Is there such a thing as deep lockup - or is my mobo or processor blown?

[Davbaron]

Hello - This was originally posted on the Cooling forum , but I think it is no longer a cooling matter.

Advice please for a cooling newbie. Some 2 or 3 months ago my gaming computer wouldn't re boot. - Just wouldn't start. I renewed the PSU to 350 Enermax and swapped vid cards etc to find the culprit.
I finally replaced the heatsink and the one i bought was a Coolermaster - the type with a thermal pad as opposed to paste.
As soon as i put that on the computer booted and ran fine.
I concluded that the mobo was sensing that there was inadequate transfer ofheat and was therefore not powering up.
Now my present problem is this - All was running well and I had decided to do a big download - 35 megs using a 56 modem- Using Gozilla I had got 60 per cent and started to resume the download. I went to watch TV and some hour and half later came back and there was a black screen. I was locked up. I switched off and thought a switch on would give me scan disk etc and away I go!!
No way, it would not re boot and hasn't done so since.
I figured i had overheated for some reason- so the heatsink/fan was taken off and replaced - still no go. However, I had not bought another thermal pad type heatsink but some paste for the original thermal pad heatsink. I scraped off the remaining thermal pad and put some paste on the processor plate and put the heatsink back on. I think - I hope - I haven't got a proper contact by doing this

I have since bought a thermal pad heatsink but there is still no bootup with that fitted.
I have tried the original PSU - thought to have been the initial problem, but which i think now is still OK- No change
A different video card has been fitted ( now successfully being used in this computer ) - no change

Someone on the cooling forum suggested clearing my CMOS. I did not know what relevance there was in that , but it was kindly explained and I have done it but - no change.
However, I have this feeling that the manner of it going wrong is highly relevant here. I was away from the computer when it probably locked up when downloading. If this happened an hour or more before I returned to teh computer, is there some effect this long time in lock up would have in that maybe the computer goes into some sort of deep lock and i need to know how to get out of it?
I am grasping at straws here but maybe someone out there has the answer . I will also post a resume of this on mobo forum.
Any suggestions anyone ??
TIA

 

[Buz2b]

I'm afraid I don't have much more to add to what you have already tried but I will try. There is no "deep Lock" that exists on the CPU. It either works or it doesn't. I"m not convinced it is the cooling either. Why not take the cpu to a local shop and see if they will run a quick test for a nominal fee. Unless of course you have another system available to you that you can test it in. Maybe if you talk real nice they might test it for little or no fee. Also, just to be sure you got the CMOS cleared, why not remove the CMOS battery for a minute or so and then try to boot again after putting it back. How old is the MB? Did you try to isolate and check the RAM to see if it is the problem? You could do that also by testing it in another system or sticking in a known good stick from another system. Make sure you isolate and test each component, one by one. Start with the PS (use the Enermax) and test the RAM, video card (I know, you did that already) and then the cpu. If you can prove that all those are functioning properly then it has to be the MB, unfortunately.