Last night, I tried testing a 256mb memory stick in my PC. It normally runs WinXP with two 512 sticks, but I wanted to test the other to see if it worked. I removed one 512 and plugged in the 256.
The computer started, I could hear the hard drive spin up, but that was it. No beeps, the monitor stayed in standby mode, nothing happened. I pulled out the 256 and tried again… nothing. I replaced the original 512… nothing.
I’m wondering if this means that the motherboard got fried. Is it possible that a bad memory stick could burn out the motherboard? Could there be other reasons why this happened? I did recheck all of the connections.
If more information would help with an answer, let me know. Thanks.
“No beeps” makes me suspicious. Let’s call the sticks of RAM “A”, “B”, and “C”, where “C” is the suspect stick. Am I correct that you booted A+B (before the incident) and then failed to boot A+C, A, and A+B? Have you tried just B? Whenever I get mysterious problems that seem centered on the motherboard, especially if I’ve been messing with other hardware, my list of “the usual suspects” goes like this:
Grounding problem: remove motherboard from case to ensure motherboard backside pins aren’t shorted somewhere; place a sheet of paper or cardboard in the case behind the motherboard to prevent shorting in the future
Mounting problem: RAM and/or video card not seated properly, or accidentally unseated during hardware futzing; check every connection in the case.
Hardware death: yeah, this would suck. Don’t test the “C” stick in a known-good system. I’ve never heard of RAM killing a motherboard, but until you know that’s not what happened, don’t risk it! Test “A” and “B” in a known-good system if you have one around. mks57 is right about the hazards of zapping parts.
Just in case it becomes important: what kind of motherboard is it? What RAM are you using? Anything unusual about your system (home-brew, strange case mods, ad hoc cooling)? Make & model of motherboard, RAM manufacturer, and especially the speed of the RAM (A,B, and C sticks) would be helpful.
In the future, before starting work on an open case, ensure that you unplug the power supply cord and then press the computer’s power button to clear any charge left in the capacitors.