javasaurus: (Default)
javasaurus ([personal profile] javasaurus) wrote2005-06-28 12:43 pm

computer hardware blues


Hot 'Puter Woes

A few months ago, added a new vid card to the 'puter, NVidia 6600GT, nice card. 'Puter started keeping the room really warm, and started crashing every once-in-a-while. Probably too warm. So I added a new case fan. Didn't help much. I started running with the case open. That helped a bit. Still radiated heat, but didn't get too hot, didn't crash. But I'm worried about the heat, so I posted to a video-game group, and they fairly unanimously suggested keeping the case closed (better air flow across the MoBo), and reversing the fan direction so it blows into the case, not out of. Did that last night.

I start the computer, playing City of Heroes (MMORPG, very graphics intensive), when system shuts off, auto-restarts, fails to restart. Monitor is black, but speakers are chanting, "System failed CPU check" over and over. WTH? I end up doing a hard shutdown. Wait a few minutes, take cover off again. Note that the power supply is really really warm.

Start computer again, but now monitor won't turn on. It's not in sleep mode, it's completely off. Tried the switch a few times. It's securely plugged in, the UPS is not showing any errors or other problems. So I again have to do a hard shutdown, since I can't see the mouse cursor.

Wait fifteen minutes. Start it up again, all is fine. Cover is off at this point (by which I mean the side panel is open, not the entire case cover). Start the temperature monitor, it shows about 44C for the CPU and decreasing. it goes down to about 40, and I put the cover back on. Temp immediately starts going up. It gets to 49 and I remove the cover, and the temp goes down again. 49 or even low 50s is not a big deal (at least, shouldn't be), but I'm trouble shooting, and noticing a definitive drop in CPU temp with case panel open.

My current thoughts are that the problem is not really system temp (which I originally thought). Could be the power supply is too weak (but it's 400W, so probably not), power supply fan is not working properly (it blows, but maybe not enough), so power supply is overheating, or something is screwy with the monitor. The last option sounds wacky, but I can't imagine why the monitor would fail to turn on at all, and I don't know how much power-related feedback occurs between the monitor and 'puter.

My best guess: power supply overheat, with feedback to monitor. Barring any advice to the contrary, I'll probably try replacing/upgrading the power supply. Groan, grumble, the part that really hurts is that it's generally cheaper to get a case with power supply than just a power supply, but I really don't want to transfer everything to a new case.


sigh.

(Anonymous) 2005-07-22 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Java

The issue you are experiencing is heat-related.

Do you have an extra 100 bucks to spend? I could get your pc to operate an additional 20 degrees cooler using a closed system alcohol or chilled water system. Let me know.

Terry

[identity profile] javasaurus.livejournal.com 2005-07-22 08:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks, but I'm OK. Current configuration has been problem-free for about a month, so I'm not going to mess with it.

Thanks!