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Could a dying CPU cause USB failures?

S

Sukhoi

Elite Member
I have an old P4 1.6 that was overclocked to 2.0 for 4 years. It's always run hot (~55C) but the last two weeks or so I started getting 70C alarms when gaming. I figured the thermal paste had just dried up and I was going to replace it next week.

But last night the USB ports started to fail. First the two directly on the mobo went, and I plugged my mouse into two ports wired to my case and that worked fine. I should also add that I was running default speeds at about 60C. Now today the comp is just completely locking up even in the BIOS with the CPU at about 60C.

Would the CPU problems have likely caused those USB failures last night? I don't want to get a replacement CPU if my mobo is also shot for some reason. In that instance I'll just buy a whole new system.
 
I'm not certain but try running Prime95 and check to see if it can last without any errors or shutting your system down.
 
An update that after turning it off I can't even get it to POST. 🙁

So now I need to make the call is that USB issue last night a sign that my whole mobo is shot and I need to replace it all, or should I just pick up a new CPU to replace the fried one?
 
It's very hard to say since you really don't have any other extra parts to throw in there to test it with. If I had to guess, I would probably say go with another motherboard. It's really hard to kill a CPU unless you cook it without having any type of cooling on it for extended periods of time. If I were in your shoes, I'd go with another motherboard. Buy one from Frys so you can return it if it isn't the culprit.
 
Even if it's not fried, you have a s423 board, right? Where would you find such a replacement CPU anyway?

Myself, I have no idea if the mobo is fried, but I'd be surprised if your USB problems come from anywhere else.
 
I think it's Socket 423. It's been so long since I've done any hardware stuff I'm out of the loop, but that sounds familiar. I know my board officially supports up to a P4 2.53 (though those are expensive on eBay), and in the past I've thought of trying to get a P4 2.8B Northwood and overclock it.

Now I'm thinking of just buying a whole new CPU, mobo, RAM, video card combo and using the rest of the components I have now.

I also agree that it would be weird if the USB problems weren't from a fried mobo. If the CPU was sending out corrupted signals why would it only affect two USB ports? I ran it for hours last night with those ports dead. One would think somewhere in there I would have gotten other faults.
 
Originally posted by: Sukhoi

Now I'm thinking of just buying a whole new CPU, mobo, RAM, video card combo and using the rest of the components I have now.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a plan, I hear you can get some pretty good value out of OC'ing a Sempron 3200, or for cheap dualcore OC a Pentium D 805, though you seem more like someone that would prefer to pick op an E6600 and OC it up to about 3.6Ghz. You don't need to know much about hardware, just hang around the forums for a week and you'll see about eight threads about "rate my C2D rig" etc. Even if nobody in those threads matches your budget exactly, you should get some pretty good ideas and recommendations.
 
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