Is it cpu problems?

[ongakuman]

Hello,
My Dell optiplex 280 has an amber light when I press the power button and the fan is super loud. I don't have leaky caps and I replaced the cmos battery. I don't know if its a fan problem or a CPU problem because when I put my hand on the fan (blades are not exposed) it at least boots but it freezes during post, BIOS or when on windows. I cleaned the dust out. I took the fan off the prosseser and I don't have thermal paste so I but it back on.
I'm 14 and don't know as much about computers as I lead on. Can someone help me?

 

[ongakuman]

To add more info, it went out 2 weeks ago without warning. I ususally do heavy gaming on it. Ex. 8+ hours a day on weekends . It has 750± MB of ram.

 

[scout_03]

when you replace the cpu always put new paste after removing the old one

 

[ongakuman]

I didn't replace tho CPU, I removed the heatsink and put it back on.

 

[clarkjd]

I didn't replace tho CPU, I removed the heatsink and put it back on.

When you remove the heatsink you ALWAYS need to replace the thermal paste. It goes between the CPU and the heatsink.

 

[ongakuman]

When you remove the heatsink you ALWAYS need to replace the thermal paste. It goes between the CPU and the heatsink.

So does that explain why my computer freezes when the fan gets hot?
Where do I get thermal paste? If its only available online, I can't get it. Do they sell it in best buy? Sorry if my grammer is off, I did this from my phone. Lastly, will anything else work like toothpaste or any other gel?

 

[ongakuman]

Alcatel's the kind of phone even you dead grandmother would cuss you for.
http://www.uklv.info/g.php

That doesn't help. My grandmother is still very alive thank you.

 

[clutchc]

So does that explain why my computer freezes when the fan gets hot?
Where do I get thermal paste? If its only available online, I can't get it. Do they sell it in best buy? Sorry if my grammer is off, I did this from my phone. Lastly, will anything else work like toothpaste or any other gel?

Very possible, yes. But when it comes to thermal paste, No substitution. You must use a thermal paste designed for the application. Go to Radio Shack. They sell Arctic Silver 5. And probably others. See if they have Arcticlean cleaner as well. (if not, use acetone found at Walmart in the paint section)
Carefully remove the Heat sync fan (HSF) and the CPU. Always hold the CPU by the edges, never touch the pins side. Don't bend the pins. Clean the flat heat spreader (top) of the CPU with the cleaner, as well as the HSF's contact surface. Then put the CPU back in its socket, place a tiny grain of rice sized dab in the center of the CPU's heat spreader and assemble the HSF to it.
http://www.arcticsilver.com/instructions.htm