Motherboard questions.

[Jayce]

My gf's aunt's Dell computer is having some issues. They had no sound after it was struck by lightning and asked me to take a look at it. I did, and I found that PCI slot 3 and 4 are dead on the motherboard. When I put the sound card in slot 3 or 4 and run the hardware diagnostics, it fails instantly. When I use slot 1 or 2, it passes 100%.

The old sound card was in slot 4. As I said, slot 4 is dead, and the old sound card is too.

Granted, I'm no computer expert, but how practical is it for certain PCI slots to die on a computer? Is it a normal thing?

They're calling Dell in the morning to see about getting replacement parts.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

It happens, but I think it's rather rare... Brother has an old Compaq that has 3 PCI slots, the 3rd and 1st one is dead....

 

[Jayce]

It happens, but I think it's rather rare... Brother has an old Compaq that has 3 PCI slots, the 3rd and 1st one is dead....

It may be rare, but another thing to keep in mind is the fact that this computer was hit with lightning...

Seeing as though the old sound card didn't work in a WORKING PCI slot, that's what's leading me to believe that when PCI slot 4 went out, it took the sound card with it.

I just wasn't sure if it was POSSIBLE for a PCI slot to "go bad" or if it was more complicated than just that...

 

[philg]

I've never heard of just a few of the PCI slots dieing, apart from in this thread

Though I'm surprised the thing works at all after being hit by lightning

 

[Apokalipse]

I think the PSU may also have a short time to live now...

 

[Jayce]

I think the PSU may also have a short time to live now...

lol, it's been alive for a year already. They're not too big on computers, so when the sound went out they didn't really think much of it being all they hear is odds and ends noises within Windows. But their young daughter is starting to mess around and wanted the sound back for games she plays, which is why they finally asked me (after a year of having no sound) to see if I could fix it.

That's when I started doing some trial and error...

I popped in the new sound card in 4, didn't work. Didn't work in 3 either. PCI slot 2 I know works because I was online with it and the 56k modem is in there. Slot 1 works because, well... that's where the new sound card is.

 

[Cobalt]

You think you'd notice the annoying windows startup sounds and the like were missing sometime during a year wouldn't you

PC struck with lightning? I'm impressed anything worked at all never mind for a year! Ah well, all sorted now I suppose.

 

[samuraiwarrior]

yeah

I heard of it happening quite often.
u should use slot protectors they do die.

 

[Jayce]

You think you'd notice the annoying windows startup sounds and the like were missing sometime during a year wouldn't you

PC struck with lightning? I'm impressed anything worked at all never mind for a year! Ah well, all sorted now I suppose.

They noticed right away, man. They just didn't care BECAUSE they didn't need the music. As their daughter grew more interested in the PC and wanted to play games (thus, wanted to hear the game sounds) that's why they contacted me...

 

[Jayce]

Re: yeah

I heard of it happening quite often.
u should use slot protectors they do die.

What are these??