2800+/A7N8X-X Suddenly Dead?

[Phil]

My recently built pc has been running perfectly well....up to now. After
playing RTCW: ET for an hour or so, and then loading up word, the pc just
locks up. Freezes. Nothing. Even Num-lock doesnt work. "Great" I think.
I restart the pc...everything spins up to life...except there's no VGA
signal. Now I'm thinking more along the lines of "oh shite". This pc has
been running for the last month or two with no recent modifications,
changes, and suddenly this.
I strip out everything thats not needed one thing at a time, attempting a
power cycle each time, still no VGA signal. The fans spin up, drives power
up etc, but no VGA signal. (They keep going until I turn off the pc, so I
don't think anything is shorting out)
I reset the CMOS thinking it may be something there (being careful not to
blow it to hell by turning it on with the jumper over).
I'm left with the Graphics card, RAM, Motherboard and Processor. I swap out
the graphics card for a PCI TnT2 that I know works, and I've sinced tried
the AGP card in another PC, so I know its not that. Also I've moved the RAM
around in the slots, and it's currently working fine in this pc, so it's not
that, so I'm left with either the motherboard or the CPU that's fried.
I should be testing the motherboard with a 2200+ CPU tomorrow, so I can test
if it's that, but could there be anything else that I may have missed?
The CPU fan didnt sound too healthy when I was running it, but it was still
spinning fast and keeping the HS cool, so I doubt its that?

System Temperatures (all in degrees celcius) from last week were:

Mobo: 30
CPU Socket:
Idle: 40->43
Load: max 46
CPU Diode:
67 Maximum Recorded

My Initial thoughts are that something on the mobo has fried the CPU,
possibly even the PSU (Generic 300w)?

If it is the CPU, I bought the retail, so I can get it replaced...would this
be with dabs.com (who I bought it off) or direct AMD? Likewise with the
motherboard.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I really don't see why it has just
suddenly given up on me!

System Specs:

2800+ Athlon XP (Barton)
512mb PC2700 Twinmos RAM
GF4 Ti4800SE
SB Live 5.1
80gig
40gig
CDRW/DVD
XP Pro and all the usual apps etc

 

[KC Computers]

My recently built pc has been running perfectly well....up to now. After
playing RTCW: ET for an hour or so, and then loading up word, the pc just
locks up. Freezes. Nothing. Even Num-lock doesnt work. "Great" I think.
I restart the pc...everything spins up to life...except there's no VGA
signal. Now I'm thinking more along the lines of "oh shite". This pc has
been running for the last month or two with no recent modifications,
changes, and suddenly this.
I strip out everything thats not needed one thing at a time, attempting a
power cycle each time, still no VGA signal. The fans spin up, drives power
up etc, but no VGA signal. (They keep going until I turn off the pc, so I
don't think anything is shorting out)
I reset the CMOS thinking it may be something there (being careful not to
blow it to hell by turning it on with the jumper over).
I'm left with the Graphics card, RAM, Motherboard and Processor. I swap out
the graphics card for a PCI TnT2 that I know works, and I've sinced tried
the AGP card in another PC, so I know its not that. Also I've moved the RAM
around in the slots, and it's currently working fine in this pc, so it's not
that, so I'm left with either the motherboard or the CPU that's fried.
I should be testing the motherboard with a 2200+ CPU tomorrow, so I can test
if it's that, but could there be anything else that I may have missed?
The CPU fan didnt sound too healthy when I was running it, but it was still
spinning fast and keeping the HS cool, so I doubt its that?
My Initial thoughts are that something on the mobo has fried the CPU,
possibly even the PSU (Generic 300w)?
If it is the CPU, I bought the retail, so I can get it replaced...would this
be with dabs.com (who I bought it off) or direct AMD? Likewise with the
motherboard.
2800+ Athlon XP (Barton)
512mb PC2700 Twinmos RAM
GF4 Ti4800SE
SB Live 5.1
80gig
40gig
CDRW/DVD
XP Pro and all the usual apps etc

We are a dealer and it sounds like the motherboard is the most
likely suspect. It's rare for an Athlon XP CPU to stop working
like that especially when the heatsink fan didn't come off. It could
also be the power supply since anything can happen with
a cheap generic 300W one.

Good luck.

 

[Phil]

We are a dealer and it sounds like the motherboard is the most
likely suspect. It's rare for an Athlon XP CPU to stop working
like that especially when the heatsink fan didn't come off. It could
also be the power supply since anything can happen with
a cheap generic 300W one.

Good luck.

---

I just took the HSF off the CPU, no visible signs on damage/ burn marks on
the bottom of the HS, or top of the CPU, but when i turned the CPU, there
were two brown burn marks on the underside below the die.
The temperatures were running well within spec when it went, so is it
possible that there was a sudden surge of voltage which instantly fried the
CPU?
I'm thinking about having to RMA the motherboard as well now, I would test
my friend's 2200+ in it, but obviously we don't want to fry another CPU if
the motherboard is at fault.

On the side of the PSU, if I were to replace it, what would be the best PSU,
with a sensible budget. I don't want anything OTT, just one that will be
reliable, quiet and work, for as little money as possible. Any
recommendations?

Thanks