I built a new Linux box last year from new parts. Everything was working fine until this week when it started freezing up during normal use. The next day, it wouldn’t boot up properly, and now when I turn it on, it won’t show anything on screen, and I get a continuous tone from the little motherboard speaker. The fans and lights all still work though.
Does anyone know what could be causing this? I think it’s probably a fried motherboard, but I guess there is a chance it could also be a bad PSU, or worse still, a bad PSU that fried the motherboard. Could it be even be something else like the RAM or CPU?
I have asked around, and will ask on some more forums, but I’m still not 100% sure about what part or parts I should replace. What would be the best course of action?
Look at the motherboard. See if the capacitors aren’t popped. If they aren’t popped try reseating the components on the motherboard like memory, adapter cards, and the processor.
Try removing everything and start with the basics. Only CPU, Memory, Graphics Card and power supply is required to boot the computer. If that don’t work swap the motherboard if you can. Just use deductive reasoning.
All else fail see if it is still under warranty and get it replaced.
I suspect a bad power supply. IBM beep codes say a continuous beep is power supply, board, or keyboard related. Swap out a new power supply (or at least one you know works) and try to boot it up. If that doesn’t work…
Do what MrPerlishells suggested and take out all the uneeded things. Take out everything except PSU, CPU and 1 stick of RAM (even the graphics card, because you’ll hear a POST error beep before you get a display on the screen). Test it in all of the RAM slots, and if that doesn’t help, go back to the PSU thing.
Since I don’t have access to many spare parts, I’m going to take my box down to the TigerDirect outlet where I bought all my parts. I’m sure they will be able to help me somehow, considering I gave them over a thousand dollars for something that is now broken.