COMPUTER TURN ITSELF OFF

[dujon_uk]

I recently built a computer with the following spec:

MoBo ASROCK K7S8X
CPU AMD ATHLON 2800+
Case 400W
DvD RW CD Rw
Graphics Powercolor radeon 9600pro 256mb
mem 2 x brander ddr400(256mb)
hdd maxter 80gb (2mb cache)

I built the computer by 4 pm on sunday formatted the hdd installed win xp and insatlled programs. Then whilst playing tomb raider it turned itself off. No warning or error . I had to unplug the comp then replug thenb boot otherwise it wudnt boot.

i sstarted up then every now and again turned itself off

i formed many tests
using a different power supply different grpahiccs card(radeon 7600 64mb) different hdd

tried individually the different sticks of ram. I d/c the modem , and dvdm cd devices individually and each time still turned itself offf.

Now when i boot up it turns itself off within the first 3 seconds roughly

So i cant get into windows etc...

Any help would be appreciated....

[Sterling_Aug]

Heat.

[dujon_uk]

I have put a new thermal pad on the heat sink and it doesnt seem to be gettin to hot.......

what next??? lol

[Strawbs]

Heat.

it may be too late but ...are you absolutely, 100%, bona fide, swear on the holy bible\sacred koran (or whatever other religious book takes your fancy) certain that you didn't put the Heatsink on backwards and it's not riding up on the edge of the socket by 1\2 mm? Please don't answer before you triple check!

It certainly sounds like something may have failed because of excess heat.

The only other reason I can think of would be a short circuit ..let me elaborate!

I recently bought a new case that came with 2 built in temperature probes! I put 1 in the edge of the grfx card core and t'other in the edge of the cpu core! When I booted the first time the box clicked back off within 3 seconds.

I removed the probe from the cpu and it booted fine, I inspected the probe and noticed that one side was covered with a thin plastic film, while the other side was bare metal. I put the probe back in with the metal side up toward the heatsink and the system now works fine.

The metal had made contact with the diodes on the CPU and shorted it out! Moving the probe's wire slightly could be enough to cause this problem

It would cause a serious pause for thought if you had the same problem, so I'm doubting the likelihood.

:t

[Strawbs]

should have said previosly: IMO thermal pads are pretty useless on the higher end Athlon XP's if you have a small - medium sized case and\or standard HSF assembley! Do yourself a favour, order some Arctic Silver 5 (http://overclock.co.uk/customer/product.php?productid=17059&cat=375) and a Decent Cooler (http://overclock.co.uk/customer/home.php?cat=250) if you don't already have them.

;)

[dujon_uk]

Its sound silly but which way shud it be on?

The heat sink is currently on with the clip with the indents to press down on nx to the as rock chip the other side where there is no clips is next to the capacitors

could it be the wrong way round and if so how will i know?

Thanks

[fishybawb]

Have a look at the bottom of the heatsink, there's a little cut away part that corresponds to the "step" on the processor socket. I'll do some photos if you like :)

[dujon_uk]

f**k me

i think i put the heat sink on the wrong way

not sure yet as had to take the mother board out

wud that make it keep turning itself off???????

i hope so

[fishybawb]

http://www.btinternet.com/~hull.family/socket.jpg

There's the step...

http://www.btinternet.com/~hull.family/heatsink.jpg

and there's the cut away part. The heatsink should be installed so that the cut-away is above the step.

[fishybawb]

Originally posted by dujon_uk
wud that make it keep turning itself off???????

It could do, as it'd be overheating quite badly. It's also possible that you've done permanent damage to the CPU :(

[Ankun]

my friend mounted his heatsync backwards and fried the chip almost immediately after he turned the computer on. :\

[dujon_uk]

I tuened the heat sink round and it still keeps turning itself off!!!

Well **** this is the thing is the comp crahsed yday with my other Athlon XP1800+ in it!!

Doesnt make sense!!

Anymore tests?? lol

[dujon_uk]

THis is a pcture of the underneath of the mother board
this is a pic of directly the other side of the ASROCK metal thing on the board

not behind the CPU!!!

Looks like funny marks?????????

[stix_kua]

Originally posted by Strawbs
should have said previosly: IMO thermal pads are pretty useless on the higher end Athlon XP's if you have a small - medium sized case and\or standard HSF assembley! Do yourself a favour, order some Arctic Silver 5 (http://overclock.co.uk/customer/product.php?productid=17059&cat=375) and a Decent Cooler (http://overclock.co.uk/customer/home.php?cat=250) if you don't already have them.

;)

And that it where you are wrong...Th new AMD thermal pads and all Intel thermalpads are really really good...no need to buy arctic crud and mess around with it for a a day and then wait for a "break-in" period....stick with what it comes with...

and if you want to challenge this...

[Strawbs]

Originally posted by stix_kua
And that it where you are wrong...Th new AMD thermal pads and all Intel thermalpads are really really good...no need to buy arctic crud and mess around with it for a a day and then wait for a "break-in" period....stick with what it comes with...

and if you want to challenge this... :confused:

I'm not in a very challenging mood right now, But my AMD 2600+ t'bred burnt up last year because of: 1. the crappy HSF assembley that came packaged w\ it, 2. installing in a tight Midi tower, 3. unusually high summer temps. It won't happen again, because I won't be installing one again until they outperform the better 3rd party offerings.

Since you say there are a new breed of HSF in the package then all well and good. I've found that temperature depends on a few different aspects, not just the thermal pad\paste or HSF, but a combination of things ...you need a good HSF to start with though if you want to get temps down.

P.S. Most thermal pads have to be replaced when they have been used and removed.

and another thing ...why are you crapping on this thread? can you help the man or not?

[Strawbs]

Originally posted by dujon_uk
I turned the heat sink round and it still keeps turning itself off!!!

Well **** this is the thing is the comp crahsed yday with my other Athlon XP1800+ in it!!

Doesnt make sense!!

Anymore tests?? lol If the CPU was fried already it would fail to boot, but I don't think it would switch off!

Is your 1800+ ok after it crashed in the new rig?
Can you install the 2800 in the box you took the 1800+ from (the sockets are the same and the 2800 is backwardly compatible)? you should be able to at least get into the BIOS screen! If it fails to boot at all in that rig it's liable to be a goner! If it boots you possibly have a faulty Mobo! Are you getting any beeps when you try to boot?

I think you have a short circuit that worsened when the circuits got hot, your pic (although not too clear) appears to bear that up. can you post a more detailed image?

[dujon_uk]

Thanks for the continuous help.

There were no error messages or no beeps etc... at all.

I think the mobo is a gonner now.... but i am not sure about the cpu(2800+).

The 1800+ is still working in my old system after being installed in the new..

The picture i sent was a pic off my phone, there was no smouldering or smellls from the system though..

I purchased the cpu, fan and mobo from a computer fair, and hopefully the seller will be there either this week or the week after..

I am going to take them back, and hopefuilly he will either refund or swap..

i have not overclocked the cpu etc.... So maybe faulty mobo???

Thanks

[zybch]

I hope you can find the seller and get a refund/replacement.

A better HSF than the stock athlon ones is always a good idea. The stock coolers have gotten better and should be all the cooling the CPU will need, but I for one don't like my CPU reaching 60C+ with a stock cooler.
Everyone has their own favourites, I prefer the ThermalTake ones because they cool very well, look great and have a thermal probe you can place under the CPU to control the fan speed witout the need for rehostats.

Thermal pads are just plain nasty. They need longer to break in and even when they do the pad itself will often melt and drip down the CPU and onto the mobo if you have a fast chip and tower case where the CPU is on its side.

The intel ones are even worse. They are a thin piece of aluminium with each side coated by a paraffin wax and carbon mixture (thats what it appears to be anyway).
Now please explain to me how on earth sticking a piece of aluminium between the cpu and its heatsink is supposed to help with heat transfer?
Stick on some arctic silver 3/5 and the temps drop by up to 10C.

Thermal pads and compounds are NOT supposed to be between the CPU and heatsink. They are supposed to get squeezed out and only remain in the tiny cracks on the heatsink, displacing any air (air is a realy bad heat conductor).
A thermal pad like Intel's simply cannot do this.

[dujon_uk]

Hey

I took the ASROCK mobo back and he plugged it into a power supply monitor and graphics card. It started and stayed on the first screen as nothing else is plugged in. He tried to fob me off sayin look it works...

so i said if it works u can keep it i want an exchange. I had a pc chips mobo instead and a different athlon xp 2800+ chip...

He gave me the same heat sink but put some new conductor stuff on the bottom.

I had trouble setting up the computer as it kept hanging etc.....

Finally i got it working, the only thing is it only runs at an athlon 2200+ and if i clock it to a 2800+ a blue page appears sayin page fault or someat.

The CPU temp when i boot and check in the bios settings is around 70,71,72 degrees C.

I purchased a 120mm case fan yday but it is to noisy so i have put me 80 mm fan out of me old system in it....

What are healthy temperatures for an athlon xp 2800+??

A mate said max is 85 or someat

Thanks Again Mike

[Strawbs]

A low temp is mid 30's, A healthy temp is around 40 - 45oC, acceptable is in the high 40's - 50. Any higher than that and your looking at trouble when the summer gets here!

Take the HSF off and double check again that he put it on the right way around,Then buy yourself some AS5 (see my previous post) and follow the instructions on Arctics web site for installation tips.

I'm hoping he hasn't tried to fob you off with an already overheated cpu or a rebadged one (I seem to remember there were a few of them floating around last year)!

tip: never buy critical components from computer fairs ...they're usually cheap for a reason! :(

[zybch]

Originally posted by Strawbs
tip: never buy critical components from computer fairs ...they're usually cheap for a reason! :(

Too true!

[dujon_uk]

Thanks for the help. Very much appreciated.

Now i have purcahsed a aero 7 lite jet heatsink fan...

Brialliant and 2 80 mm silent fans for the frnt of the case and one silent 80 mm fan for the back..

Now the temp of the cpu is around 35...

Therefore bundles from fairs contain **** heat sinks..

I will never be doing that again....

The fan is adjustable and is quality.....

Now got the system sorted the cmp will run at 2800+ where as with other heat sink it would not even boot and i wud get a blue screen...

Thought yday i was installing Soldier of fortune 2 and at 90% it restarted..

I am not sure if it was beacause the comp was at 2800+ or because the ram was at ddr400 and they are ddr 400s..

thought the mobo manual says may not run propely with some ddr 400s so i changed it to 333 and the cpu to 2200+ and it installed..

All my parts will now becoming from www.overclockers.co.uk as aswell it is within a mile of distance...

:o)

Cheers Fellas

[nme]

Personal experiences with the same problem resulted in me looking stupid. I hope youre brighter than i am cause heres what was wrong. My comp would go off randomly too.. what caused it is a little bios setting.. it went something like this...
"Turn off computer if cpu temp reaches..."
Well some IDIOT... i wouldnt know who =(, set mine to turn off at some temp i dont remember.. so.. check that out. dont be dumb like me =P later

[Strawbs]

:t