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Thread ID: 92996 2008-08-31 03:32:00 What does this beep code mean? Mike (15) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
701501 2008-08-31 03:32:00 My wife volunteered my services to fix some friends' computer... got it home and plugged it in, everything wound up, fans all worked, HDD ticked as expected, then suddenly a whole burst of beeps that just keep going until you pull the plug (holding the power button in for several seconds doesn't work). I can't find anywhere on the web that describes beeps.

Board is a Gigabyte GA-8IDML with Phoenix bios. I removed everything (all the PCI cards and drives, even the ram) but made no difference, so sounds to me like possibly CPU or motherboard, but don't want to suggest time for new PC if its just a jumper set wrong or something.

I'll try to describe the startup beeps:
There seems to be 3 high pitched, 2 or 3 low pitched then some more high pitched then a couple low pitched etc., no pauses, so I'm not sure if the beeps restart/repeat or if they just keep giving part of the first message :) But then again I just turned it on again and it seemed to give a different pattern of high and low pitched. It could just be giving the high/low beep of cpu failure, just with the speaker cutting out :confused:

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,
Mike. 		Mike (15)
701502 2008-08-31 04:10:00 Phoenix BIOS beep codes listed here:-

www.pchell.com

HTH. 		Sweep (90)
701503 2008-08-31 04:13:00 Well that site gives a few more suggestions, but none seem to match the message I'm getting :annoyed: I don't get any pauses, just changing pitch of the beep, and the number of beeps seems to vary each time I turn it on

Mike. 		Mike (15)
701504 2008-08-31 04:22:00 Sounds like the cpu, video/mobo Speedy Gonzales (78)
701505 2008-08-31 04:25:00 There seems to be 3 high pitched, 2 or 3 low pitched then some more high pitched then a couple low pitched etc.,

Er.
High, low, high, low etc is CPU overheat.............? 		pctek (84)
701506 2008-08-31 04:26:00 Sounds like the cpu, video/moboCPU/Mobo probably, its not video card (swapped it with one of my own that works and got same thing.

Mike. 		Mike (15)
701507 2008-08-31 04:30:00 Er.
High, low, high, low etc is CPU overheat.............?My understanding was that it was 1 high, 1low, 1 high, 1 low etc. - this seems to be some kind of pattern (a few high, a few low, a few high etc.)

CPU fan is working, heatsink is (now) free of dust, CPU is non-overclocked 1.6G P4. Beeps start about when you'd expect a POST beep from the first time you turn on the PC (when I turned it on it had been a couple of days since it was last powered-on at least, so it hadn't had time to warm up)

I'm thinking CPU or Mobo failure :( Mobo failure would be better than CPU, as I can still get a Mobo that will take this CPU I think... Can't get CPUs to fit that Mobo anymore though lol

Mike. 		Mike (15)
701508 2008-08-31 04:35:00 Whats the CPU 400/533 or 800 FSB??

I would turn it off, remove the heatsink / CPU, check that no pins are bent, then put it back. Make sure there's paste on it. Then replace it 		Speedy Gonzales (78)
701509 2008-08-31 04:45:00 Whats the CPU 400/533 or 800 FSB??I have no idea!?!? :confused: I would assume 400 or 533 - not sure the 1.6 was available as 800?


I would turn it off, remove the heatsink / CPU, check that no pins are bent, then put it back. Make sure there's paste on it. Then replace itI had thought about that, however the heatsink/CPU is held in by plastic secure strips (whatever they're called) quite firmly - I wouldn't be able to reattach if I cut through them to remove. It looks like its always been in there like that (is that likely?)

CPU hasn't been moved etc. since they've had the PC and its been working fine (and as I said earlier the heatsink is quite secure - doesn't budge if you try to move it - doesn't even wiggle slightly), so is it possible/probable that something there has moved??

Mike. 		Mike (15)
701510 2008-08-31 04:53:00 You flick the latches on either side (it'll become loose then).

Then put a small flat screwdriver down the sides they latch into the retention module (the bit on the mobo). You dont cut it. Or else you'll have to buy another heatsink. Just dont pull it off tho, as sometimes the CPU can come off with it

Hmm ok, well, might be 400 or 533 (I've got a 400 1.5 / 1.7 here).

And a 2.4 533 CPU (altho I'm not to sure if this works). It was working.

I ripped it out of a mobo that was on the street lol 		Speedy Gonzales (78)
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