# What have I done to my motherboard **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721 "2009-06-23T15:13:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721/1 "2009-06-23T15:13:34Z")
The power supply in an old PC was dying (or at least becoming terribly noisey) so I changed the motherboard over to a new case with a new power supply (the old case was too small to simply change the power unit). Upon swapping over the motherboard and other components, nothing much happened. I removed the HD and DVD drive, to no avail. With nothing but the motherboard hooked up to the powersupply, nothing was showing on the monitor, not even a “you don’t have your HD and DVD drives plugged in.” So, I’m wondering if it’s the worst of the worst and the motherboard has somehow been fried by static electricity. It’s something I’m aware of and I tried to keep the PC plugged in but off at the plug as magazines advise. I didn’t do anything that would make me think the monitor is broken in any way, it just displays a “no input” message. There is a flicker of light from the LEDs on the keyboard when the PC powers up. How would a fried motherboard act? The fan on the chip and a little light show that it’s receiving power, but nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721/2 "2009-06-23T15:19:56Z")
No beeps? Have you got all the LEDs and buttons plugged in correctly in the bottom corner? ---
**Author:** ![Jimcando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@Jimcando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimcando)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721/3 "2009-06-23T15:39:40Z")
If there are no beeps whatsoever, it would suggest to me that either the power supply or motherboard is broken. If it was me, I’d do a quick check by putting in the old (or another) power supply. If it works again, you can just send the new power supply back for another. I know it’s very unlikely, but I got a similar situation when putting together a PC, I managed to screw up setting the CPU in place. Though I guess you went no where near the CPU. (Fun Story: I ended up bending the contacts on the bottom and had to bend them back with a screwdriver…worked though 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721/4 "2009-06-23T16:04:56Z")
I was waiting for beeps, but got none. I checked the motherboard in both the old and new powersupplies, so I guess the motherboard is toast then. It’s not been a great year for me and PCs, I guess my string of good forture with no disasters had to break after a decade. ---
**Author:** ![Kingspades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecae2f/32.png) [@Kingspades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingspades)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721/5 "2009-06-23T16:17:59Z")
The very first time I put a motherboard in a case I used metal screws instead of the plastic ones that came with it. Basically I’d shorted the board. When I tried to turn the power on, nothing happened: no fans, no beeps, no nothing. As soon as I swapped the screws, everything worked like a charm. Check to make sure you’re not accidentally creating a conductive path between the board and the case somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721/6 "2009-06-23T16:41:51Z")
The cases I swapped between are both Dell cases, with a little panel that the motherboard connects to that itself is attached to the side of the case. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721/7 "2009-06-23T16:59:29Z")
> [@Kingspades](#): > > Check to make sure you’re not accidentally creating a conductive path between the board and the case somewhere. I would say that as “check to make sure you’re not accidentally creating a conductive path _where one isn’t supposed to be_.” As I understand it, some motherboards are designed to ground out through metal screws to the case. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721/8 "2009-06-23T19:57:06Z")
Try holding down the reset switch for 10 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Casserole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-have-i-done-to-my-motherboard/500721/9 "2009-06-23T20:36:19Z")
If you have a newer motherboard, check to see that you have the 2x2 12V connector plugged in. The connector should be near the CPU, and the wire comes from the PSU.