Your electronic computer ’s motherboard is one of the most life-sustaining element in your microcomputer ’s chain of mountains of dictation . imagine of it as the encephalon of your intact system , handle everything fromprocessorsandgraphics cardsto baron dispersion and local memory . If your figurer ’s been running slower than normal , and you ’ve done everything you could to pull in your memory cache , cooky , and other digital debris , then there ’s a good chance your motherboard may be the perpetrator .
Fortunately , there ’s a couple of methods you may use for getting your motherboard back in working order , and we ’re going to walk you through each part of the process .
Reset your UEFI/BIOS
It ’s not uncommon for BIOS preferences , peculiarly overclocks and standards changes , to make problem with your PC . If you push thing too far , turn on a circumstance your hardware is n’t compatible with , or disable something important , you could find your system is unstable , wo n’t get past the power - on self - test ( POST ) screen , or wo n’t wrick on at all .
The gentle and prompt fix for this , and spate of other motherboard trouble , is to reset the BIOS .
Some motherboards have BIOS reset button on the rearward I / O panel , or on the motherboard itself . If you’re able to get into the BIOS ( here’show to access your BIOS ) then you’re able to use the reset command — typically F5 — to readjust the BIOS to its mill nonpayment setting .
If you ca n’t do any of the above , though , you may always do it the old - school , manual way . Power down the personal computer and take off the side jury . disconnect the power cablegram and place the low , orbitual disc battery on the motherboard . cautiously absent it , then iron and hold up the power button on your personal computer for 30 endorsement . This should drain any residuary power from the motherboard , leaving its configurations to reset to default without their battery backup .
Now you could reinstall the assault and battery , plug away the cables back in , and power up the system to see if it ’s fixed your motherboard problem .
Have you checked the power?
If your system wo n’t turn on at all , then fit the mogul cable is an absolute must . mod motherboards typically necessitate multiple power cables , and forget just one of them will think your PC wo n’t turn on at all . There ’s a chief 20- to 24 - tholepin connector and a second four- or eight - thole connection veil out by the CPU socket . Some PCs even have a secondary four- or eight - pin cable’s length , too .
Check that you have all the need cables plug in , and that they are fully seated and in good order mate with the correct power supply corduroys . If in doubt , disconnect them and plug them in again .
Are the components installed correctly?
part can cause a motherboard to malfunction if they ’re not properly installed , leading to an unstable system at best , and one that wo n’t even reboot at worst . RAM , graphics cards , the CPU itself , and any tote up - in cards you have can all cause these issues if not set up properly , so it ’s a salutary thought to check up on them if you think you might have a hardware job .
see your artwork card if you’re able to , but it ’s typically well-heeled to just reseat it . absent the power transmission line , then remove its PCI - bracket screw , press down on the retentiveness angle bracket near the end of the PCIExpress time slot , and then take away the wag . Push it back into the time slot carefully to reseat it and make indisputable you hear the mouse click of the square bracket engaging before screwing it in again .
The Aries slot has two plastic offstage that should bust over the sides of each stick of memory . These should be standing upright at 90 degrees from the motherboard ’s surface and firmly inserted around the check found on each side of your random-access memory sticks . If one or both wings are slightly askew , the RAM is n’t decent put in .
Properly install a central processing unit is much more difficult , but is deserving checking if you ’re really stumped . The pins and the slot on the mainframe and motherboard must be properly lined up . Once inserted , the processor should sit flat on the socket ’s surface . The processor ’s heating cesspit should also confiscate firmly .
For more help on put in or reinstalling a mainframe , check out our usher onhow to install an Intel CPUandhow to install an AMD CPU .
Is something shorting out?
Motherboards are filled with capacitor and soldered connections that route data point and king from one part of the card to another . As you may have discover , the motherboard is held aloft from the PC showcase by a series of screw - in repulsion that are about a after part - column inch thick . These exist because the motherboard can short-circuit if it cause middleman with other metallic components , which can cause the system of rules to crash , or even do damage to its components .
A motherboard experiencing a short may start up and right away close down again , or may boot , but then crash at random . Examine how your motherboard is installed . Check that you used the standoffs that keep the motherboard from get hold of the face and guarantee that any unsupported percentage of the motherboard have n’t dented toward the case ’s interior . Also , check that all inner wires are the right way shielded with a arctic or plastic exterior .
If you ’re still diffident if something is short-circuit , remove the integral PC from the case and rebuild it on your desk with all the component secern so you’re able to easy diagnose where the short is occurring .
Check the front panel connectors
The mogul button on a computer ’s fount touch base to the motherboard through a tenuous , two - pin wire , along with other front panel connectors like restart buttons , major power LED , and voiceless drive activity light . Without this important but gentle - to - young lady link , your computer wo n’t set out . That ’s because the motherboard never receives the command to do so if you press the power button when the conducting wire is n’t connected to the proper pins on your motherboard .
Try updating your UEFI/BIOS/Firmware
The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface ( UEFI ) and Basic Input / Output System ( BIOS ) connect your PC ’s microcode to its operating system . If it ’s not compatible with the central processor or some other component you ’ve set up , it wo n’t turn on . The latest UEFI / BIOS update typically improve stability and add feature , but they can meliorate compatibility too , so if you ’re experiencing a motherboard trouble , then updating your motherboard ’s microcode could be the solvent .
First , uninstall any ironware that you set up that caused this emergence so you could get the system back to a work state again . or else , some party , like AMD , do have Saratoga chip loan programs that can help get you up and running again .
When you have a work out arrangement again , download the latest motherboard microcode from your maker ’s website . simulate the file over to a USB crusade , then reboot your organisation . face in your UEFI for a tool that can update the BIOS , often locate in theToolssection , though this will differ by manufacturer .
Note : Do not bring up , power down , or otherwise interpose with the firmware update cognitive operation , as doing so can make your PC inoperable permanently .
What does a motherboard even do?
A motherboard is your PC ’s main circumference display panel . This is the part of the computer that lines all of your twist hardware to one or more key processing whole ( processor ) , sends out electricity from the power supplying , and provides connectedness for your personal computer ’s memory , graphics batting order , and other crucial hardware .
Can I replace my computer’s motherboard?
If none of the above has helped you solve your issue and you ’re still certain the motherboard is at fault , it may be time to supplant it . If you want some help choose , we have a scout tothe undecomposed motherboardsyou can buy .
Do keep in judgment that whatever data is being stored locally on your computewill be rub out though . You ’ll also require to budget accordingly , as motherboard replacements can well cost upward of $ 150 .