Motherboards

Boards We Like to Test

Grab a Motherboard, check for visual defects (blown caps, mutilated components)
Secure MoBo to plate, ensuring the risers are not grounding out the board.
Test battery,
Add a processor and a fan for that MoBo
Add some memory
Attempt to post
- Connect the minimal things needed to post (power, keyboard, video, etc)
- If it does not post replace the processor (do an internet search with the socket number to find the range the range of compatible processors).
Power down, then attach:
- Imaged hard drive to IDE1
- CD Drive to IDE2
- Floppy Drive to FD controller
- Peripherals (mouse, keyboard, Video)
Boot into BIOS
- Change the boot order to be Floppy first , hard drive second
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.
- Open terminal and run stress-test.
- Test all card slots by plugging in a video card, turn on computer, if you get a screen turn off computer and repeat with all slots.
Some cases might call for testing
- SATA