What to do to check/rescue a dumped PC?

[Zucca]

PS Almost forgot; some MoBos won't boot if the lithium coin cell (typically a CR2032 but a CR2025 could be used in a pinch) has become so discharged as to only show a few millivolts using a DMM to test it. If the coin cell has become so deeply discharged it might be worth replacing it and testing again.

coin cell battery is ok.

Anyway the original DELL PSU is a strange unicorn with strange spec.
I already swapped the PSU with a brand new one EV3A 700W Bronze.
Same shit. Turns on, passes self PC diag with LED white. but nothing out the Video card.
After 20 sec or so it turns off by itself, always.

FLIR Thermal Camera shows nothing cooking on the MOBO.

I'll do a last jump on the service manual and then I'll return it to the dump.

What a pity it was so clean!!!!

PS: tool the CPU heat sink off, it has Core i7 6700 3.4 GHz

 

[tunk]

If you have an extra PCIe graphics card, maybe you could try that?

[xmris]

Did you check the CPU socket's pins? Just in case the previous user tried to meddle with the CPU and messed something there.

[Zucca]

CPU socket pins looked okay.

The guy who dumped it was not an old grandma with no PC knowledge, took all the obvious good components out....
There are indication of a missing PCIe graphic card [GC], I think it was good and it did not made its way to the dump.
I suspect that a PCIe GC will not solve the problem.

So I am left with either a bad MOBO or a bad integrated GC in the i7.

My spider senses are telling me it's the MOBO.... but to know that I need to buy and diagnostic POST tool or similar.

[50ShadesOfDirt]

Don't know how much more effort you are willing to invest ...

Goal is to boot up with video, such that you can hit the right key for this mobo and get into bios. Once in there, a better determination of what is salvageable can be made.

If onboard video is hosed, I'd go with a video card as suggested by others, as most bios' these days will boot into that card, if onboard is dead.

If the bios post error (which you can't see) is holding things up, I'd spend some time rummaging through google/dell, and find an online article about next steps around this specific mobo led error indication. There's an art to getting the keywords right, but I'd use some combination of dell model number, mobo info, etc, to see what comes up. This should save on 3rd-party post-capable utilities.

Finally, I can't recall the info, but I thought there was a way to get another pc involved to debug the first, at a very low-level (device-driver stuff? dd sdk's?). Don't know how to do this, but some research might yield methods for it, on the cheap. Maybe the 2nd pc can host video for the first, at this low-level of debugging ...

Hope this helps ...

[tunk]

I suspect that a PCIe GC will not solve the problem.

It could be a damaged DP/hdmi port.

[Zucca]

Don't know how much more effort you are willing to invest ...

Not too much really.... I probably keep he case and replace the MOBO. Micro ATX is kind of perfect size for me.
I can only hope the i7 is okay.

If onboard video is hosed, I'd go with a video card as suggested by others, as most bios' these days will boot into that card, if onboard is dead.
If the bios post error (which you can't see) is holding things up, I'd spend some time rummaging through google/dell, and find an online article about next steps around this specific mobo led error indication.

There are no LEDs on the MOBO, another reason to toss it into the bin.
You are correct with the graphics card, but I do not have a spare one around. So I have to invest to buy one.
With the same amount of money I could get a new MOBO for the i7 (praying it is good) and start fresh.
I am reluctant to buy a new graphics card, since the one that was there was removed. So I suspect the problem of not booting properly is unrelated to the presence or not of a PCIe GC.

[Zucca]

I suspect that a PCIe GC will not solve the problem.

It could be a damaged DP/hdmi port.

Tested both, no joy.

[50ShadesOfDirt]

My guess is someone removed the graphics card to transfer to their next PC. These should be dirt cheap, and possibly *another* trip to the dump will net you a pci video card. More dump(ster)-diving?

But, if everything else checks out around the mobo, and you can replace it (sometimes dell does something proprietary w/ mobo or case design, and generic stuff just can't be squeezed in), then it is a good idea to replace the mobo. After about 30m or so w/ struggling to diagnose things with stuff on hand, I start replacing, especially if research doesn't yield good answers as to what's going on.

You've got the ram, the i7 might transfer over if right mobo is picked, and built-in video on most mobo's these days will get you up and running. The PC gods could be challenging you with this one, and sometimes you just have to see it through to the bitter end, to show them who is boss.

[neil555]

One thing to try is to totally wipe the CMOS (There should be a jumper for this, if not the pull the battery).  If the bios is set to always use an external graphics card this could stop the internal (intel HD530 in the CPU) from initializing.

[Zucca]

One thing to try is to totally wipe the CMOS (There should be a jumper for this, if not the pull the battery).

already done no joy.

[Zucca]

sometimes dell does something proprietary w/ mobo or case design, and generic stuff just can't be squeezed in

Yes that's the case, but I could do some metal job to open up the I/O panel. Yes call me crazy... 

Maybe I am overthinking, but it is my first CPU with integrated GC.  If the integrated GC is not working/not used do I gain any performance in the CPU that it is doing less job?

[MK14]

Have you tried with less than all 4 memory slots full, e.g. the CORRECT 2 sockets out of 4, or even 1, if it supports running from just 1?

As already mentioned, ideally reset the CMOS battery first.

Also, what is the exact CPU part number, did you check?

Some DON'T include the iGPU, to save a few dollars.

[2N2222A]

With a good power supply, board, and CPU, there should be a beep code for no RAM installed. I would start there. The manual should list the codes. It could be an LED now.

[Zucca]

Also, what is the exact CPU part number, did you check?

i7-6700

SR2L2 3.40GHZ

X639B344 e4

https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SR/SR2L2.html

Does it means no iGPU in it?

[Zucca]

With a good power supply, board, and CPU, there should be a beep code for no RAM installed. I would start there. The manual should list the codes. It could be an LED now.

The (power) LED (that's the diagnostic designed it at DELL) without RAM tells RAM is missing. with the RAM tells everything okay but does no output video signal and turns off after 20sec.

No speaker in my system.

[MK14]

Also, what is the exact CPU part number, did you check?

i7-6700

SR2L2 3.40GHZ

X639B344 e4

https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SR/SR2L2.html

Does it means no iGPU in it?

That sounds like the standard I7, which does have the iGPU.

The following link:
https://hexus.net/tech/news/cpu/89171-intel-intros-pair-skylake-cpus-without-integrated-graphics/

Lists some Skylakes, WITHOUT iGPUs, which seems to be designated by ending in the letter 'P'.  Later Intel CPUs, seem to use the ending letter of 'F', to mean no iGPU.

Anyway, one less reason, why you got no display from your computer.

[Zucca]

If the integrated GPU is not working/not used do I gain any performance in the CPU that it is doing less job?

That could be a reason to slap a graphic card in it...

[Zucca]

BTW thanks everybody to stay with me in this madness...

[Zucca]

Okay, somebody else was thinking like me.

H270 or B250 Mobo?

I was already looking at the B250 on Ebay.

Decision was made tonight: a new MOBO is the next step.

[MK14]

I'm worried the motherboard, may have gone faulty.  The one way, the motherboard could still be fine, is if the RAM you purchased and used to test the PC with, is the wrong type (incompatible) with that motherboard.

But if you have already tried it with 1 or 2 slots occupied, the others empty, assuming you filled the ram up, in the CORRECT way, when only using 2 slots out of the 4.  E.g. refer to motherboard/computer manual.  That probably should have worked, even with a non-recommended ram type.

Also, is the ram working?
(Brand new, rather than from a possibly dodgy supplier).

[Zucca]

RAM brand new from amazon, already returned unofficially....

This is the one I got, Corsaris LPX 3200Mhz 4x 16GB

Since I will toss that atrocity MOBO anyway... don't know if I will test a single RAM ... maybe in the next days if I am courious.... now I have to choose a used MOBO... from evil bay.

Ah I need the heatsink as well...

[MK14]

RAM brand new from amazon, already returned unofficially....

This is the one I got, Corsaris LPX 3200Mhz 4x 16GB

Since I will toss that atrocity MOBO anyway... don't know if I will test a single RAM ... maybe in the next days if I am courious.... now I have to choose a used MOBO... from evil bay.

That ram should be ok, from me googling round to check.

I worry about buying second hand motherboards from ebay.  Because of the risk that the seller, knows full well it has one or more faults, which is why they are selling it.  E.g. it intermittently reboots, for no good reason.
But they want to get the full/maximum selling price, so don't bother mentioning that fact.

But due to the age of that CPU, you have to buy from sources like ebay.

Please don't take offense.  But if the motherboard is faulty, you might end up building a technologically old computer, around that older generation CPU.

The later generation CPUs, are something like three times faster (double the core count, and faster single core execution).  E.g. AMD Ryzen 5700G, and have been reduced in price lately.
Also, its onboard iGPU, is fairly powerful 5700G, comparable to older real GPU graphics cards).

Why not just sell the extracted CPU on ebay and worry about a better PC, later.

I.e. Taking an older generation CPU, then buying lots of bits to go with it (RAM, Motherboard, power suppy, SSD?, etc), is perhaps a false economy.

Or even going with the latest CPUs.

In other words, the Skylake computer (for free), is a good deal.  But it might not be worth it, if you need to get RAM, Motherboard and perhaps other bits (does a DELL power supply, plug into a normal motherboard, these days?, in the past, they used different connectors, on purpose).

[Zucca]

MK14 I hear you, I am not offended at all! I am really enjoying this conversation.

https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/motherboard/x11sae-m

The above caught my attention.... I always wanted to get a SuperMicro one...

It has all the upgrade possible I want and should be compatible with my sad dumped I7 6700.

Yes I am still thinking if recycling the mini tower case and old I7 6th gen makes still sense or not.

I need:

- Mobo $100 (this one is cheaper)
- Heatsink $40
- RAM 64GB used another $120
- used PSU (again Dell is junk) $40

<200 dollars... right were I want...

- SSD am M2 disks, I have them already..

[iJoseph2]

Also, what is the exact CPU part number, did you check?

i7-6700

SR2L2 3.40GHZ

X639B344 e4

https://www.cpu-world.com/sspec/SR/SR2L2.html

Does it means no iGPU in it?

That sounds like the standard I7, which does have the iGPU.

The following link:
https://hexus.net/tech/news/cpu/89171-intel-intros-pair-skylake-cpus-without-integrated-graphics/

Lists some Skylakes, WITHOUT iGPUs, which seems to be designated by ending in the letter 'P'.  Later Intel CPUs, seem to use the ending letter of 'F', to mean no iGPU.

Anyway, one less reason, why you got no display from your computer.

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/88196/intel-core-i76700-processor-8m-cache-up-to-4-00-ghz.html

Processor Graphics section about half way down