New PC doesn't stay open for more than 20sec.

[TrueRuneCraft]

Hi everyone,

I recently ordered the following parts online:

Abit AA8-DuraMAX Intel Socket 775 ATX Motherboard
Intel Pentium 4 550 3.4Ghz
Kingston 1024MB PC4200 533MHz Dual Channel DDR2 Memory (2 x 512MB)
XFX GeForce 6600 / 128MB DDR / PCI Express
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 OEM Sound Card
Western Digital / Caviar SE / 200GB / 7200 / 8MB / SATA-150 / Hard Drive
Antec 550watt 24-pin power supply/fan
Pioneer DVR-A08XLB / 4x DVD+R DL / 16x4x16x DVD±RW / 32x24x40x CD-RW
Mitsumi Internal USB 2.0 Floppy 7-1 Card Reader
Diablo Tek Silver Demon ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB Ports


I had never built a PC before and decided to give it a shot since I wanted to learn how to do it. It took roughly a day and a half. I read the instructions that came with the m/b several times, and even had some friends online walk me through some parts of it.

Finally, everything seemed to be in place. I double/triple checked everything. What needed to be plugged in, to my knowledge, was plugged in. It is entirely possible that I missed something, but after all the time I spent building it...I can't imagine what I could have missed.

So I plug everything in, start the computer up. The fans are all going, the computer lights up, and everything is going along nicely. The screen tells me this is the first time opening the computer and I should go into the BIOS. So I do, and as I'm about to enter one of the BIOS options, the computer shuts off.

Odd. Ok, so I try again. Open the PC.. but now this time, it shuts off before even reaching the BIOS.

So basically here's my problem. Everytime I try to open the computer, it shuts off after 10-25seconds. The first time it lasts 25 seconds (more or less), then everytime I try to open it immediately after, it will last around 10seconds.


Any thoughts on this?

 

[mechBgon]

One of the most likely explainations: the CPU is overheating due to some kind of heat-transfer impediment. The heat's not getting from the CPU to the heatsink somehow.

Check that the heatsink is making firm, flat contact with the CPU's heatspreader. There should be some kind of thermal-transfer stuff between them, such as thermal grease or a phase-change thermal patch, not bare metal-to-metal contact.

It could be that the heatsink isn't latched down well, or that the frame that it latches into is not fastened down to the board well (lifting at one corner, for example).

Welcome to the Forums, hope that's some help

edit: one other thing... unplug all the front USB wiring and the Mitsumi's USB cable for the moment, too.

 

[TrueRuneCraft]

thanks for the reply! I'll try doing that.

Is Intel's pentium4 3.4ghz processor w/ fan supposed to come with some thermal-transfer stuff? I don't think I had any..

 

[mechBgon]

Is Intel's pentium4 3.4ghz processor w/ fan supposed to come with some thermal-transfer stuff?

Yeah, but it might not be apparent at first that that's what it actually is. If you saw a foil thing on the bottom of the CPU that was coated with black stuff, that was the phase-change thermal compound.

If you now have a metal-to-metal situation, then call it a night and head to your local computer store tomorrow, and pick up some high-quality thermal grease like Arctic Silver 5. Smear a paper-thin coat of that onto the CPU's heatspreader, rub some into the base of the heatsink, and slap it back together and you're good to go

 

[TrueRuneCraft]

Well it definitely has SOMETHING on it, and it's not metal to metal.

I'm in the middle of rebuilding it all, without the front usb and mitsumi's usb.

As for the processor.. I tried putting the fan on as tightly as possible, but man.. those pins really seem to be loose. I mean, if I stand the pc up on its side, the fan is stable and doesn't show sign of instability.. but those pins don't seem to be as solid as a screw.

 

[TrueRuneCraft]

Okay...

Now for some reason my power supply doesn't want to plug into the 24-pin slot... Half of it goes in fine, the other fan just won't go...

It worked earlier today.. ugh

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: TrueRuneCraft
Well it definitely has SOMETHING on it, and it's not metal to metal.

I'm in the middle of rebuilding it all, without the front usb and mitsumi's usb.

As for the processor.. I tried putting the fan on as tightly as possible, but man.. those pins really seem to be loose. I mean, if I stand the pc up on its side, the fan is stable and doesn't show sign of instability.. but those pins don't seem to be as solid as a screw.

Pins, meaning the pins that hold the cage to the board, something like this? I haven't dealt with any Socket775 stuff myself so I haven't had a good close-up look at one. But if the plastic frame is not holding evenly to the board, then the heatsink may not be clamped evenly against the CPU, and that would be a likely cause of overheat. Flat contact is important.

As for the PSU plug... I presume you know that it's directional and the latch on the edge should hit the little keeper hook on the receptacle Also inspect it for any burning or any wires that got "backed out" of their holes.

 

[TrueRuneCraft]

Alright well... good news and bad news.

By following your advice (unplugging the front pannel usb and mitsumi disk drive), as well as taking off the processor's fan and reinstalling it, making sure it's tightly locked in... well, the computer can last more than 20 seconds now.

Now, here's my new problem:

As I was configuring my BIOS, I could hear my computer's fan becoming louder and louder... after about 1-2 minutes it was noticeably loud. Then, a beeping sound started going off and I immediately shut the computer off. The top of the case felt really hot...

So, any idea what caused this overheating? You said the processor maybe?

 

[mechBgon]

In the past, Intel has used thermally-regulated fans on their included heatsinks. I don't know if yours is a temperature-controlled fan in its own right, or if it's simply a fixed-speed fan and the motherboard itself is doing the variable-speed stuff. I sure wish I could look at it in person and learn how the heatsink clamps in, and how the receiver around the CPU socket fastens down to the surface of the motherboard, because it sounds like something's Not Quite Right­?. You happen to have a digital camera with good macro capabilities...?

(also, the thermal grease might be a good idea if you have a computer store nearby)

 

[TrueRuneCraft]

No.. but maybe I can describe it?

It doesn't look exactly like this , but here's a picture that is similar.
http://www.bigbruin.com/review...4prol/AC-4PROL-353.jpg

The fan is on top, it has a metallic structure beneath it, and 4 pins around it. I lower it over the processor, trying to fit those 4 pints into the motherboard. Once that is done I push down on a pin, and turn it (there are arrows above it saying which direction to turn). I do that to each of the 4 pins. Afterwards, if i move those pins a little with my finger, they wiggle a bit.. which makes me think they aren't stable. However, if I try to wiggle the metallic part of the fan, well, it's pretty solid and won't move.


Anyway.. I've called someone, and will have some assistance tommorow morning. Thanks for walking me through this. I appreciate the quick responses, and thank you for your time

If by tommorow it still isn't working, I'll be sure to come back and bug ya again!

 

[TrueRuneCraft]

ok that link doesn't seem to work , now that I try it