Dell PC won't boot. Chipset heatsink not found.

[Dream Operator]

My aunt has this SFF Dell. It won't boot as the heatsink is no longer secured to the chipset. This mobo has horseshoe loops that the heatsink connects to, not the push pin stuff. One of them broke off.

Does anybody know how the board knows the heatsink is not there? I tried a piece of wire connecting where the loop used to be. I also tried applying pressure with the heatsink and bnooting, it still complains.

Also getting a keyboard error when trying to enter the BIOS. Using a PS/2 keyboard.

Thanks!

 

[firewolfsm]

It's not that it knows, but that it's getting so fucking hot it can't boot.

 

[Dream Operator]

I can hold the heatsink on it and it doesn't boot. I really don't think it gets too hot in the first 5 seconds.

Not too mention that the error is that the heatsink is not found, not that it is too hot.

 

[cprince]

I think that the northbridge chipset is dead. You'll need a new motherboard.

 

[covert24]

yea when it snapped it probably fried the chip. time for a new board.

 

[Dream Operator]

hmmm... I feared that. Dell wants $112 +shipping for a new board. It's pretty specific for the case I think. The IDE ports are angled and it all fits together very tightly. I guess I'll look around for a case, psu, and mobo. Thanks all.

 

[postmortemIA]

chances are it is some intel OEM board, that could give you another direction.

 

[o1die]

You can try ascendtech or pricewatch. They might have some dell boards for less.