Motherboard Testing

Process

• Grab a motherboard and testing kit with cards, memory and volt meter.
• Check the motherboard to see if it is on the list of mobos we like identifying the socket number.

Boards We Like to Test

• Socket 423
• Socket 462
• Socket 478
• Socket 479
• Socket 603
• Socket 754
• Socket 775
• Socket 939
• Socket 940
• Socket AM2

Blown capacitors Check for curved or leaking top.

Check for visual defects (blown caps, mutilated components)

• If only one capacitor is bad, send the motherboard to recycle except if it is one that supports Pentium P4.
• look for burn marks or discolerment.

After checking the packaging and the socket type that matches the motherboard,

• Identify the motherboard by manufacturer, model, version
• Go to the manufacturer website or just search via google and determine with which range of processor the motherboard is compatible.
• Put a compatible heatsink with a fan on top of it.

Check the battery for the CMOS, if less than 3 volts replace it.

Add some memory

DIMM modules, SDRAM, DDR SDRAM or Rambus RDRAM (remember to install Rambus in pairs and use CRIMMs).

Attempt to post

• connect the minimal things needed to post (power, keyboard, video, etc)
• if you need help see flowchart below.
• If board beeps but won't post, check the Beep Codes and diagnose the problem.

Power down, then attach

• Use an IDE cable (40 pin)to connect the hard drive to the Primary IDE.
• Use the second IDE cable to connect the CDROM drive to the Secondary IDE.
• Use the floppy cable (34 pin)to connect the Floppy Drive to the motherboard.

Boot to Memtest, Let it run for a minute, it will run for ever if you let it (The memtest program is a boot option on the hard drive)

Boot up to Operating System

• Check that the mouse and keyboard work
• If you have on board video check that it works.
• Test all the USB ports with a mouse
• If you have on board sound play a audio cd, if not then take a look at a data cd
• run stress-test

Some cases might call for testing

• RAID
• SATA

If the motherboard works and is worthy of the store then label it.

processor type and or speed
type of memory it takes
special featuers

Useful links

• Information on different motherboards with summary description, it's quiet commercial but it provides quickely the basic information you're looking for : http://www.motherboards.org/ For complete and accurate information on motherboard just go to manufacturer website like Abit [1], Asus [2], MSI [3] and the others. Sometimes you are able to download the motherboard manual.

• The two main processors manufacturers can be visited on : http://www.intel.com/ and http://www.amd.com/us-en/

• If you just want an answer to any question around the computer or to understand something, go to http://computer.howstuffworks.com/

Flow Chart

Here's a chart flow that can help you to visualize the process