PC POWERING OFF INSTANTLY-Help

[iniquity]

I'm currently having a problem with my PC powering off instantly as if someone ripped the cord from the wall. At first the problem started and it only happened every once and a while. The amount of time I could leave my computer on without this happening became shorter. At this point I can leave it on for maybe a few minutes at a time.

A have a few thoughts:

Power Supply- At first I thought the power supply may be an issue but the fact that it powers up the system makes me think this is not the issue.

Fan- I am using the fan that came with my E6600 which I know is not the best. I think that it might not be properly seated because of the threading. I'm not sure if this would be a cause but I know this might lead to the CPU not being properly cooled.

CPU- I have no way to really indicate if there is a problem here. It's possible that it is overheating and then powering down the system.

I am not overclocking or using the system in an unusual way. It almost exactly factory defaults.

Any support any one could add to this would be greatly appreciated. Below are the current specs on my machine that I had built myself.


THANKS!

SPECS:

INTEL E6600 Core 2 Duo
ASUS P5N-32 SLI
4 GB Corsair DDR 2 RAM
Corsair 650 Watt modular power supply
BFG Geforce 8800 GTS 640 MB

 

[mike99]

Could be lots of things. Disconnect EVERYTHING from motherboard except PSU & CPU (with HS and Fan) and case connections. Fan should run and onboard speaker should give continuous series of beeps for no memory. If not, isone of those three. Test with another PSU (borrow from a friend?). Next most likely is motherboard. If you get beeps, try adding 1 memory module, should beep for no video card. (If has onboard, plug monitor into that. Keep adding bits to find cause of problem.

Mike.

 

[Shadow703793]

^+1. Also could be over heating on PSU, GPU, or CPU.

 

[aford10]

The fact that you haven't changed anything, and the power downs are increasing in frequency, indicates a dying psu. I would look there first.

It could be an overheating issue. You can check bios temps, and run programs like speedfan to monitor them.

 

[iniquity]

OK here is the update.

I started by removing components such as ram, harddrives, etc... I removed the fan and then removed the processor. After removing each item I powered on the machine. It would shut down as before except for when I removed the processor. Once I removed the CPU the power would stay on indefinitely.

Also, when I removed the CPU it was HOT, to hot to even hold. I do not know if it is normal for the CPU to get this hot. I let it cool down for a few minutes and placed it back in the machine. Now that the CPU was cool I turned back on the machine and it INSTANTLY became extremely hot again.

Are these the qualities of a fried CPU? I assume that this is what I should be replacing here along with a better fan. My other thought is that there may be something wrong with the motherboard that it causing the CPU to instantly overheat for some reason.

If anyone could offer any other info here it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[aford10]

CPU's do get hot. That's why it's important to have a good cooler and thermal paste. Aftermarket CPU coolers aren't too expensive, maybe that would be a good place to start.

 

[mike99]

Even a low power CPU uses about 55W, Think of it as a 60W light bulb! Try touching a light bulb after its been on for 5 seconds. Don't EVER power up a PC without a properly fitted heatsink and fan.

Mike.

 

[iniquity]

I believe the problem here is with my heatsink not being properly fitted at the moment. It looks like one of the facets will not screw down all of the way. Also, looks like the cpu is not completely covered in thermal paste.

Does anyone have any good recommendations to fix this other than buying a new heatsink?

 

[aford10]

The cpu doesn't need to be covered. Too much paste can get down into the pins and cause problems.

The fan you are using is the stock pushpin fan right? If so, you're probably better off getting a new one. Once the plastic prongs start bending and warping, it's pretty much game over.

 

[iniquity]

OK so.. months later. I have replaced both the Fan and CPU. This has NOT corrected the problem. I am really at a loss here. Does anyone have any other ideas?

 

[aford10]

Have you tried resetting the CMOS? If not, pull the battery for a minute and then put it back.

Have you tried a different PSU?

 

[iniquity]

I'll try resetting the CMOS. I have not tried a different PSU since my suspicion is that there is nothing wrong with it since it does not cut off if I put the cpu out.

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[aford10]

Does the CPU fan feel like it's on snug? If you pull the board out, you should see the 4 prongs sticking through the back side of the board.

 

[iniquity]

Yes I double checked this... with both my old fan and my new one

 

[aford10]

If clearing the CMOS doesn't work, It's starting to sound more like a bad CPU. CPUs really don't die that often, so it's hard to point at it as the cause. But it can happen.

 

[iniquity]

Well, like I had said, I tried replacing the CPU and fan and I am having the same problem.

 

[aford10]

My fault, didn't see that you replaced the CPU.

Check the pins inside the CPU socket. Do any look bent or broken?

 

[iniquity]

Negative, I have checked these also.

 

[aford10]

What kind of PSU do you have?

If you're right at the limit of power output/consumption, removal of the CPU could free up enough power to boot, while replacing it could once again put you at the limit. You could try disconnecting any opticals, expansion cards, and other uneeded hardware.

 

[iniquity]

OK I will also try this... I don't have much to spare besides my wireless card or usb expansion card(which nothing is currently plugged into.)

 

[aford10]

It's a shot in the dark. You've ruled out pretty much everything but the board and PSU.

 

[iniquity]

I'll try clearing the CMOS and removing spare parts. If that doesn't work, does anyone want to buy spare computer parts?