Catz's computer died!

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#61

I can get a https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186151 and have it shipped to Catz direct and I have a 940 x4 stock heatsink I can send with the PSU. And a 3450 512mb.

Current list of parts
AMD Athlon 64 x2 5200+ -taylor-madeak
Stock Heatsink -Nirvash
Foxconn A74MX-K AM2+/AM2 AMD 740G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard -Nirvash
older video card of unknown make and model -wheybags
nVIDIA GeForce 6200TC-based-LightningFX
3450 512mb -Nirvash
160GB Drive unknown interface -LightningFX
430 Watt psu - Nivash

#62

That is exactly what I was thinking.

If EVERYTHING is completely normal (normal startup sounds, computer stays on etc.), but there’s no signal being sent to the monitor, it is the video card. This doesn’t sound like the video card. It also doesn’t sound like RAM. Nor HDD of course.

It COULD be the motherboard… but it is more likely the PSU. I’ve replaced quite a few Power Supplies for computers with similar issues and that did the trick. Either way, the PSU is the much simpler and more cost effective solution, so it would be the first thing I would try to replace. You can pick one up from Staples or Best Buy or something, try it out, and if it doesn’t help return it.

(For the record, I’ve worked on plenty of computers… failed HDDs, RAM, mobos, PSUs, GPUs, etc. I also worked on the Geek Squad for a time, though that is probably a negative. Most of those guys are such idiots…)

#63

Reading this thread and seeing how everyone wants to do what they can to help brings tears to this gals eyes. Truely, each of you are wonderful for posting your thoughts and ideas and offers of help. I cant thank you all enough.

But the puter is dead. My uber leet power supply box fried the flux capacitors :chuckle: on the mother board to the point they are bulging. You see when I bought the puter I also picked up a decent video card. But the video card needed more power. So I also got a new power supply box to feed the video card monster.

According to our IT neighbor, for the past two years, the uber power supply has been frying the capacitors. To the point you can actually SEE them bulging. Now they just gave up and wont work anymore.

He suggested a lot of things of which I understood about 10% of. (wow! what a geek he is! It was SO attractive even hubby was like daaayum! HAHAHa!) In the end, like was said we are not going to be able to find an exact replacement board. We will need to either get a new tower, or purchase a new board that is compatible with all of or most of our other components.

Hard drive is safe tho. Thank God the hard drive is safe! All of my family pictures of the last 15 years, family movies of the last 15 years, saved important programs, desktop themes, porn, internet favorites, and such is all safe for now!

The original plan as of today would be to take back Nathan’s computer (12 year old has our old OLD computer) so that we could somewhat function on the internet without having to use my other son’s crappy laptop.

However our beloved RabidMonkey may have a tower for me! WOO HOO FOR THE MONKEY!!

To be continued…

#64

#65

I just knew feeding him was a good idea!
Even though the scary lady on the Black Mesa transit system told me not to :fffuuu:

If Rabid can’t find the tower, I am sure we can find a solution… in the form of component donations? :3
scuttles to newegg

#66

That’s why it’s always best to have an external HDD, provided it has a separate power cord and doesn’t gets its juice via USB, it will keep functioning even if your computer crashes. And while computer crashes aren’t very damaging for most other components, HDDs are obviously very susceptible to sudden power outtages. Plus, you’ll have a nice backup in case your primary HDD failes.

Like I always say, better save than sorry!

EDIT: Also, since you can’t (and shouldn’t) install Windows on an external HDD, it means you can easily hook it up to another PC and access the data, whereas any data from the My Documents and WINDOWS folders can usually only be accessed from that particular Windows installation. Unless you hook it up to Windows XP if course, that sly OS doesn’t take shit from it’s newer brothers and will happily access all their files :stuck_out_tongue:

#67

ayup, I agree. Of course it is a matter of priorities of what to get first when you have money to spend. video card / external harddrive / kids clothes / fix car / pay electric bill. Somehow the external drive always lost.

#68

You can actually, but it’s probably a bad idea.

#69

I don’t know, external harddrive / kids clothes, seems like a close call to me :slight_smile:

I know, and it IS a bad idea :expressionless:

#70

I guess I was dead on from the start…

Glad to hear you might have a replacement, I’m sure Rabid’s “old” pc could be considered a major upgrade from your previous PC. :smiley:

#71

Speaking of hardware, I need to get me a new rig, to replace this goddamn Dell. Planning on buying parts slowly one by one as I get the money, prolly mobo first. I have 125 Euro. Any recommendations?

#72

125 EURO for a whole new PC ??? You’ll be lucky if you can buy a few cables with that :lol:

#73

You should consider making your own thread for this, don’t forget to post your current specs so calculating a worthy upgrade will be easier.

#74
  1. You should make a separate thread for your question(as sersoft ninja’d me as I created this post. RAWR)
  2. It would be better to buy them all at once; that way you’ll get the best bargain for your money and you’ll save on the shipping.
#75

#76

You realize you just replied to a troll who’s bumping every thread?

#77

Sorry, 'twas his first post I read.

#78

I don’t know if its fixed yet or whatever you decide but I will break my long silence and offer this anecdote since this described problem sounds a lot like one I had on my wife’s computer just a few months ago.

In her case, it turns out that the motherboard has a pressure switch under the processor slot. The plastic legs that hold the fan down on the processor (and thus press down on the switch) had grown weak with age. As such, the pressure switch was not being pressed and so the motherboard determined that no functioning heat exchange system was on the processor.

To test this, I pressed down on the heatsink/fan combination that was on top of the processor and turned it on. Everything worked as it should. As soon as I let go, the computer would instantly shutoff.

So, in my case I just had to go down to the local computer parts store and get a new heatsink/fan unit and attach it.

I can’t say that this is what is happening to you, but it does sound similar. Without that switch being pressed, the motherboard would not allow power to remain on for very long at all.

The switch isn’t one you can feel “clicking” when you push down, so don’t go looking for something like that. I suspect its more a piezo-electric kind of deal but I really don’t know.

#79

Might want to read the most recent pages before replying. The problem already seems to have been narrowed to have been caused by the PSU frying the motherboard.

And I’ve never heard of a pressure switch underneath the processor slot… I’d be more likely to think that your particular problem was caused by the heatsink not making good enough contact with the processor, causing it to overheat. Most motherboards have safety circuitry that shuts the processor down after reaching a certain heat threshold.

#80

Well, what I know about this forum from my, uh… “experience” ;] is that there are a LOT of dedicated folks here who will move mountains for the BMS team, for better or worse.

I have to say, I’m rather surprised to hear that your PSU overloaded your board. I wasn’t aware that could happen, and given our noted similarity in PC specs, makes me wonder what my 600 watt Rosewill has been doing to my MSI Amethyst M 1.0.

The good thing is, you’ve potentially got a new tower on the way, and so long as you find a good Socket AM2 board, you’ve essentially got a new computer right there. Even if the other tower won’t let you remove it’s board, I can’t imagine the RAM slots, drive trays or anything else would be easy to make proprietary. You’ve already proven after all that you can replace the GPU and the PSU, so, it may require a grueling computer reincarnation, but at the very least it will be relatively painless price-wise.

Founded in 2004, Leakfree.org became one of the first online communities dedicated to Valve’s Source engine development. It is more famously known for the formation of Black Mesa: Source under the 'Leakfree Modification Team' handle in September 2004.