8RDA+ --- Shutting itself off

[shud]

I sent my 8RDA+ back to Epox because it wasn't powering on at all. Comes back a few weeks later...looks to be the same board just "fixed". Serial # sticker on the side of PCI slot is the exact same as my old board.

I install it, it works fine for maybe 30 minutes. Then all hell breaks loose AGAIN. It starts shutting itself off randomly. Just completely powering down. If I do manage to keep it on long enough to get to the XP login screen I get some ambiguous BSOD.

I am thoroughly pissed off with Epox. They don't even have the decency to send me a NEW board, I get my old one "refurbished". What a joke. I will never buy from them again.



On the odd chance that this has nothing to do with the board, what could be going on? I've tried disconnecting everything but video and RAM, and the same thing happens. It runs for a few seconds and reboots itself or shuts off. This is very upsetting, I've been since the 20th of March without this system.

 

[mechBgon]

One possibility is that the heatsink is on backwards. Here's a photo of an 8RDA+ in the flesh, with the heatsink installed properly: link

If the heatsink's reversed, the CPU will overheat very quickly and signal to the board to shut down. Keep provoking it and it'll eventually nuke the CPU.

Other possibilities: bad/weak/poorly-regulated PSU, or a pin plugged onto Pin #10 of the USB3 header, or a short-circuit somewhere. Good luck with the bug hunt

 

[shud]

The CPU will shut the computer off even if it's not set to do so in the BIOS?

 

[shud]

The CPU will shut the computer off even if it's not set to do so in the BIOS?

 

[mechBgon]

Yeah, that's its self-defense mechanism. Anything that prevents effective heat transfer from the CPU core to the heatsink base will trip it pronto. The quickest I've seen is sub-1-second, caused by my forgetting to take the protective plastic cover off the thermal pad on my retail AMD heatsink ~ d'oh!

That said... the 8RDA+ in the photo just up and died one day, completely stock-clocked with an AthlonXP 1700+ and riding on an APC BackUPS Pro 1000VA line-interactive UPS. Just... quit POST'ing. I have a theory that there was a bad batch of power-circuitry components because I saw a rash of this same event at the time. Other people swear by their 8RDA+'s so I keep in mind that I might've gotten one from a bad batch or something.

 

[XBoxLPU]

Hmm weird

Mech, I had an Epox 8RDA+ just die like that too. ( stock 1700 as well )... wouldnt post like you said....

I just got my 8RDA+ back from Epox today but didn't check the serial number during the install. I have no CPU at the moment ( should tomorrow ), but it is posting.... stuck at FF Code of course.

 

[mechBgon]

Good luck XBoxLPU Better luck with this one! I liked mine great right up 'til the moment it died on a routine reboot.

 

[shud]

Mech, thanks for the tip! My heatsink WAS on backward.

I turned it around, and BAM...wait, no, not a good BAM.

My computer will barely even power on...powers on for maybe 1 second then turns off. Currently cleaning out the heatsink and fan. Checked the thermal compound between the CPU and HS/F...there's some metal-on-metal going on between the core and the metal of the HS, but it's mostly covered by the original pad.

Do I need some thermal compound or something? And should I keep trying to boot it without applying some more compound, or will this just risk frying the CPU?

 

[mechBgon]

The CPU can be damaged by the repeated overheats and you do want some thermal compound to bridge the microgap between the CPU and heatsink. Could you maybe hit a nearby computer mart for some Arctic Silver or Coolermaster thermal compound? Anything from either of those companies ought to be good stuff

 

[XBoxLPU]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
Good luck XBoxLPU Better luck with this one! I liked mine great right up 'til the moment it died on a routine reboot.

I had mine running an XP 1700 @ 2ghz for months and months before moving back to stock speeds. I had no problems with the board, it lasted just over a year....

Thanks

 

[shud]

Yeah, it's now starting...running...and shutting off again even with the heatsink correctly installed. I think the microgap needs some more thermal paste. Will be going to the local computer store tomorrow to check on that.

 

[mechBgon]

There are a couple of other potential "gotchas" too, one of which is that the heatsink's clip is also asymmetrical and the screwdriver-friendly end of the clip also has to go at the stepped end of the heatsink. That puts its pressure point over the CPU core. Volcano 7+ was the main offender here since it comes disassembled and the owner has to put the clip into it.

Some heatsinks also can slide back & forth on their clips enough that they could potentially get too close to the raised end of the CPU socket, and ride up on it. This happened to me with my Thermalright SK-7 and is also possible with other Thermalright clip-down models, so if your heatsink has clip play, slide it away from the raised end of the CPU socket to be sure it's clear of it

Good luck, hope it works out in the end.

 

[shud]

Thanks, I'll try reseating the heatsink AGAIN.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: shud
Thanks, I'll try reseating the heatsink AGAIN.

Here's the full-meal deal: SocketA heatsink-installation guide, featuring 1 defunct 8RDA+ as the cadaver and the Thermalright-specific link takes you to two photos that illustrate the second "gotcha" I talked about.

 

[shud]

I reseated it and hooked it back up to a monitor/keyboard/etc. Said something about CPU stuff on the post screen, went into bios and nothing seemed weird. Rebooted, it flashed bios, tried to get into windows login and BOOM, shut itself off.

I'll look for some thermal paste tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I'll probably order a different mobo.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: shud
Thanks, I'll try reseating the heatsink AGAIN.

thermal pads are 1 time use only

 

[shud]

So once I pulled the heatsink from the processor --- I shouldn't have put it back on without applying some thermal paste and expect it to work?

 

[shud]

Bump.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: shud
So once I pulled the heatsink from the processor --- I shouldn't have put it back on without applying some thermal paste and expect it to work?

Correct, you shouldn't have put it back on without applying thermal paste after removing all of the consumed thermal pad.

 

[shud]

Ok, thanks. A friend of mine was arguing that thermal pads were reusable --- which may be so, but mine is mildly warn away, so it probably wasn't a good idea. Thanks for the tip.

Hopefully this paste will help! I've never had a box act like this before, and it really seems like it's CPU related.

 

[shud]

Ok, put that thermal paste on the CPU (about a pea size amount, maybe a little more) and plopped the heatsink and fan on. Been running for maybe 10 minutes now (I'm using it currently). Will let it run longer and install some stuff and run some tests.

Oh, and are there any windows-based programs that can give me the temp of the CPU? I can see it in the BIOS and when it posts, but not in windows.