The motherboard is an essential component of a PC. The efficiency and health of your motherboard are something you may not realize when using your PC daily.
When users have difficulties with their PCs, they frequently blame a defective motherboard. But how do you know it’s a motherboard problem and not something else?
How to check the health of my motherboard? This will be the subject of our discussion. Make sure you go through this post to avoid misdiagnosing an issue.
Importance Of Motherboard
We can’t overlook the reality that the motherboard is the most crucial part of a PC since it connects numerous other components such as the central processing unit (CPU), RAM, and input and output devices.
By using the human brain as an example, you can see how vital the motherboard is because, just as the brain maintains balance, the motherboard does the same. That’s why it is essential to check motherboard health.
Ways To Check Health Of Motherboard
The major topic we’re talking about today is how to check motherboard health. Let’s move on to the symptoms of a faulty motherboard.
PCI-E Ports
This is a difficult one to narrow down. If your GPU ceases operating or you see unusual visual abnormalities on the screen (especially when gaming), it might be a defective PCI-E slot or even the GPU itself.
To begin, you should upgrade your GPU drivers & reinstall them if needed to ensure that the issue isn’t simply a software issue with the graphics card. If it fails, try inserting the GPU into a different slot to see whether the issue resurfaces.
If this doesn’t fix the issue, then it is clear that the slot from which you removed it is most likely defective. You might try upgrading your motherboard BIOS to see if that fixes the issue, but if that doesn’t work, you might have to check into a replacement.
RAM Slots
If your system beeps when you switch it on and slows down with time, you might have a RAM issue. However, it is possible that the issue is not with the RAM itself but with the RAM slots.
To test this, open your PC, remove a stick of RAM, and then turn it again on to check whether it functions properly. Continue doing so till your computer fails again. If this happens, try placing the RAM in some other RAM slot.
If the computer starts acting up once more, you realize that the problem is in the RAM stick. If the PC functions normally, you know it’s the RAM slot, and the motherboard is not working properly.
Power Supply Unit
The power supply unit (PSU) is equally critical as the motherboard. Despite this, many users pay little attention to it, even when their machine dies.
Fundamentally, a PSU gives electricity to your computer. If it fails to do so or is out of specification, it can cause lasting system damage. If the load is too large for the PSU, the system’s power supply will be inadequate, causing serious damage to other components.
As a result, you must utilize a high-quality power supply. Consult your motherboard documentation for instructions on how to check the PSU voltage using the BIOS menu. There are additional software utilities available from motherboard makers that can do this function.
If you have another PSU that is known to operate, try it in your system to check if the present PSU is just dead or malfunctioning. Several connected peripherals might cause the system to overload, so detach non-essential components like the optical drive or video card to verify if the computer works smoothly.
If it does work smoothly, then the problem is with the PSU. Alternatively, if it does not work, the motherboard can be at fault.
USB Ports
Examine the gadgets in various ports to determine if they function appropriately. If they do, you realize there’s a problem with the USB slot. You can check for keyboards and mice in multiple ports prior to being discarded.
But don’t start blaming your motherboard yet. Go to Device Manager on your PC, keep scrolling to “Universal Serial Bus controllers,” and see which ports have exclamation marks beside them.
If this is the case, right-click it and select Update Driver.
Although if there’s not an exclamation point (like in the image above), you should attempt the Upgrade Drivers option to be sure. Alternatively, you may right-click each one of the USB port drivers individually and select “Scan for Hardware Changes.”
Lastly, you might try removing each USB driver individually then rebooting your PC to compel it to reinstall them.
If any of these do not help, the issue is most likely with your motherboard’s hardware.
Video Ports (HDMI, VGI, DVI) Not Working
Suppose the multimedia outcomes are also not operating when connected to your motherboard. In that case, the very first thing to keep in mind is that if you’ve got a GPU within your PC, neither of that will work. That’s because, by default, your computer turns off its motherboard access points if there are GPU slots accessible. (This parameter may be changed in the BIOS).
If the problem persists, go to Device Manager, under Monitors, right-click “Nonexclusive PnP Monitor,” and carefully try every option, including “Output for equipment changes, too,” “Update driver software,” and simply “Uninstall gadget.”
Furthermore, when you do uninstall your display, restart the computer to enable it to reload, and then test it to see if it performs. If none of this functions, you’re looking at a damaged motherboard, and it’s a good opportunity to start looking for that assured data.
Blue/Black Screen
The Blue/Black Screen of Death (BSoD) indicates that there is indeed trouble with the mobo, which might be already dead. It’s a malfunction that indicates that your windows have been paused, but the system has a flaw.
In almost all of the cases, it signals an issue with the hardware or the driver, but it might also be the motherboard, so keep that in mind as well.
Burning Smell
If your system frequently gives a burning smell, this might signify a motherboard breakdown.
This smell is recognized when there is excessive overheating, which can be caused by any unsuitable part of the board.
Conclusion
Motherboards are complex, but all these measures will help to check motherboard health. Open your computer to determine whether the problem is with the board or other PC components.
When you do access your system, make certain that all wires, cards, and so on are correctly plugged in since a loose connection causes most issues.
