Dead PC

[homunculus]

I managed to overheat my newly built pc without any overclocking. The pc was fine during windows installation but the case was open. Within 30 minutes of closing the pc did the pc shut down. The pc is now dead except for a green led on the mobo when i turn on the power supply. The power supply still works in another pc. my processor is an intel pentium D 820, i am using on board video and audio and i have three drives. it this just a case of poor airflow or could something else have contributed to the overheating? are these symptoms of a fried mobo or would a fried CPU also cause them?

 

[Tron014]

the green light means you have power going to the mother board

the reason your computer is not starting maybe you have not put the thermal compound on the top of the processor, if you do not cover the top of it, it will over heat in seconds and shut down as not to cause any problems,

so take the heatshink back off and look at the compound if you do not have any get some, if you have put some on then add a little more


that should get you up and running in no time.

 

[homunculus]

Although I don't have thermal compound on the processor, the pc was running fine for the few hours that i was troubleshooting some driver problems but, as I said, the case was open. The problem occurred shortly after I closed the case. The PC has long since cooled down but the PC is just a paperweight now. I'm sure I fried something, I'm just not sure if it's the mobo, the CPU or both. I will make sure, however, to put the thermal compound on once this problem is solved.

 

[maxxum]

If the CPU fan/HS were installed correctly then you may have just tripped the internal breaker or caused a short (static electricity). In these cases you should remove all connections, the CPU and the power supply connections and turn on the PSU. Turn it off and disconnect from wall, reconnect power to the motherboard w/o anything else and restart. Turn it off again and this should eliminate static or grounding problems. Make sure you are discharged by touching the case before working on computer. Reconnect everything and try it.

 

[angry_ducky]

Bad, bad, bad. You could have very well toasted your CPU. ALWAYS apply the thermal compound BEFORE you start the thing up. SOrry.

 

[homunculus]

Bad, bad, bad. You could have very well toasted your CPU. ALWAYS apply the thermal compound BEFORE you start the thing up. SOrry.

I've never used thermal compound before, but this CPU being a dual core must definitely need it. How do I know if the problem is just the CPU, just the mobo, or both?

 

[angry_ducky]

Get another socket 775 CPU, and try it out. If it works, you've fried the CPU. If it doesn't, try your CPU in another motherboard. If that doesn't work, try a new motherboard.

 

[ej4love]

1.unplug power supply,
2. reconnect power supply
3. reset your bios
4. turn computer back on

 

[homunculus]

If the CPU fan/HS were installed correctly then you may have just tripped the internal breaker or caused a short (static electricity). In these cases you should remove all connections, the CPU and the power supply connections and turn on the PSU. Turn it off and disconnect from wall, reconnect power to the motherboard w/o anything else and restart. Turn it off again and this should eliminate static or grounding problems. Make sure you are discharged by touching the case before working on computer. Reconnect everything and try it.

didn't work.

 

[homunculus]

Get another socket 775 CPU, and try it out. If it works, you've fried the CPU. If it doesn't, try your CPU in another motherboard. If that doesn't work, try a new motherboard.

That's part of the problem. My mobo only supports P4 or pentium D and I have no extra processors nor do I have another mobo that supports a pentium D.

I have a feeling that when I closed the case, one of the power cables impeeded the CPU fan. I can't see my system heating up so quickly otherwise.

I think, therefore, I'll upgrade from the smithfield to the presler CPU, since they run cooler.

 

[homunculus]

1.unplug power supply,
2. reconnect power supply
3. reset your bios
4. turn computer back on

The PC still doesn't boot.

 

[jocksteeluk]

i think you need to reset the bios before it will restart as a fail safe for what ever reason is went on vacation

 

[ej4love]

is there anything on the video screen at all. if there is what.

 

[homunculus]

is there anything on the video screen at all. if there is what.

Nothing. The PC is dead, no video, no drives, no fans.

 

[homunculus]

i think you need to reset the bios before it will restart as a fail safe for what ever reason is went on vacation

I set the bios jumper to reset the bios as per the manual but the PC still doesn't boot.

 

[maxxum]

Sorry to hear it

If there is a local PC shop ask them to toss in another CPU and test the board. Should only charge you around $20. This way you know what to RMA vs. trying to replace both items. Good luck.

 

[homunculus]

Sorry to hear it

If there is a local PC shop ask them to toss in another CPU and test the board. Should only charge you around $20. This way you know what to RMA vs. trying to replace both items. Good luck.

Thanks. That's a good idea. Maybe I'll see if the geek squad at best buy will troubleshoot my CPU.

 

[scorptiger]

I'm puzzled. If the power supply is OK and the motherboard led lights up, even with a dead cpu the fans should spin, shouldn't they? After all, you're supplying power to the motherboard and the cpu is only one of the things attached to the mb. I'm assuming at least one of the fans, say the cpu heatsink fan, is connected to the mb. I'm thinking something about the power on microswitch or its connection to the mb. You can jump the mb power on pins with almost anything metal and small enough but I can't enthusiastically recommend it: touch the wrong pins and you could be staring at disaster. Check the power on connection from the case power on button wires to the mb connection: if the power on pins on the mb aren't jumpered, which is what the little plastic connector piece does, the pc has no usable power aside from the trickle charge to the battery. And the pc is effectively dead.

 

[TabrisDarkPeace]

My money is on: PSU or Mainboard.

Killing a Pentium D is a pretty hard thing to do.

If the PSU cable moved just the wrong way when closing lid, and the PSU was a cheap model it may have shorted, and taken the board with it.

It is for these reasons I heavily suggest ppl use decent PSUs (with surge protection before the PSU from AC power too).

 

[homunculus]

I'm puzzled. If the power supply is OK and the motherboard led lights up, even with a dead cpu the fans should spin, shouldn't they? After all, you're supplying power to the motherboard and the cpu is only one of the things attached to the mb. I'm assuming at least one of the fans, say the cpu heatsink fan, is connected to the mb. I'm thinking something about the power on microswitch or its connection to the mb. You can jump the mb power on pins with almost anything metal and small enough but I can't enthusiastically recommend it: touch the wrong pins and you could be staring at disaster. Check the power on connection from the case power on button wires to the mb connection: if the power on pins on the mb aren't jumpered, which is what the little plastic connector piece does, the pc has no usable power aside from the trickle charge to the battery. And the pc is effectively dead.

I know the PSU is working because it worked fine in another PC afterwards. I will have to pass on jumping the mb unless I become more familiar with it. The power on pins look ok so I guess it comes down to the mb?

 

[homunculus]

My money is on: PSU or Mainboard.

Killing a Pentium D is a pretty hard thing to do.

If the PSU cable moved just the wrong way when closing lid, and the PSU was a cheap model it may have shorted, and taken the board with it.

It is for these reasons I heavily suggest ppl use decent PSUs (with surge protection before the PSU from AC power too).

My PSU is a Vortec 500 by MGE. My PC didn't shut down until about 30 minutes after I closed the case, virtually rulling out a short from cable movement. Are you saying that, even if my CPU overheated from the HSF not spinning, the mb would be the first to die of the heat?

 

[angry_ducky]

Sorry to hear it

If there is a local PC shop ask them to toss in another CPU and test the board. Should only charge you around $20. This way you know what to RMA vs. trying to replace both items. Good luck.

Thanks. That's a good idea. Maybe I'll see if the geek squad at best buy will troubleshoot my CPU.


Please not the geek squad. They'll totally rip you off. I called them once about a problem with my PC, and they said it would be like $90 just to come and do an analysis of what's wrong with it.

 

[homunculus]

Sorry to hear it

If there is a local PC shop ask them to toss in another CPU and test the board. Should only charge you around $20. This way you know what to RMA vs. trying to replace both items. Good luck.

Thanks. That's a good idea. Maybe I'll see if the geek squad at best buy will troubleshoot my CPU.


Please not the geek squad. They'll totally rip you off. I called them once about a problem with my PC, and they said it would be like $90 just to come and do an analysis of what's wrong with it.I'm not going to bring in my entire PC, just the CPU, to have them drop it in another PC for a few dollars to see if it boots. But I will call first. If it's not something they will do, then I will hunt down a P4 and drop it in my mb.

 

[jap0nes]

Well, I already shorted an old athlon motherboard with a generic psu and it shuts off imediatly, then i turned it back on and it was all working. Also, i had and old socket 478 P4 whick its heatsink broke off and it was working fine, besides it was shutting off when temperature goes up. So i dont think you dont have anything dead in your computer. I dont think a thermal compound would make THAT difference... it lows down temperature, but it's not the critical factor that makes your cpu burn or not...
So, you dont hear any beep? I would try disassemble all parts (specially memory) and assemble it all back. You may have accidentally kicked or some kind of movement in your case that may have made something loose inside of it. If it was overheat then your computer would shut off but you would be able to turn ir on again.

 

[lordslashstab]

ok, you want to jump start your pc. I understand nothing works for you. This works a lot for me when my computer won't beep at startup(meening it finds the cpu). Do this, disconnect your computer take it apart again. This time when you remove your heatsink, take out your processor(making sure you're grounded to the case. Stare at it for 10 seconds, marvel at it! Put it back in w/ heatsink and see if it'll startup. If not it'll probably be the cpu or motheboard.