COMPUTER PSU/PROCESSOR FAN PROBLEM

[Robert Gething]

AFTER ABOUT 20MINS MY DESKTOP PC RUNNING XP PRO SP2 WILL SUDDENLY TURN
ITSELF OFF.

IT IS AS IF THERE IS A POWER SURGE BECAUSE IN ORDER TO GET IT TO POWER
UP AGAIN I HAVE TO UNPLUG IT FROM, AND PLUG IT BACK INTO THE MAINS.

I SPOKE TO A FRIEND WHO SEEMED TO THINK IT WAS THE PROCESSOR FAN. WHEN I
CHECKED THE CPU TEMP IN BIOS SYSTEM HARDWARE MONITOR IT WAS 62 DEGREES C.

I AM RUNNING AN AMD 2800 SEMPROM PROCESSOR, HOWEVER I WONDER WHETHER ITS
THE PSU THATS GOING.

I HAVE A PCI BUS MOTHERBOARD, SO IF IT IS THE PSU, WHAT REPLACEMENT PSU
DO I NEED?

A 250, 450, 500W?

LIKEWISE, IF IT THE PROCESSOR FAN, WHAT REPLACEMENT HARDWARE IS IT BEST
FOR ME TO PURCHASE?

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HARDWARE ISSUE, BUT I OBVIOUSLY NEED TO KNOW WHICH
HARDWARE IS CAUSING THE ISSUE.

IS THERE A WAY I CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT TAKING THE HARDWARE TO
A COMPUTER SPECIALIST AND GETTING IT TESTED?

ANY HELP REGARDING THIS WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED,

--

ROBERT GETHING

(e-mail address removed)

(e-mail address removed)

(e-mail address removed)

 

[Richard Urban]

About half a dozen people have asked you to lose your cap locks! You don't
listen. It makes for very hard reading and I, for one, will not even bother
to try.

I have deleted every one of your posts without reading them. How many
others, that are capable of helping you, are doing the same?

Get smart and with the program. It will help YOU in the long run!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Star Fleet Admiral Q]

Robert,
Please, next post, may I suggest it be in lower case, as all upper case
is considered shouting, not to mention it is very difficult to read.
As far as your issue, it could be a CPU fan, a case fan a power supply
fan and/or a faulty power supply. Without proper testing equipment, it
would be just a shot in the dark. As far as replacing the power supply,
the wattage is dependent on what accessories are being run from the power
supply, type and how many of each. A rule of thumb many average user
desktops come with something around 300W, where many top-of-the-line
desktops and/or workstations will have a minimum 400W but I have seen
larger. Also note, many new desktops running those expensive 256MB Gamer
Video cards require not only an additional PCI slot, but a hard-drive power
connection, many requiring a minimum 300W power supply.
My suggestion - I'd go with the maximum allowed that wouldn't be
overkill for your day-to-day use.

--

Star Fleet Admiral Q @ your Service!

http://www.google.com
Google is your "Friend"

 

[GHalleck]

AFTER ABOUT 20MINS MY DESKTOP PC RUNNING XP PRO SP2 WILL SUDDENLY TURN
ITSELF OFF.

IT IS AS IF THERE IS A POWER SURGE BECAUSE IN ORDER TO GET IT TO POWER
UP AGAIN I HAVE TO UNPLUG IT FROM, AND PLUG IT BACK INTO THE MAINS.

I SPOKE TO A FRIEND WHO SEEMED TO THINK IT WAS THE PROCESSOR FAN. WHEN I
CHECKED THE CPU TEMP IN BIOS SYSTEM HARDWARE MONITOR IT WAS 62 DEGREES C.

I AM RUNNING AN AMD 2800 SEMPROM PROCESSOR, HOWEVER I WONDER WHETHER ITS
THE PSU THATS GOING.

I HAVE A PCI BUS MOTHERBOARD, SO IF IT IS THE PSU, WHAT REPLACEMENT PSU
DO I NEED?

A 250, 450, 500W?

LIKEWISE, IF IT THE PROCESSOR FAN, WHAT REPLACEMENT HARDWARE IS IT BEST
FOR ME TO PURCHASE?

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HARDWARE ISSUE, BUT I OBVIOUSLY NEED TO KNOW WHICH
HARDWARE IS CAUSING THE ISSUE.

IS THERE A WAY I CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT TAKING THE HARDWARE TO
A COMPUTER SPECIALIST AND GETTING IT TESTED?

ANY HELP REGARDING THIS WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED,

Looks like something more is broken in your computer since this
AM. First, replace the keyboard with one with a functioning CAPS
lock. Next, determine whether or not 62 deg C is too low of a
threshold setting for the CPU; if so, then adjust it (and its
crowbar circuitry) to the temperature specified by AMD for the
CPU. Also, check that the heatsink fins are clean of dust and
lint, and that the CPU fan is rotating at its optimal RPM's. As
a last resort, check that there is thermal conductivity between
the heatsink and the heat slug on the CPU...replacing the thermal
pad or re-applying thermal paste on to clean surfaces might be in
order.

 

[Pete]

!

About half a dozen people have asked you to lose your cap locks! You don't
listen. It makes for very hard reading and I, for one, will not even
bother to try.

I have deleted every one of your posts without reading them. How many
others, that are capable of helping you, are doing the same?

Get smart and with the program. It will help YOU in the long run!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Peter Foldes]

Amen

 

[Kelly]

Caps aren't necessary.

After a fresh boot, open the Task Manager and watch the processes. See if
idle process changes rapidly and which other process is using it.

Also, by default when WinXP encounters a system failure, it reboots without
warning. The setting that controls this can be changed:

Control Panel/System/Advanced/Settings (Startup & Recovery)/System
Failure/Uncheck-Automatically Restart.

You can use Event Viewer to view and manage the event logs, gather
information about hardware and software problems, and monitor Windows
security events.

To view the event log: Administrative Tools/Event Viewer or
Start/Run/eventvwr.

To review Shutdown Event Tracker data, Open Event Viewer. Click System Log,
scroll to the Event column, and find entries with the number 1075.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q308427

And also:

Go to Start/Run/Msinfo32/Hardware Resources, Components/Problem Devices and
Software Environment/Windows Error Reporting.

Go to Help and Support/Pick a Task (left side)/Use Tools to view.../(left
pane)My Computer Information/(right pane)View the status of my system
hardware and software/Hardware/Update and Troubleshooters.

How to Troubleshoot Hardware and Software Driver Problems
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q322205

Try running the DirectX Tool: Start/Run/Dxdiag, Lower Hardware Acceleration
(Display/Settings/Advanced/Troubleshoot/Hardware Acceleration). Check
System Info for problematic issues: Start/Run/Msinfo32/Hardware Resources
and Components/Problem Devices and Software Environment/Windows Error
Reporting.


--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Lil' Dave]

AFTER ABOUT 20MINS MY DESKTOP PC RUNNING XP PRO SP2 WILL SUDDENLY TURN
ITSELF OFF.

IT IS AS IF THERE IS A POWER SURGE BECAUSE IN ORDER TO GET IT TO POWER
UP AGAIN I HAVE TO UNPLUG IT FROM, AND PLUG IT BACK INTO THE MAINS.

I SPOKE TO A FRIEND WHO SEEMED TO THINK IT WAS THE PROCESSOR FAN. WHEN I
CHECKED THE CPU TEMP IN BIOS SYSTEM HARDWARE MONITOR IT WAS 62 DEGREES C.

I AM RUNNING AN AMD 2800 SEMPROM PROCESSOR, HOWEVER I WONDER WHETHER ITS
THE PSU THATS GOING.

I HAVE A PCI BUS MOTHERBOARD, SO IF IT IS THE PSU, WHAT REPLACEMENT PSU
DO I NEED?

A 250, 450, 500W?

LIKEWISE, IF IT THE PROCESSOR FAN, WHAT REPLACEMENT HARDWARE IS IT BEST
FOR ME TO PURCHASE?

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A HARDWARE ISSUE, BUT I OBVIOUSLY NEED TO KNOW WHICH
HARDWARE IS CAUSING THE ISSUE.

IS THERE A WAY I CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT TAKING THE HARDWARE TO
A COMPUTER SPECIALIST AND GETTING IT TESTED?

ANY HELP REGARDING THIS WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED,

--

ROBERT GETHING

(e-mail address removed)

(e-mail address removed)

(e-mail address removed)

When you get on the high wattage end of a PS selection, you have to consider
more than just the overall wattage. In some cases a 350-400W will benefit
your situation more than a 500W PS.

Also consider an UPS.

 

[Robert Gething]

Caps aren't necessary.

After a fresh boot, open the Task Manager and watch the processes. See if
idle process changes rapidly and which other process is using it.

Also, by default when WinXP encounters a system failure, it reboots without
warning. The setting that controls this can be changed:

Control Panel/System/Advanced/Settings (Startup & Recovery)/System
Failure/Uncheck-Automatically Restart.

You can use Event Viewer to view and manage the event logs, gather
information about hardware and software problems, and monitor Windows
security events.

To view the event log: Administrative Tools/Event Viewer or
Start/Run/eventvwr.

To review Shutdown Event Tracker data, Open Event Viewer. Click System Log,
scroll to the Event column, and find entries with the number 1075.

HOW TO: View and Manage Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q308427

And also:

Go to Start/Run/Msinfo32/Hardware Resources, Components/Problem Devices and
Software Environment/Windows Error Reporting.

Go to Help and Support/Pick a Task (left side)/Use Tools to view.../(left
pane)My Computer Information/(right pane)View the status of my system
hardware and software/Hardware/Update and Troubleshooters.

How to Troubleshoot Hardware and Software Driver Problems
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q322205

Try running the DirectX Tool: Start/Run/Dxdiag, Lower Hardware Acceleration
(Display/Settings/Advanced/Troubleshoot/Hardware Acceleration). Check
System Info for problematic issues: Start/Run/Msinfo32/Hardware Resources
and Components/Problem Devices and Software Environment/Windows Error
Reporting.

Hey guys,

Sorry about the caps thing. I'm new to this didn't realize what it meant
and that it would get to so many people.

Anyway, thanks for all your help, I checked sysinfo, lowered hardware
accelaration and disabled automatic restart.

Went on the AMD website, and dwnlded some software that should sort out
the CPU temp etc. I'm also going to install some updated drivers.

Thanks again,

Robert

 

[Kelly]

Most welcome, Robert. Hope you get this all sorted soon.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com