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PC died....again

My wife is currently on her 3rd motherboard in a bit over a year and a half. I recently replaced her fried 2nd motherboard just over a month ago and everything was working fine until tonight. At first her front 2 USB ports wouldn't recognize any devices ( the back ports worked fine ), then the computer just blinked out completely. If I turn off the power switch in the back and then turn it on, I can power up the PC for a split second before it crashes again. I thought maybe the PSU was the culprit ( much as I thought the same thing when her last motherboard died ), but after trying it with my PSU tester, everything spun right up so I'm ruiling out the PSU...again. My best guess is there's something about her case which is causing these mobos to short out, we've had 3 different brand mobos ( Epoch, Giga-Byte and Asus ) and all have died. I can't believe it's just bad luck...any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.





Regards
Casey
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PCBONEZ
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PSU or static problems.
Front USB went first?
Is this system located in a room with carpet?
.
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logan510

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Front USB went first, then the PC just died. The room does have carpeting, but the computer is not on it. It's placed on top of her large computer desk. Could a "bad" PSU that passes muster on my PSU tester really cause 3 seperate motherboards to die?


Also, I have 3 PC's of my own located in the same room and I haven't had any of the problems she's been encountering.









Casey
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I have to ask - did the other mobo's die in a similar manner (eg front usb ports first)?

Try disconnecting these first - could be your case is shorting them out! Also check all the usb devices you have been using - one of them may be susceptible to spikes, or even draw a high current which is killing the regulators on the mobo.

Hope this helps

Stuart
You have only replaced the motherboard and none of the periphereals?
Maybe one is defective and causes these blowups. Check for any odd markings or colorations on the cards and mainboard.

also check how the mainboard is mounted,
are all cables thorougly connected, is there a ground-connection, no loose cables. Is there enough space underneath the mainboard in the casing.

If the pc is on a different power-outlet, you might consider an adapter with a small surge-protector. They're generally cheaper than (a) new computer(s). To know the current and if everything is in right sync you'd need a logging on power for longer time. This however cannot be done very cheap, I don't know exactlt to how many motherboards the costs can be compared.
>>everything spun right up so I'm ruiling out the PSU
Just because it spins up doesn't mean it isn't faulty. A bad supply can fry a motherboard and it's components, as well. That's the first thing I would replace if three motherboards in a row died.
Is your motherboard grounding out against the case? Are screwing it directly to the case? Are you using the proper mounts (brass or plastic)?

During the 2 seconds that it does turn on, check to make sure that your CPU heatsink fan is spinning. Nearly all motherboards will cut the power if the fan isn't spinning to prevent damage to the CPU.

See if you can check your CPU and motherboard temperatures.


http://www.pcguide.com/proc/physinst/mb-c.html

 
She's on a pretty decent UPS so I don't think it's power spikes coming from the AC. I'm coming around to the realization that it is more than likely the PSU shorting out these boards. Tho I still think we might get a new case for her as well, the current one is very cramped and difficult to work with and with only 2 system fans it runs on the hot side of warm. I'll update later tonight as we plan on going to get the new parts after work. I'll split the points up appropiately.





Thanks for all the suggestions and info
Casey
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If you are familiar with the bad cap issue commonly found in motherboad discussions....
http://www.badcaps.net/

Those bad caps ended up in everything else too, tv's, radios, video cards, sound cards, POWER SUPPLIES...

Suggest this in agreement with case/power supply issues:
Select a new case with large volume and 120mm fan ports. (quieter and easier to cool). The structure must be rigid to stabilize the mainboard...flexing is bad, rigid is goooood.
Special attention to a good quality power supply that has the specifications to meet your needs now and some additional reserve for future expansion.
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/index.jsp
Evaluate your power supply needs at above.
T
There have been some good suggestions here! I agree with PlatinumStylz, the fans might be sticking or spinning slow due to dust, Making certain components overheat and therefor forcing your system to shutdown to prevent further damage!

When buying a new case, be sure to get one designed for ultimate cooling like an Aluminium Case>>>

Overview
Aimed at the high-end section of the case market, Aluminium cases are designed for the ultimate cooling as they help dissipate heat much better than SECC. These cases come in a variety of sizes, shapes and designs and are ideal for people who want the best cooling system and also a lightweight system without Compromising on looks and features.
The Overview I found here>>>
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Products.ASP?CatID=7&Category=Cases&Thumbnails=yes

Are you using a new hdd or are you still using the old one?
If your still using the old hdd then maybe some of it's components are starting to burnout, if you have the same problem with the new MB, check how hot the hdd is. If you could fry an egg on it then the hdd overheating could possibly force the shutdown!

Are you sure that your motherboard's are dead? Maybe you can revive them! Please read my last comment posted here>>>
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21769564/HD-noise.html

When you've opened the above link, to save time while searching for my last post, Press Control-F keys together and search for "Thanks Mark" without the quotes!

Hope this helps!
PS: I've just tried the Control-F search but could'nt find the words Thanks Mark!
If you have the same problem then Highlight some other text before searching again!