Computer Boots for a few hours than crashes?! not overheating...need help!!

A

afropuff

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 1, 2002
Messages
448
Hello all,

I am having a problem with my computer. My stats are in my sig. The problem started when I was playing a game and then all of a sudden the monitor acted like it was shut down. Everything else kept running inside the computer (power-wise) not sure if the computer was locked up(because I couldn't see anything), but I assume it was. Tried restarting and it restarted fine. It was running in windows for a bit until it turned the monitor/crashed again. At this point I thought it was the video card.

I then started testing everything. I thought maybe it could be the memory, so I switched the modules around and used only one of them, than two, tried different spots - computer was still not working. At this point the computer would not even post and when it would post, it would hang when I was in bios or shut down again during the boot-up process. I would start it ,power would be to everything, but the thing just would not post. I reset everything back to factory defaults in my bios - the CPU was not overheating, I checked this many times.

Now here is the odd part. I went and bought a new video card thinking that was the problem. Turned out that wasn't the problem because it was doing the same thing. I then decided to take everything off including the CPU. What I found was a lot of dust in my computer. There was dust on the motherboard and when I took the HSF off I found some dust on/around the CPU. I cleaned all of that off, reseated my CPU, and my computer booted!! YES!! I thought that was the problem. Had it running prime95 and looping 3dmark. This lasted for about 4 hours until it crashed again!! WTF!! Now it is back to not posting ...*sigh*

I do not know what the problem is but I narrowed it down to the mobo or CPU. Dust might also have something to do with it, but I do not know !?!?

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Thanks!!

-fro
 
Purchase a cheap (relatively) stick of Corsair and run the system with it. I can't tell you how many times bad RAM (even though the system will run for a little while) dorks up a good system.
 
How could both of my sticks of RAM be bad though?? I tried just one, both, in different slots, every combination..

??


thanks


-fro

edit:: I concluded 100% that it is not the RAM

I just unlatched the Fan to take off the cpu...with the fan unlatched, booted up fine...thus I am talking here again...

I serously think it is either from the dust or something is screwed up w/my cpu in relation to contacting the mobo...?
 
This sounds like a case for reverse elimination :)

- take the mainboard out of the case and place it on a piece of cardboard or other (non-static, non-conductive) surface
- visually inspect it (scratches, bulging capacitors, etc.)
- reset the CMOS and remove the battery
- install the CPU; apply thermal paste
- install the HSF
- install an external PC speaker if the board doesn't have an onboard one
- install the battery again; reset the CMOS again
- connect the PSU
- turn the system on by shorting out the 'PWR_SW' pins of the front I/O-header with a screwdriver
- the mainboard should start beeping at you because of the missing RAM and videocard
- if it does, look up the beep codes and add the missing component

If all goes well, you should have the RAM and videocard installed, and you should be able to boot into the BIOS.

- check the voltages in the BIOS
- connect a FDD (or CD-ROM drive) and run a RAM test like Memtest86+
- if the RAM passes the test, and the system hasn't crashed yet during a couple of passes of Memtest86+, connect the HDD

If you manage to boot into Windows, run some 3Dmark and similar applications to stress the system. If it's still stable, start adding any system parts you haven't installed yet, one at a time.
 
Elledan said:
This sounds like a case for reverse elimination :)

- take the mainboard out of the case and place it on a piece of cardboard or other (non-static, non-conductive) surface
- visually inspect it (scratches, bulging capacitors, etc.)
- reset the CMOS and remove the battery
- install the CPU; apply thermal paste
- install the HSF
- install an external PC speaker if the board doesn't have an onboard one
- install the battery again; reset the CMOS again
- connect the PSU
- turn the system on by shorting out the 'PWR_SW' pins of the front I/O-header with a screwdriver
- the mainboard should start beeping at you because of the missing RAM and videocard
- if it does, look up the beep codes and add the missing component

If all goes well, you should have the RAM and videocard installed, and you should be able to boot into the BIOS.

- check the voltages in the BIOS
- connect a FDD (or CD-ROM drive) and run a RAM test like Memtest86+
- if the RAM passes the test, and the system hasn't crashed yet during a couple of passes of Memtest86+, connect the HDD

If you manage to boot into Windows, run some 3Dmark and similar applications to stress the system. If it's still stable, start adding any system parts you haven't installed yet, one at a time.
Click to expand...

wow that sounds like a lot of work!

I am unclear as to what this is:

- turn the system on by shorting out the 'PWR_SW' pins of the front I/O-header with a screwdriver (is this where the pins go into the mobo for the Power Switch Button I am assuming??..is this safe?)

Just an update: Since unclamping my HSF, the system has been running for the last 5 hours..this makes no sense to me!

-fro
 
afropuff said:
wow that sounds like a lot of work!

I am unclear as to what this is:

- turn the system on by shorting out the 'PWR_SW' pins of the front I/O-header with a screwdriver (is this where the pins go into the mobo for the Power Switch Button I am assuming??..is this safe?)

Just an update: Since unclamping my HSF, the system has been running for the last 5 hours..this makes no sense to me!

-fro
Click to expand...
it very well could be a broken trace on the mobo that the clamping force of the HSF separates.
 
afropuff said:
wow that sounds like a lot of work!
Click to expand...
Anything to prevent the urge to kick the sh*t out of the system which is refusing to work the way you want it to ;)

I am unclear as to what this is:

- turn the system on by shorting out the 'PWR_SW' pins of the front I/O-header with a screwdriver (is this where the pins go into the mobo for the Power Switch Button I am assuming??..is this safe?)
Click to expand...
Yes, it are the two pins you'd normally connect the case's power switch to. And yes, it's totally safe, unless you start shorting out other random pins on the I/O-header as well.

Just position the screwdriver between the two pins, turn it until both pins short, wait for the system to turn on (might take a second), then quickly remove the screwdriver (or the system will turn off again).

Just an update: Since unclamping my HSF, the system has been running for the last 5 hours..this makes no sense to me!

-fro
Click to expand...
What exactly do you mean by "unclamping my HSF"?
 
afropuff said:
hmmm, what is a broken trace?
Click to expand...
A cut trace on the mainboard's PCB. Basically one or more of those lines you see on the mainboard have been cut, due to slipping with a screwdriver while installing the HSF, or some other accident involving an object capable of damaging the PCB.
 
when he says "unclamping the HSF" i think he means taking the clamps off and running it with the heatsink just sitting on top of the cpu. if im wrong please correct me


and about the trace thing...basically a trace is a wire, or athin piece of metal stamped onto the motherboard (or any other PCB) that carries electrical signals. if ones cut its like a wire being cut. No electricity can flow. and yes, this very well could be the problem...

are any pins bent/broken on the CPU? if there broken the clamp may be seperating the connection they have (assuming the pins still in the socket) while it is unclipped.

is the mobo RMAable (returnable). id suggest exchanging it for a new one saying "it all of a sudden shut down one day and refused to boot afterwards"
 
Just a thought, but have you tried upping the voltage for vcore and vdimm?
That did the trick for my computer
 
had a similar problem with a A64 Gigabyte board

turned out to be the gigabyte power system causing the problem (its the daughter board next to the cpu with the fan on it, cant remember what they call it for the life of me)

if your board has this you may want to remove it. The a64 system i tried worked fine without it and it cleared up all the problems
 
BigTaf said:
had a similar problem with a A64 Gigabyte board

turned out to be the gigabyte power system causing the problem (its the daughter board next to the cpu with the fan on it, cant remember what they call it for the life of me)

if your board has this you may want to remove it. The a64 system i tried worked fine without it and it cleared up all the problems
Click to expand...

DPS, I have it built-in to my board, it works great here (for the exception of some under-volting)
 
4b5eN+EE said:
when he says "unclamping the HSF" i think he means taking the clamps off and running it with the heatsink just sitting on top of the cpu. if im wrong please correct me


and about the trace thing...basically a trace is a wire, or athin piece of metal stamped onto the motherboard (or any other PCB) that carries electrical signals. if ones cut its like a wire being cut. No electricity can flow. and yes, this very well could be the problem...

are any pins bent/broken on the CPU? if there broken the clamp may be seperating the connection they have (assuming the pins still in the socket) while it is unclipped.

is the mobo RMAable (returnable). id suggest exchanging it for a new one saying "it all of a sudden shut down one day and refused to boot afterwards"
Click to expand...

Hmm, i thought no one else was going to post after that.

Yes - that is exactly what I am doing w/the HSF. I am resting it on top and not clamping it down. Every time i tried to clamp it down it would not boot. As an update. I had it like that and it was running fine for about 5 days on its' side. I brought my comp back home w/me on break and it was running fine for about a week with problems every once in a while (random crashes), but now I can not get the damn thing to boot at all and have re-seated the CPU about 6 times and messed around with different HSF combos.. No pins are bent on the CPU that I can notice. I as well think it is the mobo. I got the mobo from Newegg and it has been over a year ago, so I am going to have to go through Gigabyte. Anyone have experinces with them in RMA??

Thanks for all the help,

-fro
 
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