POST cards - Useful?

[bigbeark]

Anyone have any experience using POST cards?

Do they just tell you your motherboard is shot, or is it posiible to identify problems and fix them using the card diagnostics. Will they tell you if you have a corrupted BIOS?

Are there any good cards out there? How much $.

[stj]

Re: POST cards - Useful?

useless but very cheap from deal extreme.

if the card can run, it will either tell you something unrepairable like the northbridge is dead, or the pc will run.

look at the list of post errors - ask yourself how many of those are repairable!

i'm not putting the cards down, i'm just saying they are about as usefull as an obd2 scanner is to an average car owner.

[brethin]

Re: POST cards - Useful?

useless but very cheap from deal extreme.

if the card can run, it will either tell you something unrepairable like the northbridge is dead, or the pc will run.

look at the list of post errors - ask yourself how many of those are repairable!

i'm not putting the cards down, i'm just saying they are about as usefull as an obd2 scanner is to an average car owner.

Totally disagree, Post cards if you know the post codes and what they mean can tell you a ton of info.

I use a cheap 2 digit post card and it does the codes for the top 5 bios makers and it has saved me many hours trouble shooting since it gives you a starting point.

[Spitz]

Re: POST cards - Useful?

Totally disagree, Post cards if you know the post codes and what they mean can tell you a ton of info.
I use a cheap 2 digit post card and it does the codes for the top 5 bios makers and it has saved me many hours trouble shooting since it gives you a starting point.

I agree, they will let you know what is happening before you get a display. Using the codes will alert you to bad memory, video cards and video card memory. They also monitor power supply and display if one of the voltages is out. If you work on a lot of systems they are a must have tool.