CPU problems

[theilan]

Hi,

I just got an Asus A7V8X motherboard with 256 MB PC2700 Corsair memory, and an AMD Athlon 2400+ CPU. I'm using a PC Power and Cooling 300W power supply. I've been having problems getting the setup to work, and I think it's because of the CPU. I think the CPU might have burned out when I tried to turn on the system, because every time I try and get it to work, all I get is a burning smell from the CPU. I've tried swapping out just about every single part, and got a new CPU, but I think I might have burned out that one too. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong? Replacing CPU's is getting rather expensive here.

--Chris

 

[theilan]

Oh, and I'm using a PC Power and Cooling CPU-Cool AG heatsink.

--Chris

 

[Jeff7181]

A 300 watt power supply isn't really adequate to run a high speed AMD XP CPU... especially if you're using a high end video card, like a GF4 Ti or some of ATI's better cards.
But if your CPU's keep burning up, I'd try a different motherboard... and you really should have a 350 watt power supply that's approved by AMD.
By the way, are you installing the heatsink/fan properly? Using a good thermal compound like AS3?

 

[theilan]

I'm pretty sure I'm installing the heat sink correctly... I'm using the stuff that came with the heat sink from PC Power and Cooling, in about a dime-and-a-half size gob where the sink meets the CPU. That sound good enough?

--Chris

 

[teqwiz]

Is there any beeping or other indicators?

I doubt that you burned up the CPU as your Mobo has ASUS C.O.P (CPU Overheating Protection)

ASUS C.O.P (CPU Overheating Protection) is a hardware protection circuit that automatically shuts down the system power before temperatures go high enough to permanently damage your CPU.

I have fired one of these up 5 or 6 times without a Heat sink at all and the CPU survived. It makes a long beeping sound for abou 15 seconds and automatically shuts the system down. Make sure that the fan is Connected to the #1 connector and not a Cassis connector.

 

[teqwiz]

Are you using AGP 8x? if so is there an additional connection to the Mobo?

 

[Jeff7181]

You're putting WAY too much thermal compound on it... you only need a VERY thin coating... just enough to cover the core of the CPU... none of it should be oozing out and onto the substrate of the CPU.

 

[chocoruacal]

Instructions for applying thermal compound. Notice the absence of the word "glob" anywhere You need a very thin layer on the cpu, and then a tiny (half a grain of rice sized) bit of compound on the heatsink Make sure you're putting the heat sink on the right direction as well.