Motherboard or CPU Issue?

[teezee3000]

I have been using a 3.2mhz processor and a P4C800-E deluxe mobo for about a year now, last night when I turned on my system It would boot up and shut right off, after the memory test completed. I tried the power button again, but the same thing continued, no warning or anything just shut off. So I thought it might be a bad PSU so I bought a new more powerful one. Installed it and the same thing happened. I took off the fan to my processor and it looked like the heatsink melted a lil bit on it. I cleaned it up and tried it again, same result. the board and chip is less than a year old so it should still be covered under warranty. When I tried turning on the system without the processor it turned on and stayed on but obviously nothing happened because there wasn't a processor installed. Any suggestions?
Update: ok I spoke to a Tech @ intel, he told me that if it was a defective chip that it wouldn't no display or anything would happen. He suggested it could be my memory, Well I will check into that tonite.

 

[redhatlinux]

That Intel tech is trying to blow you off. CPU's can fail in any number of ways, just count the millions of transistors, pretty much any one going bad will cause problems. Bad memory does not normally cause the system to completely shutdown. In fact you can leave the memory out of the system and the BIOS should send out beep codes or even a message about the memory. Make sure that you completely unplug the pc from the wall outlet before removing the memory.

 

[Jiggz]

Reset the bios and see what happens.

 

[teezee3000]

Yea I tried that last night still the same reaction, Then I thought of something, the center of the fan was covered in a pasty type film from the melted heatsink. So I scraped it off and tried it again....voila, it worked It seems the processor needs to be in constant contact with the copper plate of the fan to work. Now I need a OEM clamp to hold the fan in place. I broke the original clamp trying to get the fan off the first time.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

I have no idea what you're talking about. Heatsinks are made of ALUMINUM and don't melt at the temps involved. The plastic of the fan MIGHT melt, but the CPU would be running at extremely high temps.

What the hell does "The Processor needs to be in constant contact with the copper plate of the fan" mean? The processor never touches the fan - it touches the heat sink. There are copper plates on some heatsinks so I assume that's what you mean?

If so, of course the CPU has to be in constant contact with the heatsink - you mean it wasn't? I hope you also used heat sink compound.

When you removed the heatsink did you re-apply the heat sink compound? If using Artic Silver (recommended) or some similar product you apply a THIN even layer.

 

[teezee3000]

Actually Let me clarify my last post, It was the thermal compound that I took off, (it happened to be the same color of the heatsink). I decided against using it because it would be to risky so I ordered a new CPU fan and arctic silver 5.

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Am I to understand, then, that you tried to run your computer without any heatsink compound? If so hopefully you didn't damage the CPU.

 

[tyborg]

yeah, it was the stock heat transfer compound you wiped off. and yes, you did turn on your machine with no compound. you are VERY lucky if there was no damage. likely your current HSF is ok, and I doubt it's not a heat issue. How the heck did you boot your machine with no CPU? isn't that, like, impossible or something?

 

[teezee3000]

I never said it booted up, it just turned on and stayed on without shutting off, thats how I zeroed in on that the problem was a processor problem. My new fan and thermal compound should be here today, so Hopefully everything will be back to normal. Is it common for thermal compound to dry up and be uneffective?

 

[FlyingPenguin]

Cheap Heatsink compound can dry out. Generally it doesn't dry out unless your CPU temps are excessively high. Higher quality compound like artic silver doesn't deteriorate like the retail stuff.

Just remember to spread it THINLY but evenly. Arctic silver is not meant to be glopped on thick - it actually is ineffective if it's on thick. Do a Google search for tutorials on how to apply it. There's probably one on the manufacturer's website.

 

[interchange]

The thermal compound will melt a little and spread out to the pores to provide better contact and cooling. I don't know what your problem is, but removing the CPU and seeing a different behavior does not narrow anything down one bit. The only way to eliminate the CPU as a source of problems is to try out a known working one.

Regardless, heat is not likely the cause of your problems as not enough heat would be generated by the time you get past POST to damage the CPU. Unless there was a short in which case you would probably see smoke or some more egregious behavior.

The machine shouldn't shut down, but if you can get far enough through POST to see it doing the memory test, can't you at least get into BIOS and see what it says? At least you could check out system/CPU temperature.

 

[teezee3000]

well since this new case I recently purchased dont have a speaker built in, I couldnt hear if the motherboard was giving me any alarms before it did cut off, but tonite when I install the new heatsink and It boots up ok, then I will know for sure that was CPU/Heat problem.

 

[teezee2000]

Well I finished installing the new CPU and ARCTIC 5 on my system and all seem normal again, thanks guys for all your help

 

[Jiggz]

Although normally you're required you to run the cpu and hsf with thermal paste, running without it will not cause an instantaneous death to the CPU. Especially if you have CPU Hi Temp protection in your bios. Thremal paste improves heat transfer by filling microscopic irregularities on the mating surface. In fact, too much thermal paste can do the opposite.