I'm not too worried about my prism card. The game did briefly work when I first got it and it's clearly the motherboard/CPU that refuses to boot now (by testing prism-less with a VGA monitor). I just can't be certain if the problem is the motherboard or the CPU.

I've already been told by a fellow member that they were too nervous to let me try my CPU in their machine. So I guess I should buy a new CPU at the same time to be safe?

I would try and isolate the motherboard issue the way you are attempting to now by booting without the Prism on a std monitor. What do you have to lose now? The CPU can be readily found, they were used extensively in Compaq laptops.

Let's face it. Strip all the pinball related stuff and you have a single board computer to deal with. Seems like the simplified method to trouble shoot it to me.

So the CPU is less rare? The selling the mobo said he'd include a CPU for $20, I may as well just ask for that. Considering my mobo had bulging caps, it makes me think the mobo is the issue. I did replace the caps though. Unless... by running the mobo with the bad caps that first night, it fried the CPU. If you recall, I was able to start the system eventually, and used it for a couple hours until it all of a sudden shut off and wouldn't start again. Now that I fixed the mobo, maybe all I need is a good CPU. Argh, I'm so confused.

Could I stick the CPU into another socket 7 mobo to test it? Anyone got a space Cryix MediaGX CPU?

The odds of your cpu is very rare i would bet on the board myself.
Cpu normally don't die unless of extreme heat.

Quoted from ethous

Cpu normally don't die unless of extreme heat.

Any physical signs of heat? Is the fan still working?

CPU fan is working like a champ.

If you hook a speaker to the mobo does it generate beep codes? Beep codes usually use the IBM legacy standard. Not going to tell you much if you get the One Long, One short but at least you know the problem lies in the board itself.

Beep Code:                        Description of Problem:
No Beeps                         Short, No power, Bad CPU/MB, Loose Peripherals
One Beep                        Everything is normal and Computer POSTed fine
Two Beeps                        POST/CMOS Error
One Long Beep,                 One Short Beep      Motherboard Problem
One Long Beep,                 Two Short Beeps      Video Problem
One Long Beep,                 Three Short Beeps      Video Problem
Three Long Beeps            Keyboard Error
Repeated Long Beeps          Memory Error
Continuous Hi-Lo Beeps          CPU Overheating

I tried testing for beep codes by wiring some headphones to it, but no luck

I have 2 questions
The ear phone jack is not the jack you want that's your sound card there not the same on the MB there should be a section to plug in a speaker it's a 4 pin connector but only use 2 wires.
Also is the voltage to your MB 100% correct?
Because some mb are a pain in the rear if the voltage is off just a little.

Yup, I had attached the headphones to the PC speaker pins on the mobo, not the sound card port. We did this all at work, and we're a bunch of computer geeks, so we tried all the tricks. There was apparently someone with a POST card that can spit out motherboard boot process to serial, but he's out of town

i've also tried booting with different power supplies, so I doubt that's the cause either.

To me sounds like a bad mb something is shorted out.
I have seen those motherboards for sale localy before but that was 5 years ago and that company is bankrupt and gone.
But you never know pc recyclers are the best place to look.

The Guy I told you about has Fans, I bought a spare at the time I bought my Mother Board, Nice little unit! Make sure you get one of those too.

The guys name is "Borygard" on RGP, Rob Anthony, Real good guy!

Dave