Ugh. Why won't they listen to me?

Jax Omen

Golden Member
Mar 14, 2008
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So we had a computer in the office fry a CPU the other day.

The IT admin wants to just replace the CPU.

I told him that A) this is a Northwood P4. *IF* you can find one, you're going to be spending decent money on a PoS chip. and B) there's a decently high chance that the board caused the chip to fail, not the chip itself, and a new chip will fail as well.

He's now looking for a Northwood CPU -_-
 

myocardia

Diamond Member
Jun 21, 2003
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Maybe its because he can buy one for $10-20? I agree though, that it's much more likely that the board killed the CPU, than that the CPU just up and died.
 

Jax Omen

Golden Member
Mar 14, 2008
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Well I finally got through to him. He's talking to his boss about just replacing the system.

I didn't know you could get those chips that cheap. That's intriguing. But we really don't need to buy a bunch of P4 chips and kill them with a crappy mobo.
 

rbk123

Senior member
Aug 22, 2006
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Could be the MB; could be the power supply; could be something else completely. $10-20 is a trivial price to pay to help troubleshoot and determine if it's something related to that system or whether it's a CPU that gave up the ghost.
 

Jax Omen

Golden Member
Mar 14, 2008
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The mobos on this particular model (Optiplex GX260) are known to be crappy. We had one fry a southbridge last month. Leaking caps are another common problem.

While $10-$20 is pretty trivial, we need a working system up ASAP. My boss is talking to his vendor about getting a replacement unit.
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
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LOL the company IT comes to me when something happens.

But you'd be suprised at how little they know hardware.
My IT has very little knowledge in hardware but he's godly in software.

Im not an IT tho. Im an Agent.

Right now the company IT wants to jack this Dell that has the Q9650 ES up and running.
He saw Confidental stamped on the cpu and went :eek:


I cant leave it ungaurded. :X
 

Cogman

Lifer
Sep 19, 2000
10,286
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Originally posted by: aigomorla
LOL the company IT comes to me when something happens.

But you'd be suprised at how little they know hardware.
My IT has very little knowledge in hardware but he's godly in software.

Im not an IT tho. Im an Agent.

Right now the company IT wants to jack this Dell that has the Q9650 ES up and running.
He saw Confidental stamped on the cpu and went :eek:


I cant leave it ungaurded. :X

lol, did you tell him it was a proto-type quantum CPU, used for decrypting the internet and taking over the government?
 

Idontcare

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
21,110
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Originally posted by: Cogman
lol, did you tell him it was a proto-type quantum CPU, used for decrypting the internet and taking over the government?

Crap, yours too!? I guess we'll see who gets there first ;)
 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
21,073
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Originally posted by: Cogman
Originally posted by: aigomorla
LOL the company IT comes to me when something happens.

But you'd be suprised at how little they know hardware.
My IT has very little knowledge in hardware but he's godly in software.

Im not an IT tho. Im an Agent.

Right now the company IT wants to jack this Dell that has the Q9650 ES up and running.
He saw Confidental stamped on the cpu and went :eek:


I cant leave it ungaurded. :X

lol, did you tell him it was a proto-type quantum CPU, used for decrypting the internet and taking over the government?

no i said look with a big smile.

He saw and went WTF nothing but a few codes and the words Intel Confidental.

Then his eyes lite up like a baby at toys r us.
 

rbk123

Senior member
Aug 22, 2006
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351
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If time to repair is key than I would think the fastest in order would be:
1. pull a CPU from a good machine that is less important
2. get a new CPU
- requires delivery time and install time
3. get a new PC
- requires build/delivery time from your supplier
- requires staging/configuration
- requires any app loading needed to be functional in your environment
 

Denithor

Diamond Member
Apr 11, 2004
6,298
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Originally posted by: error8
Originally posted by: Denithor
Holy crap! Just don't buy this one from them!

(3.4GHz EE/800/2M/s478 for$496)

Oh my god. That's obscene!!!

I think that's the fastest S478 P4 to roll off an Intel fab, complete with 2MB cache, at a time when most P4 chips only had 512k or at most 1MB cache. If you look a little higher up the list there's a 3.2GHz/1MB for a mere $105. ;)
 

mooseracing

Golden Member
Mar 9, 2006
1,711
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Originally posted by: Jax Omen
The mobos on this particular model (Optiplex GX260) are known to be crappy.

God I hate those POS's....240,260,280, 755.....I have had nothing but PS and motherboard issues with them. Soo many warranty claims.