Warning: Long Post ok, a few months ago my computer blew (hit the power switch and nothing will come on, not even the PSU fan), so i called Cyberpowerpc and tried to see if my warrenty covered replacements based on my story and they told me they wouldn't, so i was left with a brand new dead computer. At this point i had no money to use so for the past few months i've been using my laptop when i really needed a comp and just let my other one gather dust, well now i have saved enough money back to dedicate to the restoration of my computer. See i checked everything i could from the dead computer on an older one i have, what still works: HDD, GPU, case fans, ram, PSU, CD drives, case lights. As i stated before, nothing was coming on in the computer or even making a noise including the fans and lights. for some reason tonight i decided to play around to just to see if i could get it to come on, so i plugged all the components from the blown computer to the PSU and put the main lead from the psu on the mobo of my old computer and everything came on, but i noticed something wierd, if i pressed the power button on my blown computer it turned off the system. I let the power run to all the components and had another PSU plugged into the main connection on the blown computer. after about 10 min i unplugged the main lead from the working computer and put it in the blown computer. to my suprise when i tried to power it up, the computer came on. HDD spun up, lights came on, but no video displays on the monitor. upon closer inspection of the motherboard i have found the chip that has blown; its near the first PCI slot on my mobo near the bottom of the board where the faulty internal card reader was hooked up at which i believe blew my computer in the fisrt place (long story). I think you have to have a processor onboard the Mobo for it to even start up right, so does the comp coming on mean that my CPU must still be intact? if all i have to do is shell out $100 or so dollars on a new mobo ill be happy, but if i have to also replace the CPU ill be pissed. so question is: is it possible to power up a computer with a blown or damaged CPU?

I guess it depends upon what you mean by 'power up a computer'. You can have some lights on and fans running without a good CPU, but you will not get a display or an initial POST beep. Do yourself a favor BACKUP!

what about if just the Mobo is blown, cause i know for a fact that its screwed up. will you still be able to see the display?

what i mean to say is that other people have complained about no video after their mobos had blown but their processors were still ok. I guess all i can do is buy a new Mobo and see for myself

Some problems on the motherboard 'might' let the system come up. But there will be problems with the system. Normally you need a fully functioning motherboard. The 'Power On Self Test' makes a pretty good check of the motherboard, and it will normally beep a lot if some circuits on the motherboard aren't working. But if the parts of the motherboard that contain the bios and CPU aren't functioning, then it's completely dead and you won't even get the POST beep. Do yourself a favor BACKUP!