Post Build Boot up Problems......Durrrrrrr!

[jonah]

How about this one, first time and last I will make this stupid error.

Built new PC for a friend today.

Got it all built and set up OK, nothing special just cheap Asrock
MOBO, 512 RAM and a AMD Sempron 2.6 Processor, check it all first then
fire it up. All goes well for about 90 seconds then it dies (power
cuts out dead). Bit puzzled so I re fire it up and listen for the POST
test - OK no problem ........... dies again???????

Decide I have misset the FSB so I set it to minimum - same again
however it lasts twice as long before dying - interesting hmmmm.

Check wiring, connectors, etc try again - bugger.

Boot into BIOS can't get anywhere (power settings I am after) it dies
too quickly.

Put a spare power supply in - no - rules that out then.

Throw my toys out of the pram, scream and shout a lot, go for a walk
with the dog cos she thinks I am mad at her which is good cos I can
talk to the dog without people thinking I am loony tunes so I have
a conversation with her about.........its just like a classic
processor overheat but its not running anything at all, no OS no
nothing so WTF...............wait a minute!

She is a Border Collie they are very clever.

Check Processor

I have put the f*****g heat sink on 180 degrees out so the processor
is not cooling properly, that would explain the difference between the
up time on the higher and lower FSB settings, rotate the heat sink,
fixed.

So I have seriously abused this Sempron chip for some time chasing
this which says to me that AMD stuff can take some hammering, I cooked
it at least 10 times before I fixed it, OK the temp cut out saved the
day but still I am amazed I did not destroy the chip.

Jonah

 

[NotMe]

Hmmmmm, don't feel like the Lone Ranger.
I think anyone that has built many systems has screwed up something at one
time or another.
But what kinda Moron designs a heat sink that will install improperly?

 

[MorituriMax]

Hmmmmm, don't feel like the Lone Ranger.
I think anyone that has built many systems has screwed up something at one
time or another.
But what kinda Moron designs a heat sink that will install improperly?

Jonah's dad?

Heh, kidding.. I feel for him.. luckily the only systems I build have
properly designed cpu cooling sinks.. heh..

 

[DanS]

4ax.com:

So I have seriously abused this Sempron chip for some time chasing
this which says to me that AMD stuff can take some hammering, I cooked
it at least 10 times before I fixed it, OK the temp cut out saved the
day but still I am amazed I did not destroy the chip.

Jonah

We all get lucky sometimes....

Believe it or not, one day I left for work at 7:30 like always. Around 8
o'clock I tried to remote into my home PC but it wasn't responding.
I sent an e-mail to the wife to reboot my PC, as she wasn't working that
day, she didn't get it until 10:30AM.

She calls me right away because when she opened the office room door, it
REALLY stank of burning electronics. I had her power it down completely,
immediately.

Turns out the CPU fan stopped for some reason, and apparently, the PC
rebooted itself, then issued a stop error before loading, and just sat
there like that cooking away. It a lowly 1 GHz Athlon.

This is the PC I'm still using. Amazing.