HP PRO 3400 Series desktop won't boot, CPU fan starts and stops , no video, no beeps

[Maxgle]

I have the above computer with an i3-2125 CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit, and a 300GB Seagate Hard drive.  I've had it for about 2 years and been working fine. It started acting up about 2 months ago.  It would lose the date and time.  I checked the battery, and it was OK, so I kept using the computer.  Then on 9/15/2014 it hung on "Starting Windows", I did the following:

1.  Ran the built in HP diagnostic on hard drive and memory and they both passed.

2.  Tried to go to last known good configuration and nothing happened.

3.  Noticed the date and time were off, replaced the battery, nothing changed.

4.  Tried another hard drive from another HP PRO 3400 Series and it would boot up but could not set date in bios.

5.  Tried all kinds of things but could not set date in bios.

      a.  Bios date read 48/00/0048 after removing and replacing battery.

      b,  Tried to reset date to 9/16/2914 and it gets 56/00/0051

6.  Then it wouldn't boot at all.   So now when you turn on the power, the CPU fan starts and runs for about 1 second, then shuts off for 4 seconds, then starts and runs for another 1 sec and it does this continuously.  There is  no video and no beeps and no difference when all memory is removed.

7.  I removed the power supply, and checked voltages.  It appears to be OK.

8.  I removed the motherboard, and inspected it- saw nothing obvious.

9.  I connected the power supply to the motherboard with nothing else connected to the motherboard, and I get the same thing.  CPU fan starts then stops continuously, no video no beeps. I connected another power supply, and got the same thing.

10.  I am thinking it is the Motherboard or CPU, but I sure could use some suggestions as to what to do next.

Thanks

Maxgle from CA

[Ghost-]

Hi,

did u try remove the RAM and power on the unit without RAM ?

did there was any beep sound coming from the motherboard ? ( must plug in internal Speaker)

thanks.

ghost

Please mark my post as SOLVED if it has resolved your problem. It helps others with similar situations.

[Maxgle]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I tried removing the memory.  No beeps, no Video.

Yesterday, I went over to a friend who has the same computer.  I put my memory in his computer, and his worked fine.  I then put my CPU in his computer, and again his computer worked fine.   So I am becoming more and more convinced that it is the motherboard.

Is there anyway to do a hard reset of the motherboard.  I have taken out the battery, cleared the CMOS, but is there anything else I should try.

Thanks again.

Maxgle from CA

[Maxgle]

Solved.  After trying everything and waiting, I ordered a new Gigabyte MB, put it on a bench, put in my old CPU (i3-2125), my old memory, connected up the power supply, touched the front panel contacts, and it started up correctly.  I then put everyhting back in the case and it has been working now for about 4 days.  The MB I purchased was a Gigabyte H61M-USB3H-LGA1155 from Newegg for $57.73 incl. tax and shipping.  The reasons I ordered this MB were that it would fit in my case, had the right socket so I could use my old CPU and took the same memory that I had.  The lowest price I found on an HP MB was $220.

So it  was the MB, even though I could see no damage to the MB.  I guess I knew something was amiss when I could not set the date in the bios, which was the first time I have ever seen that.

Thanks for all the responses that I got.

Maxgle from CA