How do you tell if a CPU is dead?

[fuzzybabybunny]

Is my CPU dead?

I also get this really nasty error beep on startup sometimes. I've never encountered it before.

It sounds like a ambulance.

low pitched beep, high pitched beep, low pitched beep, high pitched beep, etc.

EDIT: Ok, now it's getting screwy. I just got a new Sempron 2500+ from newegg and the same thing happens!

The Award BIOS beep codes are definitely the high-low-high-low beeps in this link.

I really don't think I got two DOA CPUs, but do BIOS beep codes lie?

Should I get a new mobo? Or just scrap all this and get a couple of SATA 320GB HDDs and screw the fileserver idea?

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

It takes a hell of alot to kill a CPU or RAM fuzzy.

If you have a spare PSU, install it and give'er a try. You don't even have to remove the
old one, just switch out the connectors.

List your system specs please, to include your present PSU.

Did you try resetting the PSU? Unplug it from the wall for 5 minuets, reconnect and then try to boot.


...Galvanized

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
It takes a hell of alot to kill a CPU or RAM fuzzy.

If you have a spare PSU, install it and give'er a try. You don't even have to remove the
old one, just switch out the connectors.

List your system specs please, to include your present PSU.

Did you try resetting the PSU? Unplug it from the wall for 5 minuets, reconnect and then try to boot.

...Galvanized

Thanks! I actually got this CPU on the FT/FS forums, and I think it may be DOA.

Shuttle AN51R nForce3 754 mobo
Sempron 2500+
Cheapo MX4XX AGP video card - brand new
400W Aspire PSU - cheap PSU, but doesn't need to handle much, and it does work... just used it a few weeks ago
80GB HDD
DVD ROM
512MB PC3200 RAM

I tried resetting the PSU and nothing. Everything else turns on and starts spinning, I just get no display, no beep, no lights on the keyboard, and every once in a while I'll get that siren-like noise and nothing will turn on in the system.

 

[imported_goku]

prolly the psu.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

I've felt the HSF and it doesn't even get warm. I took off the heatsink fan immediately after turning off the computer and the CPU itself isn't even warm.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

To test the suspect CPU it would have to be installed on another 754 board.
Gotta second rig of friend that will do that for you?
Some ppl buy a PSU at a B&M for testing purposes and return it if the system does not boot.


...Galvanized

 

[SparkyJJO]

I've heard that high-low-high-low repeating beeping before. It was CPU.

Do you know who makes the BIOS on your board? This might be of help:
Text

If you have award BIOS it says a repeating high-low beeping is bad CPU (what I had on this one system).

You can try reseating the CPU and clear the CMOS if you haven't already.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Sparky...fuzzy edited her opening post after I posted *sigh*.
I would have posted beep codes too.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO
I've heard that high-low-high-low repeating beeping before. It was CPU.

Do you know who makes the BIOS on your board? This might be of help:
Text

If you have award BIOS it says a repeating high-low beeping is bad CPU (what I had on this one system).

You can try reseating the CPU and clear the CMOS if you haven't already.

Gah, it is Award BIOS. I'm going to try one more time with a resetted CMOS and see what happens. I was searching for the high-low beep code but couldn't find it online. Thanks!

I feel really bad now because I bought this CPU from someone an entire month ago. Only now have I gotten around to assembling the system. I feel bad about PMing the guy and saying "you know that CPU you sold me a month ago? It's DOA. Can I have my money back?"

Should I just take the hit?

Galvanized, sowwy

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

I'd contact him with a link to this thread. You're a believable person fuzzy.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Ok, now it's getting screwy. I just got a new Sempron 2500+ from newegg and the same thing happens!

The Award BIOS beep codes are definitely the high-low-high-low beeps in this link.

I really don't think I got two DOA CPUs, but do BIOS beep codes lie?

Should I get a new mobo? Or just scrap all this and get a couple of SATA 320GB HDDs and screw the fileserver idea?

 

[oynaz]

A bit off topic, but if you need a file server, consider getting a NAS instead. I can recommand Synology, but I bet there are other good options.

http://www.synology.com/enu/index.php

 

[neutralizer]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Ok, now it's getting screwy. I just got a new Sempron 2500+ from newegg and the same thing happens!

The Award BIOS beep codes are definitely the high-low-high-low beeps in this link.

I really don't think I got two DOA CPUs, but do BIOS beep codes lie?

Should I get a new mobo? Or just scrap all this and get a couple of SATA 320GB HDDs and screw the fileserver idea?

I still think it could be a number of things and you'll have the isolate the problem by swapping different components with known working components. The beep codes could be wrong.

 

[Xellos2099]

maybe the motherobard problem?

 

[pkme2]

You got to know what those beeps mean. It's kind of weird when that happens. It really scares the heck out of me when that happens before, but now, it just your computer talking to you.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: neutralizer

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Ok, now it's getting screwy. I just got a new Sempron 2500+ from newegg and the same thing happens!

The Award BIOS beep codes are definitely the high-low-high-low beeps in this link.

I really don't think I got two DOA CPUs, but do BIOS beep codes lie?

Should I get a new mobo? Or just scrap all this and get a couple of SATA 320GB HDDs and screw the fileserver idea?

I still think it could be a number of things and you'll have the isolate the problem by swapping different components with known working components. The beep codes could be wrong.

Well, let's go down the list:

CPU: tried two, it's unlikely that I got two dead CPUs.
Mobo: have not swapped out the mobo yet
RAM: have not swapped out the RAM yet, but if I take out the RAM and boot the system with no RAM, the error beeps are the same, so I don't think it's the RAM.
PSU: it was working powering other stuff the last time I checked...

I took out all other cards (video, IDE controller) and even disconnected all IDE devices. And still the beeps continue.

 

[oynaz]

Sounds like a faulty mobo. Have you double checked the seating of the CPU, RAM, and GFX card?

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: oynaz
Sounds like a faulty mobo. Have you double checked the seating of the CPU, RAM, and GFX card?

Yeah, I've pretty much double checked the seating of everything. I don't know what could have killed the mobo though. It was from my old system, and then I replaced it with my current one and it had been sitting in its box for two months up until now...

The problem with switching out parts to see if they work individually is that I don't have another system to switch parts to. I currently use a Pentium D with DDR2. So I can't test out my 754-pin CPU independently, I don't have another 754-pin mobo to confirm that the CPUs aren't dead, and I can't even test out the DDR.

 

[RichUK]

Mobo?s die all the time. Processors on the other hand, is a VERY rare occurrence.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Gah, I'm just going to abort on this whole file server stuff.

So far I've spent:

$90 on CPU + case + RAM
$40 on 2nd CPU
$50-$60 that I'm going to have to spend on a new mobo if I want this to work, and even then it might not...

Total of about $190 to keep using my 7 IDE hard drives (6x160GB + 80GB) and probably encounter problems with my IDE controller card, not to mention having to rely on network speeds.

For $200 I can get 2 x 320GB SATA2 drives off of Newegg... I've already got another 320GB drive so total storage would be 960GB, not too far off from my old IDE setup, and probably with a lot less headaches...

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: RichUK
Mobo?s die all the time. Processors on the other hand, is a VERY rare occurrence.

QFT. I have used CPUs with missing pins, chipped cores and they still work. Takes a lot to kill a CPU. Really the only thing that kills CPUs are old school mobo that have no thermal shutdown. I have intentionally tried to fry cpus and 9 out of 10 time the system would just shutdown. Occasionally an old AMD in an old mobo without a HS will fry in seconds. Much fun seeing the cpu go poof! I'm a sick bastard, I know.