Your computer’s motherboard is a critical component that plays a major part in what other components you can and can’t install. Motherboards have a reputation for being finicky to troubleshoot, however, which keeps some PC enthusiasts fearful of ever touching it, let alone attempting to replace one. On rare occasions, you might even have motherboard issues with a new PC — these include random reboots, refusing to boot up, and continual crashes citing fatal exceptions, illegal operations, and general protection fault error messages.
Fortunately, some of the most common problems you can run into with your motherboard are relatively easy to fix. You just need to be patient.
Not enough power
Yes, listing “check the power” as the first step in any guide is a bit cliché, but it’s an absolute must here as motherboards have not just one power connection but two. There’s a main 20-to-24-pin connector and a second four- or eight-pin connector hidden away by the processor socket. Many people forget the second connector — we’ve done it before in our early PC building days, so you should check to make sure that both are plugged in correctly. Unplug and plug them back in if you’re unsure how well fitted they are.
Make sure both plugs are fully seated and properly matched with the correct power supply cords. This will solve many issues, particularly those that crop up when installing a new motherboard for the first time. You should also consider running hardware and utility diagnostics if it is possible to do so on your PC, such as the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool, CPU-Z, and PassMark Performance Test.
Improperly installed components
Components can cause a motherboard to malfunction if they’re not properly installed. Your computer might not get through POST (a self test mechanism that PCs use during boot-up) in some cases. Potential culprits include the processor, video card, and RAM.
Improper seating of the video card and RAM are the most likely sources of your problems, because issues in those areas are easy to overlook. Examine the video card, and make sure that it’s evenly seated across the width of the PCI-Express slot. Then, give it a firm downward push, just to be sure.
The Two plastic wings are attached to each RAM slot and should snap onto the sides. These should be standing upright 90 degrees from the motherboard’s surface and securely inserted around the tabs found on each side of your RAM sticks. If one or both wings are slightly askew, the RAM isn’t properly installed.
Properly installing a processor is much more difficult but worth checking if you’re really stumped. The pins and the slot on the processor and motherboard must be properly lined up. Once inserted, the processor should sit flat on the socket’s surface. The processor’s heatsink should also attach firmly.
For more help on installing or reinstalling a processor, check out our guides to installing Intel and AMD CPUs.
A short circuit
Motherboards are filled with capacitors and soldered connections that route data and power from one part of the board to another. As you may have noticed, the motherboard is held aloft from the PC case by a series of screw-in “standoffs” that are about a quarter-inch thick. These exist because the motherboard can short if it makes contact with other metallic components — causing the capacitors to blow out, bulge, and even leak fluid — which makes performing a physical inspection of components crucial to diagnosing issues. However, unless you are extremely confident with your skills with a soldering gun, replacing your capacitors is best left to professionals.
A motherboard experiencing a short may not get through POST, may complete POST but then behave erratically, or may boot but then crash at random. A failure to pass the POST process is the most frequent symptom, but other situations can occur even if only occasional contact is made between the motherboard and the case.
Examine how your motherboard is installed. Check that you used the standoffs that keep the motherboard from contacting the case and ensure that any unsupported portions of the motherboard haven’t bent toward the case’s interior. You should also ensure that any internal wires are adequately protected with a rubber or plastic outer.
No case power button connection
The power button on a computer’s case connects to the motherboard through a small, thin two-pin wire. Without this important but easy-to-miss connection, your computer won’t start. That’s because the motherboard never receives the command to do so if you press the power button when the wire isn’t connected to the proper pins on your motherboard. Hard to believe that a bent or misaligned pin could cause you so much grief, but with a steady hand and steely resolve, this issue can be remedied. Note that attempting to straighten pins can easily cause them to break and require you to replace components like your CPU, so think long and hard before trying it yourself.
Connecting the power switch can be complicated. Unlike so many other motherboard connectors, which are designed to make improper installation impossible, the power button connector usually is labeled only with small symbols like Pwr+ and Pwr-. Matters are made worse by the fact that the front power button’s connection is part of a cluster of connections, so accidentally connecting power to pins that control the reset button or hard drive light are easy mistakes to make.
To solve this issue, you’ll need the manual to confirm where the power button connector goes, and you (might) need a magnifying glass to properly align the connection with the pins. If you can’t find your manual, your motherboard’s manufacturer should have a PDF version of it on the company’s site. Just search for your motherboard’s model number.
UEFI/BIOS hardware incompatibility
The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) connect your PC’s firmware to its operating system. They help remind your computer what it is and what it’s supposed to do when first turned on, and that includes spotting any hardware errors.
Motherboards ship from the factory with a BIOS or UEFI that can handle contemporary hardware, but they’re not guaranteed to work with any hardware that gets released after they ship. That means you can have a new processor that isn’t compatible with the hardware you’re using due to an issue with new developments since the motherboard was manufactured. You will likely have to update to a BIOS or UEFI for it to function.
If this happens, your computer might refuse to boot your operating system after POSTing, or it might not POST at all. Fortunately, there is an easy solution to this issue. You’ll take a step backward by re-installing the old hardware you had disabled to troubleshoot your problem. When you get your computer back to that status, reboot it. Once the old hardware’s in, you can boot your computer, go to your motherboard manufacturer’s website, and find the latest BIOS/UEFI version. Once the BIOS/UEFI version has been installed, you can then reinstall your new hardware.
Conclusion
There are a few extra steps involved when you’re trying to troubleshoot a motherboard compared to other tech issues, but it’s a crucial skill to learn if you plan to build and repair your PC. The experience you gain by replacing your motherboard gives you the potential to use the same computer for a decade (or more) by replacing the internals when necessary. Rest assured that the issues we’ve mentioned above are common occurrences with foolhardy solutions that may test your patience but will ultimately work. That said, if you feel like you’re in over your head, you can always consult an expert, whether that means bringing your computer to a certified technician or calling the manufacturer.
FAQ:
Q: What is a motherboard?
A: A motherboard is the main circuit board in a computer that connects all the other components.
Q: How do I know if my motherboard is faulty?
A: If your computer is not turning on or is experiencing frequent crashes or freezes, it may be a sign that your motherboard is faulty.
Q: Can I fix a faulty motherboard myself?
A: It is not recommended to try and fix a faulty motherboard yourself, as it can be a complex repair that requires specialized tools and knowledge.
Q: How do I replace a faulty motherboard?
A: To replace a faulty motherboard, you will need to purchase a new one that is compatible with your computer and transfer all the components from the old motherboard to the new one.
Q: Should I replace my motherboard or buy a new computer?
A: If your computer is old and outdated, it may be more cost-effective to buy a new computer rather than replacing the motherboard.
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