Why Does My PC Chips M326 Only POST Approximately Every Other Power-Up? Better Yet, Can We Fix That?

[jdmcs]

I realize the answer could be that I bought a PC Cheaps... I mean, PC Chips motherboard on eBay, and a 50% POST-on-power-up ratio should be considered good. However, this issue could extend to other boards, and maybe there is another issue that is the cause.

I have a PC Chips M326 V2.7 motherboard, for no other reason than it provided many in my generation the first affordable computer. About half of the time, it will boot on power-up. However, the other half of the time, it will fail to start to POST (as determined by a POST card).

Thinking the issue had to do with the original capacitors, I have already attempted a re-cap of the motherboard with no success.

Maybe this is just the reality for a board so cheap. But maybe some of you have also seen this issue with the same or other motherboards, and might have found another cause to the issue... or maybe you'll suggest a fix that I had not considered.

 

[jdmcs]

My PC Chips M326 motherboard is now dead. I believe the root cause was plugging the AMD 386 40MHz processor I had in incorrectly one too many times, as it is mounted on a PQFP to PGA adapter board that requires careful attention to the pin 1 indicators. I one too many time fell for aligning PQFP pin 1 with PGA pin 1...

A contributing factor may also include managing to plug the 387DX in incorrectly one too many times due to an obstructed view within the case I was using. Also, that 387DX is also dead, as they are apparently less tolerant of being incorrectly inserted than is the AMD 386DX that I have...