Newb Question - If your CPU is bad, is it possible...

[Foamfoot]

for your computer to still load into windows. since sunday, my computer went crazy and started rebooting without reason. i tried swapping everything with no luck (my Antec 480W, my RAM, my 9700), was still having the same rebooting probs. today, i received my Abit IC7 motherboard figuring my Asus P4PE was the problem. just my luck, had the same rebooting probs right away with the IC7.

so, if your CPU is bad - its an Intel 2.53 and was rock solid for months until Sunday - would you still be able to load into windows. tonight, i even tried formatting my HDD and reinstalling XP. things were looking good, no reboots while everything was installing. however, as soon as i started to install windows updates, it began to crash and reboot. i could get back into windows but then it would reboot a few seconds later. i assumed a bad processor would result in the computer not doing anything. can a bad processor be flakey, sometimes working for a few mins, etc.... any advice would be appreciated. ive been going nuts since Sunday, my wife is about to throw me out

in case you were wondering, based upon advice from the boards, ive tried the following:
- ran Memtest 86 on my Corsair 3000 RAM, no errors
- took out my Corsair RAM and tried a stick of crucial - still rebooted
- tried my other Radeon 9700 that's in my work machine - still rebooted
- removed all non-essential CD-rom, CDRW, second HDD, Turtle Beach sound card, still rebooted as barebone
- took out the CPU and resat it in my P4PE, still reboots
- bought an Abit IC7 figuring my MB was the prob - still reboots
- formatted my WD SE HDD, reinstalled XP, reboots didnt happen right away but ultimately came back before i finished installing drivers
- bumped up the CPU voltage in intervals to 1.65, still reboots

my temps have always been good 34 CPU 38 system. ive got arctic silver applied, an ALPHA PAL HS and 5 case fans.

please someone convince me its the CPU and that even with a bad CPU you can boot up but have a flakey PC...

thanks

 

[WarCon]

Sounds like you might have isolated the problem.

Did you try pulling it entirely out of the case and running it on something like a cardboard box for a bit? Don't even plug in the front panel buttons at all. Short the power connector to start it.

Also try a different location in your house.

Good luck.............

My SNDS 1.6A P4 died from me overvolting it and it exhibited essentially the same things yours is doing.

 

[Foamfoot]

i havent tried running it the way you mentioned but i did reseat it 2x and then tried it in a new MB this morning.

i just cant afford to replace another working part and wasnt sure a bad CPU could act like this. i assumed it was all or nothing with the CPU. thanks for the feedback!!

 

[Jeff7181]

High voltage will deteriorate a processor even though temps are fine... there was once a long detailed explanation of why... but basically, voltage is electrical pressure, if you run high pressure for a long time, something will eventually break.

 

[Foamfoot]

i hear ya Jeff, guess its the price we pay to experiment so does that mean u agree that a chip that is fried can act this way - boot, reboot....? it wont just not work?

 

[Jeff7181]

Yes... to get a little more in depth, I remember from an article saying that the logic gates break down after prolonged high voltage use. From what I understand, and a lack of a better way to explain how I understand it... the logic gates are what makes the bit a 0 or a 1... when they break down, sometimes when they're supposed to send a 1, they send a 0, or visa versa. May not be completely trashed, but enough that it doesn't ALWAYS work right.

*EDIT* anyone who can explain this better, or provide a correct description if I'm wrong, please do so.

 

[MaXimuScs]

I had that problem once my system kept rebooting

it seemed to do it every 35 min or so

I tryed 1/2 of what you all said but no luck

Figured it may have been a Virus :disgust: I scanned my HD with norton and went on line with McAfee
nothing ??

I ended up redoing my HD and never had a problem after that I dont know what caused it

VIRUS ???? dont know no one seems to have a clear answer

Thats what solved my problem I believe format and reinstall

 

[Foamfoot]

well i tried the format and reinstall and it looked like it was working. i was able to format and install XP without one reboot. i was able to download SP1 without a reboot. then, when i started to get windows update, the reboots started and became more and more frequent.

if the CPU was bad would i have gotten that far? an hour plus of installing and dl'ing? perhaps its my HDD?

 

[iwearnosox]

Power supply is my guess- I had the same problems once and that was the issue. Do you have one you can swap out temporarily?

 

[Foamfoot]

yeah, PS was my first guess. i initially tried an EVER 300W that was sitting around and had the same reboot probs. just to be safe, i pulled my other Antec 480W that powers my work machine and tried that one, had the same reboot probs. that's why ive ruled out PS for now. my voltage has looked good in the bios as well on both boards.

 

[iwearnosox]

YOur only option is to swap out the cpu then, maybe borrow one?