Hi,
I am seeking some advice to overcome a system failure. I am a previous advanced computer user/tech but haven't used those skills in quite some time so I am really out of the loop on newer technologies and feel a little lost. The computer that failed is my brother's Alienware Aurora ALX. The computer was bought in April of 2005 so of course that limits some options on what I am able to do as far as component replacements.
The System:
Alienware Aurora ALX
Asus A8N-SLI N-Force 4 MoBo
AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 1MB Socket 939 CPU
2GB (4x512) Corsair 4400C25 550Mhz XMS Memory
2x nVidia GeForce6800 Ultra 256 (SLI)
Koolance Liquid cooling system for CPU and both GPUs
All the other non-essential trimmings
The Problem:
My brother noticed from the temp sensor on the front of the computer that his CPU was running a little hotter than normal. No problems otherwise, so he decided to check the water in the liquid cooling system and noticed it was low. He has added liquid many times over the years so no red flags here. He went ahead and blew the dust out of the case and did a general cleaning since the case was opened. Again, something he has done probably every 6 months since owning the machine. Once finished, the machine would not power up at all. Nothing. He stopped there and asked for my help.
I determined almost immediately the the power supply had had let the smoke genie out. I couldn't troubleshoot any further as all the other supply's I had were not of sufficient power to test. 12 days later when the new Thermaltake WO132-RU 1K PS showed up I found out the problems ran alot deeper. Upon my first time powering up I heard a pop and then nothing. Noticing that the back-light in the switch of the Thermaltake was still lit I had a little hope that the new supply wasn't without it's genie. I double-checked my wiring and tried again, this time the breaker in the house tripped. (Fun)
Luckily the new supply has removable plugs on the case, making it easier to find the short. What I ended up finding out is when I plugged in the 4-pin CPU plug, it didn't like it. If I left that unplugged, the machine would actually turn on with all the fans and sump pump working without a hitch. I took my meter and checked the resistance between the + and - pins on the MB and it read 8 ohms. (The 2 yellows are bussed together as well as the 2 blacks) Almost a dead short. I also checked the voltage on the 4-pin plug while unhooked and it reads a proper 12v when I turn on the main switch. It doesn't blow the breaker anymore but if I plug it in and try to turn on the machine, I see the fans start to turn briefly and then it does nothing. Apparently the new Thermaltake has some sort of short protection and just shuts down. (Thank you, Thank you!)
At this point I decided to try it without the CPU plugged in and I get the same result. The reading on the meter changes though from a dead short of 8 ohms, to a climbing reading up to around 3k I think, most likely my meter charging a capacitor. Of course swapping the meter leads reverses this. (Actually Fluke ScopeMeter in meter mode) Now I don't know if I should read a short or not with the CPU plugged in so I really can't say if the CPU is toast or not, but it does seem a little strange. Regardless, the power supply shuts down with the CPU in or out if I plug in the 4-pin plug.
I should probably mention by this point I had the MoBo out of the case, insulated, and tried powering it up with a single GPU, different memory sticks 1 at a time in the slot approved if only using 1 stick, with and without the CPU, and every other combination I could think of including nothing plugged in at all except the main power plug. Any time I plug in the 4-pin cpu power plug, the PS shuts down.
Options?
So I am guessing that at a minimum the MoBo is toast and the possibility that the CPU went with it is high. I am open to any and all suggestions to narrow it down further without having to buy parts that may get fried in the process. I won't hold my breath on that possibility but am willing to try anything within my skill set.
In the likely event that I have to point him toward new core components, I am lost on what would be a proper fit for the type of performance he had without spending a fortune, or running into problems because of new tech I'm unaware of. I know that I'm a big fan of Asus and have a Crosshair myself that I love. I also realize that AMD isn't top dog anymore, but are they still a viable option for performance vs cost? I'm also wondering if I need to have him replace the memory as well if both the MoBo and CPU gets replaced.
I know he wants relevant equipment which should be obvious in the fact he owns an Alienware, but as everyone is feeling the wallet squeeze these days, it's not the best time to buy a brand new Alienware.
Any suggestions on Mobo/CPU combos, (+Mem?) that would be a good fit and comparable performance would be most appreciated as well as any pitfalls I may run into would be a great help, as well as anything I may have overlooked in general.
Best Regards,
Erik
I am seeking some advice to overcome a system failure. I am a previous advanced computer user/tech but haven't used those skills in quite some time so I am really out of the loop on newer technologies and feel a little lost. The computer that failed is my brother's Alienware Aurora ALX. The computer was bought in April of 2005 so of course that limits some options on what I am able to do as far as component replacements.
The System:
Alienware Aurora ALX
Asus A8N-SLI N-Force 4 MoBo
AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 1MB Socket 939 CPU
2GB (4x512) Corsair 4400C25 550Mhz XMS Memory
2x nVidia GeForce6800 Ultra 256 (SLI)
Koolance Liquid cooling system for CPU and both GPUs
All the other non-essential trimmings
The Problem:
My brother noticed from the temp sensor on the front of the computer that his CPU was running a little hotter than normal. No problems otherwise, so he decided to check the water in the liquid cooling system and noticed it was low. He has added liquid many times over the years so no red flags here. He went ahead and blew the dust out of the case and did a general cleaning since the case was opened. Again, something he has done probably every 6 months since owning the machine. Once finished, the machine would not power up at all. Nothing. He stopped there and asked for my help.
I determined almost immediately the the power supply had had let the smoke genie out. I couldn't troubleshoot any further as all the other supply's I had were not of sufficient power to test. 12 days later when the new Thermaltake WO132-RU 1K PS showed up I found out the problems ran alot deeper. Upon my first time powering up I heard a pop and then nothing. Noticing that the back-light in the switch of the Thermaltake was still lit I had a little hope that the new supply wasn't without it's genie. I double-checked my wiring and tried again, this time the breaker in the house tripped. (Fun)
Luckily the new supply has removable plugs on the case, making it easier to find the short. What I ended up finding out is when I plugged in the 4-pin CPU plug, it didn't like it. If I left that unplugged, the machine would actually turn on with all the fans and sump pump working without a hitch. I took my meter and checked the resistance between the + and - pins on the MB and it read 8 ohms. (The 2 yellows are bussed together as well as the 2 blacks) Almost a dead short. I also checked the voltage on the 4-pin plug while unhooked and it reads a proper 12v when I turn on the main switch. It doesn't blow the breaker anymore but if I plug it in and try to turn on the machine, I see the fans start to turn briefly and then it does nothing. Apparently the new Thermaltake has some sort of short protection and just shuts down. (Thank you, Thank you!)
At this point I decided to try it without the CPU plugged in and I get the same result. The reading on the meter changes though from a dead short of 8 ohms, to a climbing reading up to around 3k I think, most likely my meter charging a capacitor. Of course swapping the meter leads reverses this. (Actually Fluke ScopeMeter in meter mode) Now I don't know if I should read a short or not with the CPU plugged in so I really can't say if the CPU is toast or not, but it does seem a little strange. Regardless, the power supply shuts down with the CPU in or out if I plug in the 4-pin plug.
I should probably mention by this point I had the MoBo out of the case, insulated, and tried powering it up with a single GPU, different memory sticks 1 at a time in the slot approved if only using 1 stick, with and without the CPU, and every other combination I could think of including nothing plugged in at all except the main power plug. Any time I plug in the 4-pin cpu power plug, the PS shuts down.
Options?
So I am guessing that at a minimum the MoBo is toast and the possibility that the CPU went with it is high. I am open to any and all suggestions to narrow it down further without having to buy parts that may get fried in the process. I won't hold my breath on that possibility but am willing to try anything within my skill set.
In the likely event that I have to point him toward new core components, I am lost on what would be a proper fit for the type of performance he had without spending a fortune, or running into problems because of new tech I'm unaware of. I know that I'm a big fan of Asus and have a Crosshair myself that I love. I also realize that AMD isn't top dog anymore, but are they still a viable option for performance vs cost? I'm also wondering if I need to have him replace the memory as well if both the MoBo and CPU gets replaced.
I know he wants relevant equipment which should be obvious in the fact he owns an Alienware, but as everyone is feeling the wallet squeeze these days, it's not the best time to buy a brand new Alienware.
Any suggestions on Mobo/CPU combos, (+Mem?) that would be a good fit and comparable performance would be most appreciated as well as any pitfalls I may run into would be a great help, as well as anything I may have overlooked in general.
Best Regards,
Erik
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