Beep at startup

[Ulex]

Hi, 

I’m having problems with booting my desktop. 

The day after I normally used my computer, I tried to boot it again and ran into boot problems. After having pressed the power button, the desktop emits 3 long beeps, than 2 short beeps and then other 3 beeps, and this process is repeated 5 times. I followed the guide posted by HP but nothing worked. 

I tried to disconnect the power cable, then pressed the power button to make the last current vanish and then I tried to take off some of my pc components, such as GPU and RAM, but nothing worked. 

I even tried to replace my 1080 GTX with my old 1060 GTX but didn’t work yet.

It’s been now three days that I’m encountering this problem, even if last time it happened I just left the pc off and the day after it started working again.

I’d like to clarify that the desktop has no dust and is not exposed to critical conditions. 

Please answer as soon as possible cause I need my pc to work. 
Thank you!

[itsmyname]

@Ulex --  last time it happened I just left the pc off and the day after it started working again.

You could have an "intermittent" problem with the motherboard -- when it gets warm, it malfunctions.

When it is "cold", it works. You may need to replace the motherboard.

[Ulex]

Hi,

appreciate to receive your answer.

If I understood your theory, then It is a problem of the motherboard. I’m not an expert, but I was wandering if I could use one of those motherboard testers that display the problem occurring in the computer. Could it be useful?

Furthermore, couldn’t it be even a problem of ram? Maybe when the current got cut off while the pc was still running, the ram encountered some problems or maybe even the processor.

Since is a quite important spent the one of the motherboard (which I can’t find on the internet, the Higos 8309), I’d like to get a clear explication of the most probable cases and then act as a consequence.

If you could and if you had time (otherwise no problem), could you suggest me a replaceable motherboard that has the same or similar characteristics of mine? 

Thank you in advance 😊

[itsmyname · Accepted solution]

@Ulex -- a few responses:

#1:  I have never used such a "motherboard tester". So, I have no idea whether that would be helpful.

However, my understanding is that such a tester would identify a "permanent" fault, not an "intermittent" fault.

#2A: a free program, such as downloaded from www.memtest.org will run extensive tests of the RAM.

#2B: when you power-on the computer, immediately tap the ESC key, until a menu appears. Choose "run HP Hardware Diagnostics" to test the RAM and the processor.

#3: given the "intermittent" nature of the fault, I think that the most probable cause is the motherboard.

#4: given the "proprietary" nature of most HP motherboards, there really is no alternative, other than purchasing a "bare-bone" system (case, power-supply, front-panel) and "cannibalizing" your disk-drive, CD/DVD, and RAM from the current computer, and purchasing a new license for Windows 10.