Dead cpu?

Max_T · Post by **Max_T** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 8:04 pm

A friend of mine has a pc that quit on him while he was gaming. I thought maybe the PSU crapped out, but doesn't look like it. The light on the motherboard lights up, so the PSU seems to work.

When i press the power button, the cpu, psu, and case fans all make half a spin, and then nothing happens.

The cpu fan is hooked up to the CPU fan header on the motherboard.

The board makes no beeps or anything, b/c it doesn't even get to the post stage.

Am i correct in assuming that the cpu is fried for some unknown reason (i don't know if he was overclockign or not, but i cleared the BIOS anyway, same results, fan spin only half a turn)?

By the way, nothing is shorting out anywhere, i checked. Just looking for confirmation that the CPU is the most likely thing to be fried.

Could be a motherboard problem too, but doesn't sound like it. Unfortunately i do not have another cpu or motherboard to test this out. I just told him he'd probably need to buy a new CPU, right?

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 8:26 pm

can you give us the specs of this system?

also it really sounds like a issue with the PSU or mobo, as the fans should turn even if there is no CPU or mobo problem. which leads me to think the PSU is detecting a internal problem and shutting itself off

Max_T · Post by **Max_T** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:08 pm

don't really know the specs..

mobo is shuttle ak12 v3.0 (also knows as ak12a) or something like that. The cpu is AthlonXP 1600+. He's got one stick of memory, don't know which one. And some PSU, don't know the wattage.

i was under the impression that if he cpu is dead the fans wouldn't spin. does somebody know for sure?

Jeff250 · Post by **Jeff250** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:19 pm

I've never seen a power supply that just stopped working all together. They usually just half die, providing enough power to turn on some lights and spin the fans a bit. That's not ruling out CPU either, but it's just that the power supply is the easiest part to troubleshoot. I also experienced similar symptoms with a loose Molex cable, so go ahead and check all cable connections too.

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:40 pm

When I was building my new computer, after I had hooked everything up it refused ot turn on. Just a half spin like you were describing after I physically switched the PSU on (on-off switch at the back of the PSU where its exposed to the outside of the case). My room mate then did the only helpful thing hes ever done: he suggested that I take any given jumper and, using needle-nosed pliers, place this jumper across the power button pins on the mobo, thus completing the circuit and telling the motherboard to power on.

It turned out that the power button was defective on my computer. After I had fixed that, everything worked fine. So I say take an old jumper from an old hard drive or expansion card not used anymore and jump the power pins once. Make DAMN SURE you jump the right pins. If you do it right you wont do anything at all to the computer, its just like pushing a functional power button.

If that doesnt work, I would examine the PSU further. Detatch all drives and perihperial devices and see if it powers on. If that doesnt work, swap it out entirely.

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 9:58 pm

Make sure the reset switch isnt stuck.

Max_T · Post by **Max_T** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:10 pm

hmm, interesting suggestions, but he wasnt building a new pc, his pc quit working in the middle fo a game. So it was turnign on before just fine. Maybe he should try a different PSU before changing the processor, but i don't have a spare one.

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 11:29 pm

Try resetting the CMOS.

Max_T · Post by **Max_T** » Mon Mar 22, 2004 11:30 pm

MD-2389 wrote:Try resetting the CMOS.

already did, i mentioned that in my 1st post

Flatlander · Post by **Flatlander** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 7:02 am

Disconnect all drives (data and power cables); remove all expansion cards except video. Disconnect all other cables plugged into motherboard (except power), including all front headers except power switch. Turn on, see what happens. If it still doesn't work, try reseating the RAM and CPU. Try test memory. Try test video card. Try test power supply. If it still doesn't work, it's probably the CPU, but it might be the motherboard. Only way to know is replace the CPU. Oh yeah, ignore AceCombat.

s. · Post by s. » Tue Mar 23, 2004 9:02 am

I had the exact same thing happen to me. Half a spin nada. It was my cpu(athlon 2800xp). I went through everything new mobo(msi kt6 delta), psu everything. Put in new chip walla. the old chip did the same to both boards, try a new chip. (reason for my cpu failing was a faulty h20 heat block,it leaked on cpu.

Max_T · Post by **Max_T** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:01 am

s. wrote:I had the exact same thing happen to me. Half a spin nada. It was my cpu(athlon 2800xp). I went through everything new mobo(msi kt6 delta), psu everything. Put in new chip walla. the old chip did the same to both boards, try a new chip. (reason for my cpu failing was a faulty h20 heat block,it leaked on cpu.

thank you, exactly the answer i was looking for

s. · Post by s. » Tue Mar 23, 2004 10:10 am

YEAHHHH YOUR WELCOME I finally helped someone.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 1:28 pm

Don't be so quick to swap out the CPU!!

This can happen if the power plug is not properly bedded in the socket. It can appear to be correctly seated, with the clip actively retaining the plug.

Remove the PSU plug from the motherboard. compressed air hwlps here. Reset the plug into the socket and wiggle it to ensure it is seated properly.

Now try booting again.

Also - it *could* be possible that the CPU fan is not reporting any revs at all - try putting a chassis fan onto the cpu fan header, and put the cpu fan on a chassis fan header. Boot again.

If that fails - try removing the CPU. Clean the surface of the socket with a swab lightly wetted with Isopropyl alcohol. Cleaning the CPU pins is very trickey, and shouldn't really be attempted - but clean the CPU surface of thermal material, and clean the Heat sink too.

Remount the CPU following the instruction at http://www.arcticsilver.com - try to boot again.

Also, remove and clean the RAM and sockets for it too. If more than 1 stick is installed - try each stick (singly!) in Slot #1.

Be careful installing the RAM - it is often VERY tight!

Max_T · Post by **Max_T** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 2:12 pm

nice instructions, but he was not buildign a new pc...it quit on him while it was working. Something fried, it's not loose connections or anything. I was just trying to find out whether it's the cpu, the psu, or the motherboard.

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 3:15 pm

Flatlander wrote: Oh yeah, ignore AceCombat.

KMFWA!!

Flatlander · Post by **Flatlander** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 5:03 pm

AceCombat wrote:
Flatlander wrote: Oh yeah, ignore AceCombat.
KMFWA!!

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 5:44 pm

the reason i put up the PSU Issue, is becuase, not long ago i came across a similar issue. and the PSU had a internal error and was shutting itself off. most newer PSU's have this feature if im mnot mistaken if not all PSU's have a feature like that

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 6:42 pm

I had my PC die and abruptly stop POSTing a long time ago, I opened up the case and used a can of compressed air to clean the dust off of both my RAM chips and the RAM on the video card. Clicked the switch and it resumed booting and has been working ever since.

Also, it is hard to tell sometimes if it is the CPU that is dead, or the motherboard. I have two Athlon XP based systems so I can always test a CPU if one of them quit working and find out what is broken.

-Krom

s. · Post by s. » Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:30 am

I tried my old cpu with a new psu. because of said cpu i now have all but a new comp minus cpu hehe, you should of heard the excuse i told the wife to keep it all.

I've also seen the same thing on an old k2 board the cpu just quit. fan would just half a spin then nada, that was before i had a clue as to anything.

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 12:44 pm

Max, the thing doesn't have to be being worked on for a connection to become loose or an electrical connection go bad.

Do what I said.

The PSU connector I have experienced personally - TWICE.

KtheC' · Post by **KtheC'** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 6:35 pm

I had the same thing happen to me a couple times. Turned out to be the fan was bad. This caused the thing to start then immediately shut down. No beeps, nothing

Max_T · Post by **Max_T** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 6:48 pm

ok, stand by, we'll test a different cpu, i'll update in a few weeks on the progress.

thanx 4 teh suggestions

AceCombat · Post by **AceCombat** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:48 am

KtheC' wrote:I had the same thing happen to me a couple times. Turned out to be the fan was bad. This caused the thing to start then immediately shut down. No beeps, nothing

thats the CPU hitting its internal Heat Threshold/Shutdown situation