New C2D build, problems after a day

[tsteltz]

We built my roommates new machine 2 days ago.

Parts include:
E6400 stock Intel HS/F
Asus P5B-E (not sure which BIOS revision)
Buffalo DDR2-667 Ram 2gb
7600GT PCI-e vid card
WD 250gb SATA
Maxtor 300GB IDE
TV Tuner card (recyled from old machine)
Creative SB Live 5.1 Card (recyled from old machine)
Liteon IDE DVD-Rom (recyled from old machine)

We finally got it up and running and it was running for about 14 hours. He does not do anything intensive on the machine. Not a gamer. Uses it for email, web, music, some photoshop work, dvd burning etc... There is absolutely NO OVERCLOCKING being done on this machine.

I woke up at 6am this morning and he tells me he was up in the middle of the night because his new PC shut down and kept on trying to spin up. He said he could hear the processor fan spinning up and then it would shut off and keep doing the same thing over and over. He had to pull the plug finally.

I watched it do this before I left for work. Sometimes if it's lucky he can get into the BIOS but then it just crashes after navigating around. I had him pull all the un-needed crap, tv-tuner, sound card etc.. Same thing. My guess is the stock heatsink isn't making good contact and the processor is overheating. I have heard the stock Intel HS/F sucks as far as making contact with the processors in the socket.

I won't have time to look at it until I get back into town as I am going up to Boston for the holidays. Any suggestions you guys post here, I will relay to him. Thanks for the help!

 

[GuitarDaddy]

I agree, bad contact between CPU and HSF is a possible cause.

Other possible causes

Mobo shorting out to the case - remove mobo from case, and test on cardboard
Bad power supply - check leads with a multimeter, or try another PS

My guess is mobo shorting to case

 

[tsteltz]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
I agree, bad contact between CPU and HSF is a possible cause.

Other possible causes

Mobo shorting out to the case - remove mobo from case, and test on cardboard
Bad power supply - check leads with a multimeter, or try another PS

My guess is mobo shorting to case

Wouldn't the mobo problems show earlier than that? It was running for 24 hours before this happened.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Not necessarily, shorting is very random and can happen at any time. I once helped a guy build a system and it worked flawlessly for 3days then started exhibiting these type symtoms, and shorting turned out to be the culprit. Reinstalled the mobo with taller standoffs and a few extra paper washers and all was fixed.

 

[tsteltz]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
Not necessarily, shorting is very random and can happen at any time. I once helped a guy build a system and it worked flawlessly for 3days then started exhibiting these type symtoms, and shorting turned out to be the culprit. Reinstalled the mobo with taller standoffs and a few extra paper washers and all was fixed.

He installed the motherboard with the standoffs that came with the case and the screws. I didnt look over the motherboard installation, he did that when I wasnt there. This was his first system build. I'll check it out when I get back.