[alysher1]

i have a gateway 7435mx laptop and an emachines m6810 laptop. the ONLY difference these computers have is the processor...a 2.4ghz amd in one and a 2.0 amd in the other. even the model numbers on the respective motherboards are identical. now when i switch the processors around neither post. but putting the processors back allows both to post properly. this was like 3 years ago i did the swap, and i figured that the bios were processor locked.

now recently both motherboards have died(one to instability issues the other to power issues) and since there are numerious different models of the same laptop i figured i would get new motherboards for both. now since i knew that the processors wouldnt swap i decided to stay away from amd and i went with intel. one of the 2 new to me motherboards is out of a gateway 7330gz and the other is out of a gateway m520.

when i purchased the first motherboard i got a processor that was suppose to go in it(a intel p4 3.06ghz with HT) which after checking again may have been the wrong item( specs say a Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 532 with HT)

now its been my experence that most processors of the same socket type will work so why wont the motherboard post?

[Advertisements]

Most Laptops have a limited number of processors that will work on their motherboards.

It was a long time ago that any processor of a socket type would work on any computer with that socket.

If you compare the specs of the 2 processors you mention (Intel) you will see the difference.

[attachment=59985:p4 & 532.jpg]


Find the list of processors compatible with the motherboard you purchase and buy that one or one of those.

[Alzeimer]

Most Laptops have a limited number of processors that will work on their motherboards.

It was a long time ago that any processor of a socket type would work on any computer with that socket.

If you compare the specs of the 2 processors you mention (Intel) you will see the difference.

[attachment=59985:p4 & 532.jpg]


Find the list of processors compatible with the motherboard you purchase and buy that one or one of those.

[alysher1]

Thank you for the information Alzeimer, but after getting the exact processor listed in the specs for the laptop i am having the same issue.

Here is what happens:

• when plugged in the laptop immediately turns on....this is NOT suppose to happen
• first thing that happens is that the fans turn on and spin up. then stop....dont know if this is suppose to happen or not suppose to happen
• when on the it checks for hard drive...if no hard drive the access light stays on(not SOP), if there is a hard drive the numlock and caps lock lights flash(SOP)
• next the cdrom does a self check and I THINK would check and load a cd if there was one there(haven't checked this)
• the lcd would then power up but nothing shows up on screen.

now the only other time i have seen symptoms similar to these was on a desktop that someone had flashed the bios with a bad file, which resulted in a corrupt bios and a nearly trashed board(i was able to use a floppy with a good bios on it to reflash the bios and fix the board)

now is this a case of bad bios or am i missing something?

[Alzeimer]

1- When you check the website for the new processor you bought for your motherboard, did you check the BIOS version it needed and compared it with the one on your motherboard.

2- When you say the fan starts but then stops are you sure it stops or does it only slows downs to an inaudible motion.

3- In my experience if the cpu fan does not run your laptop would shut down soon after to prevent overheating, also if not a good BIOS version for your new cpu it would not post at all.

4- Have you checked your connections properly after reassembling your laptop, does your screen post anything at all.

5- If you can see a boot post go into your BIOS to check your settings (boot order, date and time etc.). If a network boot is first in the order it will not move to the next boot choice but stay there searching, make sure you have either your HD, CD/DVD-rom first or vice-versa first, also depending on your OS check in your BIOS if your HDD is on AHCI (Vista, 7) or ATA mode (XP)

6- Since this is all new components I am guessing that you have no OS installed on your HD.

Edited by Alzeimer, 28 August 2012 - 07:00 AM.

[alysher1]

ok i will try to be as informative as possible here...

the website for the laptop doesnt have any specific info about which bios is needed for which processor, infact there are no bios files available from the manufacturer...

Gateway 7330GZ (processor is listed in specifications sheet)

Gateway M520 (list of compatible processors in components sheet)

when i got a new processor i got the one that is listed for BOTH motherboards, the Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 532 with HT

when i got the new processor i "bench tested" the mobo/processor/heatsink+fan....no case, no media reader board no cdrom, no hard drive, yada yada... and while the fans stop after turning on, if left on for 5 mins one of the fans will start spinning, like the computer is on, but since i have no screen (and NO POST) im not sure what it means

yes i checked all connections, and NO POST. there is a simple way to check to see if the motherboard is doing a POST...when the touchpad is disconnected from the laptop, it will always give a *keyboard missing* error, 2 beeps and stop with a press f1 to continue or f2 to enter setup. i did try this....no dice

also if not a good BIOS version for your new cpu it would not post at all

this is why i was thinking its a bad bios, because the laptop wont post at all.....

Edited by alysher1, 28 August 2012 - 10:22 AM.

[Alzeimer]

After looking at the webpage for your Notebook Gateway 7330gz The specs and downloads, you are right there is no options for BIOS upgrade and absolutely no BIOS even the original one is there to download if needed.

I notice that your Notebook as an exterior VGA port to connect an exterior Screen, if you have one available maybe you should try to connect it and see if you will see any BIOS post on it.

You said that your original motherboard was for an AMD socket and that you bought this motherboard with the Intel chipset to replace it, was is a new motherboard or a used one.

If a new one I would return it to make it be checked if a used one maybe it is not working properly (if BIOS is corrupted). Your CPU is the excat type that goes on that motherboard.

You have 2 USB ports to connect a mouse and a keyboard and and exterior VGA port to connect a screen, you can do your bench test with those connected before you reconnect everything else on the motherboard.

[alysher1]

i had already connected an external monitor and no dice. guess i forgot to mention that

i got the new to me mobo off ebay...it was used

and when i connected the external monitor all i had was the the mobo in the base and fan/heatsink attached....

now, what should i do?

[Alzeimer]

Is your Notebook still undone and not reassemble, if yes check if you can remove the CMOS Bateery to try to reset your BIOS to its factory default. I am not sure how a gateway would reset by only removing the battery (leave it out for a minimum of 10 minutes, more if possible)or you have a reset button after removing the battery but check closely to see, after you think it is reset

If you are able, then try to start it, if you get activity but no display then try with your Notebook keyboard plug in to Press the FN + F4 key to toggle between your LCD screen and the exterior display option.

Other possibility is a defective GPU so no display possible

[alysher1]

ok, i have done everything suggested...

removed cmos battery for half an hour....

no reset button...of course no jumpers for cmos clear, but on the amd boards removing the battery for that long did clear it.

no new activity of any sort...

and still no external display

so its either defective gpu or corrupt bad bios...

the ebay sellers for both new to me mobos have rma procedures....should i take that option?

[Macboatmaster]

the ebay sellers for both new to me mobos have rma procedures....should i take that option?

Well, you can of course try it, I rate your chance of success -unfortunately - about ZERO

The only aspect I see is

when i purchased the first motherboard i got a processor that was suppose to go in it(a intel p4 3.06ghz with HT) which after checking again may have been the wrong item( specs say a Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 532 with HT)

now its been my experence that most processors of the same socket type will work so why wont the motherboard post?

So you originally tried with the incorrect processor

and this

when plugged in the laptop immediately turns on....this is NOT suppose to happen

suggests to me a power issue.
http://www.uofr.net/...roubleshooting/

[Alysher]

ok, to avoid confusion here i am letting you know know that alysher1 and myself are one person and the same (reason for the seperate accounts was cause i was having issues logging in with my primary account. its only half fixed atm, but at least i can use my account now!)

Well, you can of course try it, I rate your chance of success -unfortunately - about ZERO

why zero? i have decent experences with most ebay sellers, especially the ones that have big companys backing them. i have had to rma a few parts, and most always when i get the replacement part it works right. ebay buyer protection at work there!

So you originally tried with the incorrect processor

yes, but if you had paid attention, you would have read that i only tried that processor in the first board, and upon getting a proccessor that is on the compatibility sheets for BOTH boards i ended up with the same exact issue. and out of both boards no less. so to summarize....

theses combinations

• 7330gz motherboard and the Mobile Pentium 4 HT 3.06(first processor i bought)
• 7330gz motherboard and the Mobile Pentium 4 HT 532 (processor ment for board)
• m520 motherboard and the Mobile Pentium 4 HT 532 (Processor listed as one compatible for board)

all had the same exact response....

• when plugged in the laptop immediately turns on....this is NOT suppose to happen
• first thing that happens is that the fans turn on and spin up. then stop....dont know if this is suppose to happen or not suppose to happen
• when on the it checks for hard drive...if no hard drive the access light stays on(not SOP), if there is a hard drive the numlock and caps lock lights flash(SOP)
• next the cdrom does a self check and I THINK would check and load a cd if there was one there(haven't checked this)
• the lcd would then power up but nothing shows up on screen.

as for the power issue, i did a check of both the old adapter and the new one i bought to complete the second identical laptop i have and both tested good, so i doubt its a power issue....besides normaly with gateway laptops(others as well i believe) they shut off if there is a power issue, not turn on...

[Macboatmaster]

why zero? i have decent experences with most ebay sellers, especially the ones that have big companys backing them. i have had to rma a few parts, and most always when i get the replacement part it works right. ebay buyer protection at work there!

Well, I hope it does work for you.
I use ebay a lot.
You will not have difficulty with the RMA of course, but I will be surprised - pleasantly so for you, if you obtain a replacement.

but if you had paid attention

I did pay attention, and I find it a liitle strange, that you word it that way, when I was trying to help you

That is why I quoted you about IN THE FIRST motherboard.

and, as I said, if it turns on, without pressing the power button, then you either have a power isue, maybe inside the laptop, or you have something connected incorrectly OR the motherboard circuitry has been damaged.

and as it is now happening on both boards, I still suspect that the boards were NOT faulty and it is something you have done, or indeed not done.

Unfortunately, problems such as this are really beyond the scope of online help.

Nevertheless I wish you the best of luck

[Alysher]

actually i have had replacements come...and working ones at that! we shall see what comes of the rma's tho....

since i have this topic open, and that i had mentioned it on my first post, i still have the motherboard that is unstable when running windows, and am curious as to what if anything i can do with it.....

can i use this thread to discuss it, or should i open a new one?

[Macboatmaster]

Please continue here

[Alysher]

ok, i have a gateway 7426gx motherboard and matching processor. the new to me motherboards were going to replace this, but.....

anyways when i got the laptop i started doing upgrades....it originally had only 512mb ram in it(2x 256 mb) now for some reason the spec sheets for the laptops are off....they all say that the max supported ram is 1024mb, but in all actuality it is possible to upgrade to 2gb(2x1gb). now at the time i had only one 1gb chip that i could use, so i upgraded the system to 1.25gb and ran it for nearly 3 years with no issues. back in march i decided that i wanted to upgrade further, and went ahead and bought a second 1gb chip. when i installed the chip in the laptop i started having issues with windows...and ONLY windows. (win7....dont know if this issue happens on xp, but i dont really want to go back to xp either)

issues were random BSOD.....anything from page faults to attempting to write to a protected file....and freezing when loading windows

i attempted to reinstall windows 7......still same issue

i figured that the chip was bad, and was able to get a new one.... Same thing happened....

at this point i was really frustrated and decided to just drop the ram back down to 512mb......and hope that it would fix the issue. this did not happen......

so, i guess my question is now, did i fry this motherboard somehow, or should i go back and test windows xp and see if the issue is still there?

Edited by Alysher, 29 August 2012 - 06:09 PM.