Help with computer. Is it fried?

Nino Valenti · #1 06-18-2005, 06:02 PM

I believe that my kids computer is fried. The screen turned blue statng something I didn't really understand. Basically, it was telling me about a malfunction and to try to restart it. I also noticed a burnt smell. I wasen't sure it it came from the monitor or computer. Upon restarting it, nothing happened.

I took the computer away from my desk to try it on my other monitor and something was bouncing around inside it. I took the side panel off and a fan with a heat sink came loose.

The fan came off the black square in the canter of the 1st pic.

Here are some pics. So... is the computer gone?

Tyler Hole · #2 06-18-2005, 06:03 PM

That fan with the heatsink came off the processor. I bet it got fried.

Nino Valenti · #3 06-18-2005, 06:05 PM

What's the processer? I'm really computer supid.

flange · #4 06-18-2005, 06:10 PM

Yep its fried. I would suspect that the cpu fan fell off
and caused the over heat. A new cpu might fix it but
the motherboard doesn't look good.

flange · #5 06-18-2005, 06:12 PM

I need to type faster tyler beat me to it

Nino Valenti · #6 06-18-2005, 06:15 PM

To the left of the processor is dust. It looks like it's burnt but it's just dust. About how much is a new/used processor?

Tyler Hole · #7 06-18-2005, 06:29 PM

Depends on what one(s) your motherboard can handle and which one you get.

bigbeefdog · #8 06-18-2005, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nino Valenti

To the left of the processor is dust. It looks like it's burnt but it's just dust. About how much is a new/used processor?

Probably in the $150 - $250 range.

If it's a kids' computer, you might do better picking up a refurb-type machine, like the sub-$300 ones on sites like TigerDirect.com, and transfer the hard drive over as a "slave" drive to have access to the data.... depends on how old and how "featured" the fried machine was......

moorebass · #9 06-18-2005, 07:31 PM

I wouldn't say the whole system is fried there is a very good chance the Processor is kaput. The part you are holding in your hand is the heatsink/fan. Normal these would be clamped very tightly to the processor as to disperse the greatest ammount of heat. The very fact that it was so loose as to fall off is not a good sign.

I would try reattaching the heatsink/fan and seeing if it boots. You attach the heatsink by pressing the clips on the heatsink down over the plastic protrusions on the socket (white plastic thing) with a flathead screwdriver. If it does boot, run a stress test such as SiSoft Sandra Lite http://www.sisoftware.net/index.html...64&langx=en&a= for several hours to see how stable the system is.

It it does not boot, or isn't stable, let me know and I will try to help you determine what the replacement cost would be. All I can tell by the pics is that it's an AMD socket 462(A). If you have any closer pics of the motherboard and processor or the documentation that came with the system, I can find out what an appropriate replacement processor would cost. Right now I am thinking in the range of $40-$70.

-Jeff
A+,Net+,MCP

Nino Valenti · #10 06-18-2005, 07:39 PM

Well, when I opened the computer, I noticed that one of the plastic lips holding the fan on broke off, making the fan fall off.

moorebass · #11 06-18-2005, 07:52 PM

From the picture, it looks as though the middle lug (on the left side) is broken and the ones on the left and right are still intact.

I would recommend that you replace the heatsink/fan with something like in the attached picture (with clips for all three lugs).

I would also recommend that you scrub off the thermal paste on the processor (the grey gunk) with alcohol and replace it with something like Artic Silver:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007

A little of this goes a long way.

If you want, I can try to find a new heatsink/fan combo for you that would do the job.

Nino Valenti · #12 06-18-2005, 08:01 PM

Would I be able to turn the computer on for a short amount of time with out the heat sink on?

moorebass · #13 06-18-2005, 08:10 PM

Here's what I would do:

1) Place the case on its side, processor facing up.
2) Gently place (don't press) heatsink/fan on top of processor, making sure the notched side (___/---) of HSF matches the notched part of processor and that it fits as snugly as possible.
3) Make sure HSF power lead is plugged into the motherboard
3) Turn computer on. See if it boots to Windows.
4) If Windows does come up, shut down the computer as quickly as possible. Processors heat up VERY quickly so ideally, this whole process whould take less than 2 mins.

If the computer is able to boot to Windows you should be alright. Most recent motherboards have built in thermal protection and shut themselves off when they reach a certain heat threshold.

In this case you can just replace the HSF (and apply the Artic Silver Thermal compound) and you should be good to go.

ddnidd1 · #14 06-20-2005, 10:20 AM

If the metal heatsink was detached from the CPU and laying on the motherboard, and the unit was powered up any number of components might have shorted out - not good.

moorebass · #15 06-20-2005, 03:45 PM

I haven't heard back from Nino on this yet - but I always check to make sure something is indeed screwed up before declaring it dead just b/c of circumstances. As an example, one of the offices at my work was completely flooded last weekend (8 inches standing water) due to a roof leak. Some of the computers had 1 inch standing water in them. I was actually able to salvage some of the computers. You just never know.

When you read this Nino, give me an update as to what's going on with this thing.

Nino Valenti · #16 06-26-2005, 05:28 PM

Sorry I've been away, I bought a new PC for myself and I gave my kids my older computer so I kinda forgot about this thread.

I'd still like to see if I can save this computer. Would this processor work with the computer I have?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...779147308&rd=1

BTW, the computer in question is a Compaq Presario 5000 with a 1.3Ghz Athlon cpu.

LajoieT · #17 06-26-2005, 05:43 PM

Sorry I missed this thread when it was new and current, but if you're still trying here are my thoughts:

If you smelled something that smelled burnt, I'd highly doubt that it was the processor. More likely your power supply is fried. You can disconnect it from the motherboard (it's often plugged in in 2 places and the connectors only go in one way so you don't have to worry about re-connecting it wrong) and remove the screws that hold it in the case. Pull it out and take it outside and give it a wiff. If it smells like oily smoke, then the capacitors probably fried.

If this were the case, the warning message you got probably had something to do with the computer getting "off" power (like very low voltage, or not enough wattage to run all the stuff), and when you rebooted it probably then didn't have enough juice to get it going again.

I'm not really up on Comaq's, but a lot of cases use standard power supplies and it can be replaced for around $20-30. Can't guarrantee that's the case for your Presario, but you can hope.

Meyekul · #18 06-27-2005, 08:38 AM

You wont be able to use that motherboard again, unless you feel like replacing the ZIF socket (flat, white thing, where the CPU fits in), and I don't even know if that would be possible or practical. Those little plastic pieces in your hand are what would hold your heatsink on, so without those you'll never get one to fit on there correctly. The smoke you smelled probably either came from the CPU itself or the plastic and PCB behind it melting from the heat.