Computer Woes

msuitepyon

I'm at it again.

My computer has been out since about November. I've been buying parts and working on it on and off since then.

Here's what I'm at:

I bought a new motherboard, CPU, PSU, case, and RAM stick. I've retained my video card and drives. I've got it now to where I can get a POST beep and BIOS splash. Then, without warning, the computer powers off. I pulled the CPU and heatsink and reseated them thinking it may be an overheating problem. After looking over the CPU, the pins seem okay but there's a smidge of thermal grease I can't get out. Would this be a problem? Otherwise, everything seems kosher.

Lil' help?

devoir

Incorrect mounting screw shorting the motherboard?

I'd try pulling everything out and gradually adding components, if you haven't. (Although I suspect you have.)

msuitepyon

Yeah, I first thought I was shorting the board out. I built the motherboard on its cardboard box and I'm still having the problem.

pacbowl

I'm not familiar with the conductivity of thermal grease but if it's bridging pins that can't be a good thing. How long can you sit in the bios before it reboots, if it does at all? Most newer computers come with a CPU temp monitor. What does that say, if you can stay in the bios long enough to find out. If it starts loading windows from an old drive, it could just be a windows problem and you need to reformat/reinstall.

msuitepyon

Is there any known way to clean the pins? I can sit in the BIOS for about 10 seconds or so. I'm not too familar with this BIOS so I can't find CPU temeratures before the thing shuts off.

JWFokker

Flush it with isopropyl alcohol. It's probably not overheating, just not making electrical contact with that pin and crashing.

Sarcastro

I would have voted for motherboard short as well. Perhaps this could be insufficent wattage available from your power supply, crashing the whole thing when one too many devices start up. Try one HD with no extras, like CD/DVDs, USBs ( cept K/M) or sound. Unless you're packing 300+ watts or so, then prolly not.

Also, are you using a surge protector? If I had to shoot something in the dark, it would look like a dollarstore surge protector.

corcorigan

My computer used to do this sort of thing when I reset it until I put in a more powerful power supply.

I was also under the impression thermal stuff was designed not to conduct electricity?

JWFokker

That's correct. Most thermal interface materials are non-conductive. My guess is that the paste is blocking the pin from making contact, as if the pin were broken off, and the system crashes as a result.