Dead P3

Prime95 · 2003-09-05, 20:41

Actually, it's my 950 MHz Celeron that died. I did my benchmarking for Pentium 3 FFTs on that box.

I think it is my Abit BH6 motherboard. The box powers up with no disk or video activity. No beeps. Just humming fans.

Clearing the CMOS, removing network and video cards, replacing Cele 950 with old Cele 300, replacing power supply all did not help. To me that indicates a bad motherboard???? I've run out of spare parts to help in diagnosis.

I really don't feel like throwing money at this old klunker of a system. Does anyone have suggestions, a spare P3 motherboard, or whatever to make this thing operational again? Would someone be willing to provide SSH and SFTP access to a linux P3 box they already have?

only_human · 2003-09-05, 21:41

I would suggest you try changing the CMOS battery. I know that it sounds unlikely, but I had the exact same situation with a couple of old Celeron systems myself. No bios beeps even. Mine were actually marketed as "Barbie" computers for kids and had Intel Motherboards, but I still think it is worth checking. I did just about all the swapping and testing that you did and it actually was the battery on both systems.

Xyzzy · 2003-09-05, 23:10

Maybe find a deal on a P3 mobo and we'll use the remaining money from the Opteron fund to pay for it?

Makes sense to me!

Thoughts?

outlnder · 2003-09-06, 00:26

I have an Abit BH-6 mobo sitting around.

What's a good price??

roy1942 · 2003-09-06, 02:53

If you have a bad mobo, it is worth remembering that a lot of bad electrolytic capacitors got into the manufacturing process 2-3 years ago. A bad electrolyte generates hydrogen and overpressures them. The symptoms are a bulge on the top of the cap, and possible leakage around the bottom if the seals have failed.

I had two Abit Athlon boards with this problem. One was dead, and one would boot but very quickly fail prime95 tests. Abit replaced them for $25 each; if they had been within the 2-year warantee the replacement would have been free. The replacements work fine.

A lot of boards of this vintage have failed. People blamed power surges and the like, but that's not the case - it is a massive and not too well publicized bad batch of components.

I was mildly upset with having to pay for the replacement, but at least ABit acknowledged the problem and fixed it. Some deny the problem.

This reminds me to open the case and examine my ABit P4 board as it approaches its 2-year anniversary...

only_human · 2003-09-06, 10:37

Before discarding the motherboard as bad, please consider a new battery.
I am uncomfortable mentioning it again but felt my earlier post seemed breezy and possibly off-topic.
I know that it seems unnecessary -- that you have cleared the CMOS anyway and a BIOS should run anyway even with bad CMOS RAM.
I do not believe marginal battery voltages are causing some metastable state... I have no logical explanation. All I know is I have seen systems that looked fully dead and it was the battery. I know that other people try it when trying to get a "bad" board to work. I also know that in my systems, the drives and peripherals did not appear to power up at all, the bios did not appear to run and the only apparent activity was the power supply fan. I swapped out memory, power supplies and peripherals and was ready to discard the hardware when I tried the cmos battery.

E_tron · 2003-09-08, 03:11

You know what... I had (now have) a P2 system with an Abit mobo

. It had the exact same problems that George is decribing

. I just put in a new battery from the hardware store and it powered up for the first time in 2 years

.

I would have never thought the battery

...

Prime95 · 2003-09-08, 17:41

I'll try the battery when I get a chance.

Prime95 · 2003-09-09, 21:26

New battery brought no joy.

E_tron · 2003-09-10, 03:27

. Too bad that the P2 powered up instead of the P3 :( . The P3 is worth more to GIMPS :) . Oh well, looks like i have a new gateway.

By any chance, have you tried disconnecting the reset switch? I have seen older cases were the reset switch was stuck in the closed position. So, the computer was in a constant state of reboot.

only_human · 2003-09-10, 22:41

Thank you for trying the battery. Since you had eliminated so many other possible factors, I was hoping for the best. At least a P2 got revived out of this thread.

2003-09-05, 20:41	#1
Prime95 P90 years forever! Aug 2002 Yeehaw, FL 17·487 Posts	Dead P3 Actually, it's my 950 MHz Celeron that died. I did my benchmarking for Pentium 3 FFTs on that box. I think it is my Abit BH6 motherboard. The box powers up with no disk or video activity. No beeps. Just humming fans. Clearing the CMOS, removing network and video cards, replacing Cele 950 with old Cele 300, replacing power supply all did not help. To me that indicates a bad motherboard???? I've run out of spare parts to help in diagnosis. I really don't feel like throwing money at this old klunker of a system. Does anyone have suggestions, a spare P3 motherboard, or whatever to make this thing operational again? Would someone be willing to provide SSH and SFTP access to a linux P3 box they already have?

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2003-09-05, 21:41	#2
only_human "Gang aft agley" Sep 2002 2×1,877 Posts	I would suggest you try changing the CMOS battery. I know that it sounds unlikely, but I had the exact same situation with a couple of old Celeron systems myself. No bios beeps even. Mine were actually marketed as "Barbie" computers for kids and had Intel Motherboards, but I still think it is worth checking. I did just about all the swapping and testing that you did and it actually was the battery on both systems.

2003-09-05, 23:10	#3
Xyzzy Aug 2002 2×3²×13×37 Posts	Maybe find a deal on a P3 mobo and we'll use the remaining money from the Opteron fund to pay for it? Makes sense to me! Thoughts?

2003-09-06, 00:26	#4
outlnder Aug 2002 2·3·53 Posts	I have an Abit BH-6 mobo sitting around. What's a good price??

2003-09-06, 02:53	#5
roy1942 Aug 2002 47 Posts	If you have a bad mobo, it is worth remembering that a lot of bad electrolytic capacitors got into the manufacturing process 2-3 years ago. A bad electrolyte generates hydrogen and overpressures them. The symptoms are a bulge on the top of the cap, and possible leakage around the bottom if the seals have failed. I had two Abit Athlon boards with this problem. One was dead, and one would boot but very quickly fail prime95 tests. Abit replaced them for $25 each; if they had been within the 2-year warantee the replacement would have been free. The replacements work fine. A lot of boards of this vintage have failed. People blamed power surges and the like, but that's not the case - it is a massive and not too well publicized bad batch of components. I was mildly upset with having to pay for the replacement, but at least ABit acknowledged the problem and fixed it. Some deny the problem. This reminds me to open the case and examine my ABit P4 board as it approaches its 2-year anniversary...

2003-09-06, 10:37	#6
only_human "Gang aft agley" Sep 2002 2·1,877 Posts	Before discarding the motherboard as bad, please consider a new battery. I am uncomfortable mentioning it again but felt my earlier post seemed breezy and possibly off-topic. I know that it seems unnecessary -- that you have cleared the CMOS anyway and a BIOS should run anyway even with bad CMOS RAM. I do not believe marginal battery voltages are causing some metastable state... I have no logical explanation. All I know is I have seen systems that looked fully dead and it was the battery. I know that other people try it when trying to get a "bad" board to work. I also know that in my systems, the drives and peripherals did not appear to power up at all, the bios did not appear to run and the only apparent activity was the power supply fan. I swapped out memory, power supplies and peripherals and was ready to discard the hardware when I tried the cmos battery.

2003-09-08, 03:11	#7
E_tron Sep 2002 Austin, TX 3·11·17 Posts	You know what... I had (now have) a P2 system with an Abit mobo . It had the exact same problems that George is decribing . I just put in a new battery from the hardware store and it powered up for the first time in 2 years . I would have never thought the battery ...

2003-09-08, 17:41	#8
Prime95 P90 years forever! Aug 2002 Yeehaw, FL 17×487 Posts	I'll try the battery when I get a chance.

2003-09-09, 21:26	#9
Prime95 P90 years forever! Aug 2002 Yeehaw, FL 17×487 Posts	New battery brought no joy.

2003-09-10, 03:27	#10
E_tron Sep 2002 Austin, TX 231₁₆ Posts	. Too bad that the P2 powered up instead of the P3 :( . The P3 is worth more to GIMPS :) . Oh well, looks like i have a new gateway. By any chance, have you tried disconnecting the reset switch? I have seen older cases were the reset switch was stuck in the closed position. So, the computer was in a constant state of reboot.

2003-09-10, 22:41	#11
only_human "Gang aft agley" Sep 2002 EAA₁₆ Posts	Thank you for trying the battery. Since you had eliminated so many other possible factors, I was hoping for the best. At least a P2 got revived out of this thread.