Computer broke

[ewx]

My computer's been hanging, usually overnight, on some of the hotter days lately. The usual pattern is that it then won't start up again for several hours (presumably still cooling down). Yesterday it hung again in the afternoon. I tried replacing the thermal transfer pad between the CPU and heatsink with some silver-based heat transfer goop that Mobbsy lent me, but now it won't start up at all. If it's been off for a while then the group of four LEDs that count up through the boot get either to five or six, after that they stick at zero for a while. I don't know that the CPU is permanently damaged, but it's rather looking that way.

I might try applying the heat transfer stuff again, in case it was too thin or badly distributed the first time; or buy the cheapest compatible CPU and try with that; or just take the whole thing back to WOC and ask them how much to fix it. Decisions, decisions. I'd try the first but I'm getting really fed up of fiddling around inside computers.

Comments

[simonb.livejournal.com]

What type and speed of CPU is it ? Normally if a CPU dies for thermal reasons it dies... especially if its an Althon. It could be that your m/b is vaguely intelligent and is sensing the death of the CPU.

I've got a couple of rather unsubtle Althon coolers and fans here going spare if you're interested. One is quite nice, but is rather noisy. The other is better, but requires your motherboard to have mounting holes around the CPU socket as its rather large and takes an 80mm fan. Both are aimed at overclockers so are suitable for paranoid cooling of Althons :)

[ewx.livejournal.com]

1GHz Athlon. My assumption was that the mb was detecting high temperature and shutting everything down. (Unless I can get it going again, and that's looking unlikely - the LEDs are only going as high as five now, if they get off zero) either the temperature was finally too high, or it overheated once too often, or I screwed up when changing thermal transfer layer.

80mm would be extremely cramped, at least if it needs that much space down to near the mb.

I'm leaning torwards the "take it back to WOC" theory. If I did screw up then I'd rather have them do a proper job of fixing it rather than try a replacement CPU and torch that too.

[simonb.livejournal.com]

It depends on the motherboard; older Althon motherboards don't have an auto-shutdown feature. Not that many modern Althon motherboards have that feature when it comes down to it (ASUS and Abit boards tend to, but only the recent ones). Have you looked up what the diagnostic LEDs are reporting back to you ?

Only one of the CPU coolers is an 80mm one; the other takes a 60mm fan and is the more regular CPU cooler size.

Taking it back to WOC sounds like it could be good plan.

[ewx.livejournal.com]

It is now in WOC's capable hands...

[simonb.livejournal.com]

*smile*

I have to admit that for a decent local PC shop (i.e. not Cambridge Con Artists) WOC have very competive prices, even when compared to online PC suppliers.

When my monitor finally gives out (which it will soon from the looks of things) I'll be getting a nice TFT screen from them as they are only £10-20 more expensive than the online places I normally buy from... and with TFT screens where dead pixels et al are a problem, its highly useful to have someone local to talk to :) When I get around to getting a laptop I'll get from WOC for the same reason.