No power after cleaning CPU Fan - troubleshooting steps?

csts

Reputable
May 2, 2014
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4,510
My cpu fan was running very loudly nonstop and dusty so I removed the heatsink and did some light brushing and blew on it to get the dust out/off. After reconnecting everything I get nothing when I hit the power button. No lights, fans, noises - nothing. All I unplugged when I removed the heatsink was the cpu fan cable from the motherboard and the heatsink itself.

So I definitely screwed up and made some kind of mistake in my haste for a quieter fan. I'm not too savvy on these items so I don't know where to start troubleshooting. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 
Solution
first off what heat sink do you have for your cpu. Next did you clean the old thermal past off and apply new when you put the heat sink back on?

Go around the case and just check all the cables just to make sure you didn't bump one when taking the heat sink off, even check the power, reset, and activity lights plugs just incase one came off.
first off what heat sink do you have for your cpu. Next did you clean the old thermal past off and apply new when you put the heat sink back on?

Go around the case and just check all the cables just to make sure you didn't bump one when taking the heat sink off, even check the power, reset, and activity lights plugs just incase one came off.
 
Solution

csts

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May 2, 2014
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4,510


THANKS! Mastercooler heatsink. I did not clean/reapply thermal paste. I DID however recheck all the cords and it looks like I bumped off the big mobo cord. Pushed it back in and pc booted right up.

I'm guessing I should remove the heatsink again, clean and reapply thermal paste? Or is the old paste OK since I never cleaned it off?
 

Eggz

Distinguished
When you took off the heatsink, did it have CPU grease, or thermal paste, like in the picture below? If so, you need to replace that stuff to prevent your CPU from burning up.

apply-thermal-compound-04.jpg
 

csts

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May 2, 2014
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4,510


It did, thanks. I'll power it down until I can get to the store for some more.