Burning smell from PSU after 3.0e prescott install after & bios 1019

mrdeucin

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I just recently purchased a p4 3.0e prescott (socket 478) cpu w/ a zalman 9500a heatsink/fan from newegg. Btw, a have p4c800-e deluxe mobo. I prepped the cpu w/ artic silver 5 thermal paste. I checked all the wires and secured everything before i booted up. The computer booted up but there wasn't any display. I then went back to my old p4 2.4c cpu and everything was back to normal. I checked out the asus website for a solution. It stated that I needed a bios upgrade to enable my motherboard to use the prescott cpu. I download the most recent asus live update program (for windows xp) and selected the 1019 bios (my original is bios 1014). I flashed it via the asus live update program and it prompted me to restart. upon restarting, i got a bad checksum error @ boot but I was able to go through windows. I restarted again and the checksum error was gone. I then powered down and replaced my old 2.4c cpu w/ the newer 3.0e prescott. I re-prepped it w/ artic silver 5 and re-installed the zalman heatsink/fan. It booted and was able to detect bios menu, grub menu (since i dual boot), and boot up to windows. Here lies my problem, a couple minutes later there was a burning smell coming from the power supply. At first I thought it was the artic silver paste from the cpu or the cpu in general. I quickly cut off the power and checked out if my motherboard or other components were fried. So far, my motherboard is fine. My cpu, when i went into the bios menu, was showing 38 deg C (i touched the heatsink and it was nowhere near hot). I assumed that my psu was crapping out since my i was still able to boot multiple times into the bios menu, grub menu, and even load windows xp. Did i miss any steps from this install? Do i need a higher PSU (preferably 500+ watt compared to the 430 watt i have?). I'm not planning on overclocking this setup. I just want a decent upgrade for this aging mobo before i move on to a different setup. Can anyone please help me out? I will greatly appreciate it.

My specs:

- p4c800-e deluxe
- p4 2.4c upgraded to p4 3.0e prescott (socket 478)
- zalman 9500a hsf
- 3 gb ram (x 2 gb g.skill sticks & x2 512 mb corsair sticks)
- ati radeon 9800 pro agp
- 430 watt (tawainese brand)
- 250 gb hdd (dual boot)
- 4 fans (2 front, 1 rear, & 1 top)
 
Solution
I'm not sure a P4 is really worth reviving. Here's a CHEAP build for consideration. The operative word is CHEAP. There are plenty of places to improve it, as budget allows, but this will work.

Antec earthwatts EA380 380W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Model #:EA380
Item #:N82E16817371005
Solid, reliable PSU. Can handle a 4830 later (4850 even).

$59.99 -$10.00 Instant $49.99

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADX250OCGQBOX - Retail
Model #:ADX250OCGQBOX
Item #:N82E16819103681
So easy to get better, but it will outperform your old P4. Get a 550BE or 720BE if budget allows.

$94.00 -$15.00 Instant $79.00

Western Digital Caviar Blue...

Ancient_1

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I honestly wouldn't put a Prescott in a p4c800 if I wanted some decent life out of it. I replaced a 2.4c @ 3.5 with a 2.8e and it only lasted about a month before it wouldn't even boot. I put a 2.8 Northwood back in and it lasted a few more months but finally it plain died. The Prescotts drew quite a bit more current that the p4c800's weren't originally designed for even tho they would work, and I am quite confident it was the Prescott that killed my p4c800.

Also the temps they reported were I would guess a good 15° less than actual. Mine would report cpu temp that were less than ambient which isn't possible.

I would suggest trying to OC your 2.4 as a better solution since in most things (non sse3) the Northwood were faster clock for clock and both 2.4's I had would OC to 3.5+.
 

mrdeucin

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@ GhislainG: I don't really now how to read psu specs. I'm still a newb @ that area. In terms of combined wattage its "+3.3v & +5v = 223w" Total power is about 450w and max peak is about 510w.

@Ancient_1: I ended up buying a antec truepower 550w psu from frys. I don't smell anything burning anymore. I guess that counts for partial victory. However, I bolted it in w/ the 2.4c cpu w/ the zalman hsf. I here that voice through the speakers system failed due to overclocking. I swapped it out w/ the prescott and it did the exact same thing. On top of it, there is no display at all. It was fine last night when turned if off even though the psu was acting up. It detected both cpu's after i flashed it w/ the 1019 bios. So far the system running just minus the display and the mobo voice lingering @ boot. Any more suggestions fellas?
 
That setup is pretty old so it's safe to assume so is the PSU. Basically the older and lower quality a PSU is, the less it can handle (capacitor aging, rusting, wear, build up). Hopefully the troubles you're having aren't caused by your PSU damaging your motherboard.

Try this, go into the BIOS and load optimized defaults (or just defaults depending on the menu), reboot, then set your desired options. If you didn't do that yet then you haven't properly completed your BIOS update.
 

Ancient_1

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I had 5 875 chipset boards and they all died on me in the last two years. 1st was a IC7 then a few month later the P4C800 then both IC7Max3's and finally about 6 months ago my 975 Neo died which is why I have my i7 now. I hope the MB is still good.
One thing tho is all mine ran 24/7 OC'd and folding which I am sure wasn't the best thing for long life.
 

mrdeucin

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I tried clearing the cmos by switching the jumpers (atx is not connected to power). I waited for 30 secs and then switched back. this time there is no video, no beeps, and no audio saying "failed system due to overclocking". it just keeps on getting worse and worse. I really regret buying the prescott upgrade. it went downhill after i installed that damned contraption. Did i really just brick my mobo? It definitely powers up w/ the fans (vga, case, & cpu) running. It could see activity on the ram modules since i 2 512mb corsair leds but the freeze eventually. man fellas! this dream upgrade really turned into a nightmare. the psu is really working and i was hoping to get this rig running and ready. I wasn't even planning on overclocking this thing. I just wanted a last hurrah kinda upgrade. Should i leave the cmos out longer or take the battery out?
 

Ancient_1

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I did have one problem with my Asus and my 9700AIW that was kind of strange. On boot I got no video, but if I had the aux power to the card disconnected until right after powerup and connected it before I got the screen that says its not connected it would work fine untill I would have to do a cold boot. I had that problem with two different cards and ended up detting them both rma'd. If I reember correctly it was only the asus board that it happened to. It could be something for you to try, it wasn't an isolated problem either since after my problems I started seeing others with same thing. I am not sure if that applied to my 9800AIW too but that went in my 2.4c in my IC7Max3 which was fine anyways.

I am still using the Antec True Control PS I had in the setup on my E8400 and still running 24/7.
Then
ic71.jpg


And Now
P4.JPG


And a look at my Asus with a SP94 and tornado while I had it apart to do some wire management (I should of saved the after pic LOL)
p4c1.jpg
 

mrdeucin

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Ok! Worse case scenario guys! Just in case I can't bring my beloved setup from the grave. I want your 2 cents on alternative p4 motherboards. I'm kinda strapped for cash and I would just like to re-use the components into a different mobo. This setup has been really good to me for the past 4-5 years. I feel bummed out (damn my greed for more power) that I was responsible for its downfall. Can i still RMA my p4c800-e deluxe? How much do you think for repairs? Is it worth it? What other cheap chipsets can fit on a cooler master wave master case and specs/compatibilty close to this asus mobo. I've got 2 socket 478 cpus w/ me and I can't use either one of them. I just want this to run so bad!
 

Ancient_1

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I never thought of that, I just looked around and couldn't find any decent 478 boards and gave up. I really would of like to of gotten my lil 2.4 chip that could back up (I was able to bench 3dmark at 306fsb 3670). I know a while ago I saw in MotherboardPro.com they had quite a few that said to call for availability (I think most/all were DFI) But a 875 chipped LanParty board would be a good replacement if you don't have any luck with Asus.
 
I'm not sure a P4 is really worth reviving. Here's a CHEAP build for consideration. The operative word is CHEAP. There are plenty of places to improve it, as budget allows, but this will work.

Antec earthwatts EA380 380W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.0 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Model #:EA380
Item #:N82E16817371005
Solid, reliable PSU. Can handle a 4830 later (4850 even).

$59.99 -$10.00 Instant $49.99

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADX250OCGQBOX - Retail
Model #:ADX250OCGQBOX
Item #:N82E16819103681
So easy to get better, but it will outperform your old P4. Get a 550BE or 720BE if budget allows.

$94.00 -$15.00 Instant $79.00

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Model #:WD3200AAKS
Item #:N82E16822136074
Decent budget drive. Blacks are faster, but another $10.

$54.99 -$5.00 Instant $49.99

Rosewill R102-P-BK 120mm Fan MicroATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #:R102-P-BK
Item #:N82E16811147111
I've built in this case. Very nice for the price. Has one rear 120mm fan and can take another up front for reasonable cooling.

$29.99 -$5.00 Instant $24.99

BIOSTAR TA790GX XE AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #:TA790GX XE
Item #:N82E16813138140
IGP on this board can actually play some games. You can always get a video card later. You can spend a little more for an AM3 board, but remember the emphasis was on cheap.

$94.99 -$5.00 Instant $89.99

mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model 996557 - Retail
Model #:996557
Item #:N82E16820146692
An AM3 board will need DDR3. Mushkin makes good RAM. It's been my first choice for a few years now.

$52.99 $52.99

SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM
Model #:SH-S223L
Item #:N82E16827151188
Eh. Nothing special about it. If you have an optical drive, you may not even need it.

$28.99 $28.99

Subtotal: $375.94
======================
Some upgrades you could make would be DDR2-1066 RAM, but the difference won't be huge. I wouldn't buy a X2 250 myself, but then I'm not coming from a P4; from that it's an upgrade. You can go a little cheaper here, like a 5400+, or, if the budget will stretch, get a 720BE.
For OS, load the Win7 RC.
 
Solution

mrdeucin

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@ megamanx00: How can I do that if there is no display.

@jtt283: I was actually bummed out the entire day cuz of this. When you brought this up I was like, "Hmm. Life's not to pad after all." lol. However, you brought up a pretty damn good idea. I really never though of switching to an AMD board. Maybe its my intel biased mindset acting up. I currently have a Coolermaster Wavemaster case. Will AMD AM2/AM3 mobos bolt on to my case? I really don't feel like shopping for another case. Plus, this case is pretty rigid as it is.
 
It ought to. It's a micro-ATX board, so you may need to [re]move a couple of standoffs to mount it, but it should fit.
If you prefer Intel, you could swap the mobo and CPU, for something like a G31 and an e5200, but the Graphics Media Decelerator on that board will probably not be able to handle anything more demanding than DiabloII. I tried Guild Wars on one, and I think I got 21FPS with settings turned way down.
 

mrdeucin

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@ jtt283: I was thinking more of this setup. Give me your opinion on it. Btw, click on the "@" for the tigerdirect link.

ASUS M4N78 Pro GeForce 8300 Motherboard w/ AMD Athlon 64 X2 7550 Processor AD7550WCJ2BH Bundle @ = $149.99

I pick this mobo cuz it already has an integrated graphics nvidia graphics card. Which is good until I buy a substantial standalone PCI-E gpu. I have a more casual approach to games. I was gearing towards a pc that can decode 720/1080p h.264 content. I'm kinda short on cash to so a standalone gpu will have to wait.

Corsair XMS2 4GB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory Upgrade (2x2048MB) @ = $42.99

Considering my old setup has only ddr400 memory, I can't port them over to this new mobo. However, I think this is a sweet deal! What do you think? :D

Total: $192.98

I already bought a pretty damn good psu. It's an Antec Truepower series (Model: TP-550 / 550w atx12 v2.3). I got it in the aftermath of my old psu frying my p4c800-e mobo. I was thinking can my Zalman 9500a heatsink fan compatible w/ the Athlon 64 X2 7550 cpu? Note that I'm still gonna use my Coolermaster Wavemaster case. I already have 4 fans installed. I have 2 ATAPI HDD (250gb & 320gb). What you think fellas?
 
The HD3200 IGP on a 780G or HD3300 on a 790GX will be notably better than the GeForce 8300. Check the chart at the end of the Best Graphics Card for the Money monthly article.
The 7550 is also a pretty weak CPU. An X2 550BE or X3 720BE will be much better.
 

mrdeucin

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@ jtt283: I don't really want an ati HD3200 IGP due to the fact I'm an avid Ubuntu user. Currently, ATI drivers have issues w/ the Linux OS. I'm not saying that Geforce doesn't have driver issues w/ Ubuntu. From what I gather up in the forums, a vast majority of ATI card holders (especially w/ the 3xxx & 4xxx series gpus) has 3d or even display issues w/ Ubuntu. The GeForce IGP isn't too bad. It will be able to offload decode my hi-def content for the most part. I'm not relying it too much for games. I'm gonna save up later on for a standalone gpu Plus, w/ the onboard dvi port, I can finally start using my new 24" asus monitor. Btw, what's wrong w/ the 7550 processor? I know it's not top notch but I'm assuming its way better than the prescott I have, right? How about the AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Processor? Note that I'm not really pushing for a frame rate pushing gaming monster. I just want a decent machine that can hang w/ most games and watch hi-def content.
 
Ok, makes sense. But, if you want to "hang w/most games" you will need a discrete GPU. If Linux is a factor though, I've also read about some ATI driver issues. Sounds like it's damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Tom's just did an article on mainstream graphics cards. If you can find a way to pick up a 9800GT, you may yet be able to have it both ways.
 

mrdeucin

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Thanks for the all the input guys! Btw, here is an update on the replacement mobo. I'll be ordering it this coming Friday since its payday. lol.

- Asus M4N78 PRO Motherboard (w/ the Geforce 8300 IGP)
- 3.00GHz AMD Athlon II X2 250 Dual Core Processor
- OCZ Dual Channel Platinum 4096MB PC8500 DDR2 (1066MHz) Memory

It pretty much comes out all together about $250-ish range w/ the $1.99 Tigerdirect discounted shipping. I'm still a little sketchy on the memory modules I've picked out. I'll probably double check if its included in the Asus QVL. Last thing I want is another compatibility problem and having to re-flash the bios again. I was wondering if my Zalman 9500a would be a tight fit w/ this mobo considering the psu is @ the top. Plus, I have a mid-tower @ that. Will this be a problem?