Your computer is dead silent. No fans, no lights, no beep<\/a>, nothing on the screen. Before you assume the motherboard<\/a> is finished and order a replacement, there’s a strict order of tests that separates a real motherboard<\/a> failure from something far cheaper to fix. Most „dead motherboard” cases turn out to be the power supply, a short circuit against the case, or a battery<\/a> that died three years ago and nobody noticed.<\/p>\n This guide walks through that test order exactly as a bench technician would run it, from the fastest checks to the ones that actually require opening the board up.<\/p>\n Before touching the motherboard<\/a>, rule out the PSU<\/a>. This takes two minutes and eliminates the single most common cause of a „dead” build.<\/p>\n The paperclip test:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2139\ufe0f Technical Note<\/a>: If the PSU<\/a> fan spins up immediately, the power supply is producing output at idle. This does not confirm the voltages are correct under load, but it rules out a completely dead unit.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n If the fan doesn’t spin at all, stop here. The PSU<\/a> is the problem, not the motherboard<\/a>. Test with a known-good power supply before going any further.<\/p>\n PSU Failure Symptoms: How to Detect It<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nStep 1: Confirm the Power Supply Is Actually Delivering Power<\/h2>\n
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