all for your help!

[BoredBloke]

Was the speaker wire connected to the motherboard? Did it ever beep?

[Platypus]

Odd that I wasn't getting the POST beeps though.

For an external graphics card? I'm not sure why you would think that the motherboard would know that a peripheral card had died.