Need a cheap but useable AM4 motherboard for troubleshooting

[sling-shot]

I have this currently not booting setup.

Ryzen 3 2200G
ASUS B350 Plus motherboard
8G x 2 ADATA RAM
Corsair CX450 PSU
Mechanical hard disks 2

My goal is to test if the motherboard or PSU is the cause. So I need a cheap but still useful for other builds kind of motherboard.

The PC boots and runs 100% perfect in any place other than my house and neighboring houses.

Changing the PSU to a local one did not work.

I don't want a pricey board which may otherwise remain idle.

 

[quicky008]

Any cheap a320 board will do the job. But buying a board just for testing would be a waste.

 

[sling-shot]

I am thinking like buy that board now. If the existing one is faulty, send it for warranty. Later buy a better CPU/APU. Shift the old CPU and this cheaper board and assemble a new desktop.

I will have a better tier desktop for myself and a little slower but still useable PC for kids or parents.

 

[sling-shot]

Also aren't there subtypes in A320 like M and K series or something?

 

[SaiyanGoku]

Also aren't there subtypes in A320 like M and K series or something?

That's just branding and is done for everybody to be able to differentiate between two or more mobos from a manufacturer using same chipset.

 

[sling-shot]

Then there are practical differences. For eg. just found out that in ASUS one has 2 RAM slots while the other has 4.

Considering warranty and features is there a particular brand/model you would recommend?

 

[patkim]

Since the PC works just fine elsewhere but not in yours and your neighbor’s house, before suspecting any fault in the PC itself I would suspect possibly something wrong in the power input i.e. mains.
Conduct paperclip test using only PSU unit and see if it turns on at all power sockets in your house.

Using a DMM check the mains voltages across Live & Neutral and Live and Ground, it should be 220V+ AC and within 1 V +/- between the two measurements
Get earthing checked by a qualified electrician
In paperclip test using DMM check all voltages across ATX PSU output.

Using Live Wire tester make sure that there’s only one Live everywhere in the 3 Pin sockets. In either left or right socket but never both.
If using any surge protectors/extension boxes, remove them and directly connect your PC to wall outlets.
Get the wiring checked. If you have UPS / Inverter try both ways with and without them.
Take CPU Mobo RAM PSU together to a nearby repair shop and have them inspected it. Then you can make next decisions about what parts to buy.

You should try to find out what is that lurking variable that's present when your PC is connected to mains in your and neighbor's house but not present when it's plugged in elsewhere. It could be mains, extension box, power cable, any other parts etc.

 

[sling-shot]

I have carried the whole box to multiple repair centres but it always runs perfectly fine over there.

I had done testing the PSU but am not sure about the results as it was long back.

If I test the PSU alone, when the required pins are shorted the fan inside PSU should start spinning right? If not then the fault is in PSU. I had excluded PSU from suspect list because on trying with a different PSU also, PC did not boot.

Electrician did say there is some fault in earthing but not enough to cause abnormal behaviour or something. Extra current through neutral or something was detected he said.

Spoke with an engineer in power supply department. He said it could be fault with earthing as microelectronics are sensitive and a small thing might be causing this.

 

[patkim]

I have suggested to test the PSU with paperclip test and DMM voltage measurements on all Power Sockets in your house. Obviously if it turns on when connected to some sockets but not the others, then there’s something wrong with the wiring. At this juncture I am doubting the supply, not the PSU! While fan should spin, if it does not, you should also check for voltages at ATX output using DMM. I suggest ask a local repair shop to carry their test system at your home and see if it switches on. They might charge you some fee for such an unconventional service.

 

[sling-shot]

Local repair guy came home, did his testing and concluded that it is either supply or motherboard fault.

Electrician strongly believes that fault with earthing cannot produce this behaviour. He expects that to burn the board but not cause this issue.

 

[patkim]

If the local repair guy’s PC also did not start in your house then I would suspect something wrong primarily with mains. If he carried out tests on your system only then he might wonder if to blame mains or mobo.

 

[whitestar_999]

Have you tried with a ups?

 

[sling-shot]

Have you tried with a ups?

Tried that with UPS alone. Not turning on.

So can we confirm that issue is with the desktop and not power supply? Or it could be a weird edge case where the exact combination is causing trouble so changing the motherboard might work? Because changing PSU did not help.

 

[sling-shot]

If the local repair guy’s PC also did not start in your house then I would suspect something wrong primarily with mains. If he carried out tests on your system only then he might wonder if to blame mains or mobo.

He only brought a PSU but not a whole PC. That is one thing remaining to be tested at home.

But none of close friends have a desktop. Everyone manages with laptops these days.

 

[patkim]

Repeat paperclip test when you are on Ups/Inverter. Does only PSU turn on (w/o load of board) when connected to Ups/Inverter? Disconnect the mains here. I assume that’s what you have done when you say 'UPS alone'. If only PSU turns on, then add components one by one to test rest of the system.

 

[topgear]

Tried that with UPS alone. Not turning on.

So can we confirm that issue is with the desktop and not power supply? Or it could be a weird edge case where the exact combination is causing trouble so changing the motherboard might work? Because changing PSU did not help.

mighty weird .. having some strange issue myself.

Anyway, you said the pc won't even turn with UPS battery only mode.I presume the UPS was detached from the mains and the monitor was not connected.

Just to be sure don't connect anything with the motherboard except the beeper / speaker, 1 piece of ram, processor and only the PSU. See if you get any beep sound. Conduct the test on open wooden table.

 

[sling-shot]

mighty weird .. having some strange issue myself.

Anyway, you said the pc won't even turn with UPS battery only mode.I presume the UPS was detached from the mains and the monitor was not connected.

Just to be sure don't connect anything with the motherboard except the beeper / speaker, 1 piece of ram, processor and only the PSU. See if you get any beep sound. Conduct the test on open wooden table.

I did that but no deal.

 

[whitestar_999]

I did that but no deal.

If system is having issues with turning on even when just running on ups with mains off & only critical components on a wooden surface then issue is either with psu or mobo & since you already tried changing psu then mobo seems to have more probability of being bad.

 

[patkim]

Make some inferences after testing if another PC with another board (preferably with your PSU) turns on or not at the same outlets, again testing both with and without UPS/Inverter. Ask the local repair guy to carry his board+cpu+RAM & his power cable to your place and his PSU to test both ways (using yours as well as his PSU).

Using live wire tester & a DMM have you confirmed if the power cable is actually carrying enough voltage at its other end?

 

[sling-shot]

If system is having issues with turning on even when just running on ups with mains off & only critical components on a wooden surface then issue is either with psu or mobo & since you already tried changing psu then mobo seems to have more probability of being bad.

This was why I started this thread