Let me know if I need to make two separate threads in different forums, as there are two separate problems: one CPU related and one PSU related.
Here is my computer build:
OS - Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit with most "important" updates installed.
CPU - AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz
Motherboard - Asus M4A785TD-V EVO
RAM - OCZ AMD Black Edition 4GB(2x2) DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 Memory Model OCZ3BE1600C8LV4GK62861895
GPU - SAPPHIRE Toxic 100315TXSR Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
HARD DRIVE - Western Digital Caviar Black 640 GB
Power Supply - Corsair 750TX
Case - Rosewill Challenger
Here is the story:
Today, my computer shut off completely and absolutely out of nowhere while I was playing starcraft 2. There was no blue screen or any error message of any kind, it just shut off like someone pulled the plug. I do not know what the cpu temp was at the time, but my computer was definitely not under abnormal load; I was not playing music, downloading anything, streaming anything, or running any other program but Starcraft 2, which I have been playing for almost a year now for hours on end, and this was less than an hour into today's gaming session. My computer would not turn back on no matter what.
I tore it all down to attempt a bench test, and it failed to post with the bare essentials (1 stick of ram, motherboard, cpu, psu, onboard graphics card on mb). I tried swapping out parts one by one with another computer of similar build to see if they worked to isolate the culprit. Ram from computer 1 (broken) went into computer 2 (working) just fine, so I ruled that out. Next, I took out the cpu, which came out of comp 1 just fine, but when I tried to remove the heatsink (identical cpu) from comp 2, it simply wouldn't budge. I tried wiggling it around, and eventually, without even using that much force, ended up pulling out the heatsink and cpu together without releasing the lever from the mb.
The cpu had fused to the heatsink, and took a hell of a twist to get them apart once they were out of the MB. That's when I noticed the bent pins... one perfectly good phenom 2 dual core down the drain :sigh:
So next, I put the cpu from comp 1 into comp 2, and it worked fine, ruling that out. Only then, when it was too late, did I suspect the power supply...
I tore down comp 2 and bench tested it with bare essentials, and it posted fine. Then I swapped JUST the PSU from comp 1 into comp 2 bench test, and it would not post. I went online and found the paperclip test, and the psu from comp 1 failed while comp 2's psu passed immediately.
I wanted to bench test comp 1 with comp 2's PSU, but one problem arose: it was again difficult to remove the heatsink, after only a few hours of it being in there. I am now paranoid about bending the pins and ruining yet another CPU, and being without any altogether.
Questions:
How can I get the heatsink off without accidentally tearing the cpu with it? I tried letting the computer run for about 15 minutes, but it still wouldn't come out easily. How much force does it usually take to get a heatsink off?
Was the load of my computer too much for that PSU? I posted a while back asking what kind of power it would take, and was told that a 750 would be more than enough. Also, I was thinking of replacing the cpu with a phenom 2 quad core, would that overload a 750 replacement with my current build?
Could this have just been a faulty PSU? I installed it in my build around Christmas time and it worked fine until now. It was plugged into a surge protector that was plugged into the wall.
Sorry about the length of this, I just wanted to be thorough so you guys could help me the best.
Any help/advice of any kind is greatly appreciated.
thanks, Charlie
Here is my computer build:
OS - Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit with most "important" updates installed.
CPU - AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition Callisto 3.2GHz
Motherboard - Asus M4A785TD-V EVO
RAM - OCZ AMD Black Edition 4GB(2x2) DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 Memory Model OCZ3BE1600C8LV4GK62861895
GPU - SAPPHIRE Toxic 100315TXSR Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
HARD DRIVE - Western Digital Caviar Black 640 GB
Power Supply - Corsair 750TX
Case - Rosewill Challenger
Here is the story:
Today, my computer shut off completely and absolutely out of nowhere while I was playing starcraft 2. There was no blue screen or any error message of any kind, it just shut off like someone pulled the plug. I do not know what the cpu temp was at the time, but my computer was definitely not under abnormal load; I was not playing music, downloading anything, streaming anything, or running any other program but Starcraft 2, which I have been playing for almost a year now for hours on end, and this was less than an hour into today's gaming session. My computer would not turn back on no matter what.
I tore it all down to attempt a bench test, and it failed to post with the bare essentials (1 stick of ram, motherboard, cpu, psu, onboard graphics card on mb). I tried swapping out parts one by one with another computer of similar build to see if they worked to isolate the culprit. Ram from computer 1 (broken) went into computer 2 (working) just fine, so I ruled that out. Next, I took out the cpu, which came out of comp 1 just fine, but when I tried to remove the heatsink (identical cpu) from comp 2, it simply wouldn't budge. I tried wiggling it around, and eventually, without even using that much force, ended up pulling out the heatsink and cpu together without releasing the lever from the mb.
The cpu had fused to the heatsink, and took a hell of a twist to get them apart once they were out of the MB. That's when I noticed the bent pins... one perfectly good phenom 2 dual core down the drain :sigh:
So next, I put the cpu from comp 1 into comp 2, and it worked fine, ruling that out. Only then, when it was too late, did I suspect the power supply...
I tore down comp 2 and bench tested it with bare essentials, and it posted fine. Then I swapped JUST the PSU from comp 1 into comp 2 bench test, and it would not post. I went online and found the paperclip test, and the psu from comp 1 failed while comp 2's psu passed immediately.
I wanted to bench test comp 1 with comp 2's PSU, but one problem arose: it was again difficult to remove the heatsink, after only a few hours of it being in there. I am now paranoid about bending the pins and ruining yet another CPU, and being without any altogether.
Questions:
How can I get the heatsink off without accidentally tearing the cpu with it? I tried letting the computer run for about 15 minutes, but it still wouldn't come out easily. How much force does it usually take to get a heatsink off?
Was the load of my computer too much for that PSU? I posted a while back asking what kind of power it would take, and was told that a 750 would be more than enough. Also, I was thinking of replacing the cpu with a phenom 2 quad core, would that overload a 750 replacement with my current build?
Could this have just been a faulty PSU? I installed it in my build around Christmas time and it worked fine until now. It was plugged into a surge protector that was plugged into the wall.
Sorry about the length of this, I just wanted to be thorough so you guys could help me the best.
Any help/advice of any kind is greatly appreciated.
thanks, Charlie