CPU, MoBo, Ram....Two of the Three Are Junk, But Which Two?

[sjaguar13]

My computer has been giving me crap for 2 weeks. First, it failed the CPU test. Then, it wouldn't stay on. I had an Asus A7V333 and an AMD Athlon XP 2200 in computer, but I took it apart. It was working at the time. I now want to put it back together. I needed some RAM, so I bought some off eBay, 2700 DDR. With the RAM, CPU, and Mobo, the best I could get is the turning off thing a couple seconds after pushing the power button. I took apart another computer to test parts. Using the CPU (AMD Athlon XP 1300), it passed the CPU test, but failed the memory test. I tried the RAM out of the working computer, which also failed. I tried the 2200 CPU in the working computer with the new RAM, and it gets the turning off thing, too. I tried it with the old RAM that came out of that computer, and it still turns off.

I am thinking that the motherboard and the CPU are junk. Should I be looking for new ones, or is there something I am not doing right?

[kram 2.0]

What is your Power Supply? It's best to go one at a time with looking at fault components.

Hope that helps,
kram

[sjaguar13]

First time - Gateway 250 watt
Second time - a 300 watt PSU that came with a used case from eBay
On the working computer - some generic 300 watt

[WhatsThisBoxFor?]

Generic power supplies are bad, they are normally very low quality. Get a decent Enlight etc in there.

[sjaguar13]

You think the power supply is the problem?

[WhatsThisBoxFor?]

It could be, and you can't rule it out, a dodgy power supply can cause odd problems. If the parts work in other machines then it could be the psu.