am I right my motherboard is dead?

[coyote2]

Please let me know if I've correctly diagnosed that I must throw this old ca. 2004 PC away (it's my newest one!).

ASUSTek NAGAMI2L 2.0 (Asus A8N-LA) specs at https://support.hp.com/th-en/document/c00683208#AbT1
AMD Athlon 64 X2 2.4 GHz Dual Core 4800+

It doesn't do much:

A few things plugged into the motherboard are powered:  a case light next to the power button illuminates (the light is plugged into the motherboard), the CPU fan spins, and a fan next to it connected to the mobo spins), and it's USB ports will light the LED on my USB mic.
However:
None of my other USB or PS/2 peripherals light.

No sound when powered on (never listened before, but I assume there was some kind of post sound before).

No video signal via motherboard VGA or GPU DVI. (Cables and monitors tested AOK with 2nd PC.)

PSU is AOK since no change from swapping in identical PSU from 2nd PC. (So of course PSU will spin fans via molex.)

Removing, re-seating GPU doesn't help (years ago this did once solve a video signal issue).

Tried removing RAM, and putting just one (tried a few) stick in DIMM1 nearest CPU.

Tried removing all peripherals and cards, then trying things one at a time.

16-year old PC. I wish I'd had time to replace it before now, but everything is backed up.

[Prométhée]

Hello
if you try to start with the minimum:
one screen, keyboard / mouse, 1 memory module, no graphics card
From the start try to enter the bios ..
if there is no sign only the fan is spinning, nothing happens, indeed, it is likely that it is the motherboard.

[coyote2]

My profound thanks, Prométhée, that was very helpful!

I'm not sure I tried exactly that config but now I have and nothing happens.

That you said "likely" the motherboard makes me wonder: (I know it is less likely for a CPU to die but) would I get similar symptoms if it were the CPU that died?  (Or can one also not get anything, any BIOS or VGA, with a dead CPU but good motherboard?)  I'd love to be able to find the CPU a new home if the symptoms don't point at it (particularly since it's the best CPU for this socket).

[Prométhée · Accepted solution]

If you have another problem, for example a problem with a memory module, or even the processor, the motherboard should give a series of beeps.
If there is nothing, it is more than possible that the motherboard is out of order, only I cannot confirm anything
It could just be a corrupted bios problem, but with desktop PCs there is no such thing as a "simple" procedure.
Sometimes you have to use tools, reprogram the bios chip, it is not done like that
Your computer is no longer very young, it is not worth the trouble, I think to pay costs!
At best go see a specialist, he can make a repair estimate, but I doubt that this is valid given the age of the computer.

[coyote2]

Thank you very much, Prométhée, I completely agree, I'm not inclined to do anything to salvage this motherboard.

I simply wanted to establish some likelihood that other components might be OK since there's a couple components some one out there might get use of if I put 'em on eBay (of course with a No-DOA guarantee, and explanation they were working when the mobo died).  (Specifically, someone might like the 4800+ CPU, and someone else might like the GPU (Sapphire Radeon HD 3850 AGP.)

Oh, and thanks again for my primary concern, which was confirmation that it's time to consider my mobo dead and move on with replacing it!

[Prométhée]