Any physical traits to see if a CPU is burnt?

[Hoeboy]

Tried overclocking my bro's Celeron 300A to 450mhz and it wouldn't boot up. Tried resetting the BIOS and everything and it still wouldn't boot. I didn't smell anything burning and I've overclocked this celeron at 450mhz before on the same motherboard (Abit BH6-II). Is there anyway I can check if the processor died on me without popping it into another computer, since I don't know anyone with a slot 1 motherboard?

 

[Wiz]

Does anything at all happen with power up?
I had a BH6 mobo die once, got it replaced under warranty. On my BH6 I run my C300a at 450 and 505 all the time.
If you reset bios by shorting out the cmos pins then you try to power up and nothing happens - check your power on wire, make sure you didn't pull it loose. Check your power switch too, I have had both of these situations, thought I had blown it and it was just the power switch or the wire that powers on the mobo.
If nothing at all happens when you try to power up I suspect a power related problem, look for shorts to ground and those kinds of things, make sure the power switch on the back of the power supply is in the ON position (smoe pwr supplies have this switch and some don't).
Also check the slot where the cpu plugs in for foreign material.

 

[Ulysses]

FYI: Trouble-shooting basic problems at boot-up:

Note that the following procedures are meant only as a general guide, and are most applicable when installing a new system.

Be sure that the components you are trying to install on your motherboard, especially the CPU and RAM but other parts as well, are good quality brand name components and are compatible with your precise motherboard model, model version and BIOS version. If you have an AMD CPU, check their website for configuration requirements or recommendations. Sometimes it may be necessary to upgrade the BIOS for your motherboard to accomodate newer CPU?s or other hardware. You may determine compatibility from your motherboard manual or, even more reliably, from the manufacturer?s website, where you should find a very informative set of pages related to your particular model of board and its BIOS. If you don?t have the manual for your board you should be able to download it from the board manufacturer?s website. This is also where you can download BIOS upgrades.

As far as trouble-shooting boot-up problems go, first look through your motherboard manual to review its installation and troubleshooting procedures. Or check the procedures at this site. Also note how to ?clear or reset the CMOS,? how to enter your BIOS setup utility program when the PC is started, and how to load default BIOS values in the setup utility. You should also have handy a bootable floppy disk and operating system ?rescue? disk if applicable. If your problem seems to relate to the setting up or configuration of a new hard drive, first see this.

Suggested boot-up trouble-shooting procedures:

1. Turn off the PC and unplug it. Then remove all the cards, cables, peripherals, etc., except for the CPU, CPU fan and one RAM module. This means disconnect everything ? all devices attached to the VGA, PCI, ISA, AMR, CNR, IDE, FDD, COM1, COM2, LPT1, PS/2, and USB connecters, including expansion cards, drives, mouse, keyboard, printer, and so forth. Remember when working with any PC components, in or outside the case, to take measures to reduce the chance of electrostatic discharge damaging them. Wear an anti-static wrist strap if possible, and keep components in anti-static bags until needed. Check that the power supply voltage is set properly to match the line current, and, if there is a local power switch on the power supply, that it is turned on (this is pretty rare).

2. With respect to the motherboard itself, be sure there are no unused metal standoffs under it to short it out. On the motherboard, be sure your CPU, CPU heatsink and fan, and RAM are seated and fastened properly and are the correct type for your motherboard. Connect the CPU?s fan to the motherboard and be sure the heatsink is in contact with the CPU core. Check that any jumpers on the board are set properly for your type CPU & RAM. Be sure that all the wires leading from the front panel switches are properly connected to the correct pins on the motherboard - this can be quite tricky sometimes.

3. Clear the CMOS according to your user?s manual and note that the motherboard battery is not outdated and is properly seated, or reseated.

4. Reinstall the video card and connect the monitor and keyboard. Plug in the monitor. Use the PS/2 port for the keyboard at this point. Skip the mouse for now. Again be sure everything is plugged in and seated and fastened properly, and be sure that if you use a power strip or UPS of some kind that it is plugged in and operational.

5. If during the remaining procedures you hear beeps or half beeps at startup, count them carefully. Check your manual or the board maker?s website for the meaning of these error code beeps, or search for ?beep codes? here. That site, the PC Guide, also contains discouragingly exhaustive troubleshooting procedures.

6. Cross your fingers, plug in the PC and turn it on. The PC?s LED?s should light and the CPU fan should spin. If not then either the power supply, the CPU, the RAM module or the motherboard are kaput or not seated properly. In my experience, in new installations the most likely culprit is the motherboard, since in certain respects it the most complex yet most vulnerable component of the four.If you suspect the CPU or RAM, I believe the only verifification is to replace them, one at a time, to see if the problem is solved, or install them in another system you know is OK, to see if similar problems occur there. The power supply can be replaced or removed and checked at a shop. Or a tentative check of an ATX PS can be performed by, at the 20-wire motherboard connector from the power supply and with the PS connected to an electrical outlet, connecting an insulated wire from the # 14 pin (green/Power On) to ground (i.e., to either pin # 15, # 16 or # 17, which are all black - if the PS?s fan runs then the power supply should be OK, although obviously this is not a comprehensive test. In a new installation it is usually wishful thinking to assume the problem is the power supply, but if you need a new PS then consider one recommended by AMD. Replace the defective item and continue.

7. Once you get to this point successfully, note if your monitor has a display. If not then either the video card or the monitor is at fault. Temporarily replace the monitor or video card to see which is at fault. Replace the defective item.

8. Next simultaneously press CTRL + ALT + DEL to reboot. If the system does not reboot then probably your keyboard is shot and should be replaced. Unfortunately, in most cases the keyboard, an inexpensive item, will not be the problem.

9. As the system begins to reboot press the appropriate key(s) to enter the BIOS setup utility program. In the BIOS setup find the menu item for ?Load Setup Defaults,? or similarly titled item, and select it in order to set the BIOS to conservative default values.

10. At this point your system should be operational at a most basic level. Turn off the PC. Then reconnect your IDE cable and master HDD and restart the PC. Be sure the jumpers on the drive are set correctly. If the system does not reboot properly then the problem is with either the IDE cable, the drive or the power cable to the drive. Temporarily replace the cable to determine whether the problem is the cable or the HDD or power cable. Check the power cable with a multimeter, or with another properly working device like an auxiliary fan, or just listen for the spin-up of the drive. Replace or fix the faulty component. At this point you may want to install a floppy drive and see that the PC will boot from a bootable floppy disk.

11. With a system that will boot correctly with a HDD and/or FDD connected you may then proceed to configure your hard drive and install your operating system if necessary, and to reconnect and install the other components of your system. Usually your hard drive?s manufacturer will have a utility program available on floppy disk or for download that simplifies the setup of new drives, the transferring of operating systems, partitions, etc. For help in replacing or configuring a HDD see this.