# HELP...New speeze CPU fan F'ed up my computer

## blaksaga

Alright, I had a thermaltake volcano on my athlon xp 1900+ but it made so much noise that I finally decided to replace it.  I shelled out some cash at newegg and got myself a speeze cpu fan.

It came in the mail today.  I pulled open the case and pulled out the old blow-dryer fan.  Stuck the new speeze fan on and kicked on the power supply.  The lights came on, it started booting, when all of a sudden, bam, it shuts itself off.  A few minutes later I try again...same results.

So I'm baffled at this point.  Pull off the fan and put the old one back on.  This time it starts up, fans start up, lights on my pci devices light up, cdroms drives spin, and then nothing.  It sits there.  My monitor is blinking no signal, it doesn't even try to read the hard drive or boot.

I checked to make sure nothing came loose when switching fans.  Ram, video card, etc all seem to be good.  Now I'm stuck.  Could my cpu have burned up?  Mother board?  WTF is the deal?

I'm thinking that maybe the CPU was getting hot enough that the motherboard would shut itself down!?!?  IDK, I'm stumped.

I'm trying to figure out my next course of action.  I don't even know if the problem is the mobo, cpu, or something else.  Any ideas???

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## NeddySeagoon

blaksaga,

I expect your CPU is damaged. When you change heat sink assemblies you have to clean the used phase change thermal material off the top of the CPU very carefully with thinners and a fingernail. If you don't, you get a gap between the CPU and new heatsink. The CPU dies before it gets to run the software that will turn it off.

When you fit the new heatsink, you must carefully remove the protective plastic film from the new phase change material to ensure that its not damaged. Failing to remove the plastic film or removing both the film and phase change material is another cause of premature CPU failure.

Did you notice that the heatsink will only fit one way round? there is a recess to accomodate the working parts of the CPU socket. Get that wrong and the heatsink will sit on the socket not the CPU.

Discs spinning up etc are normal responses to the reset signal and don't need any help from the CPU.

The phase change material hardens in use over the first few hours and cannot be reused. It takes up the shape of all the irregularities in the top of the CPU. If you try to replace it after its been removed, it doesn't go back in eaxtly the same place, so you get air gaps. CPU failure follows in a few seconds.

To add to your decision making problems, the CPU failing may have destroyed the core voltage regulator switching transistors on the motherboard, in which case the motherboard is scrap too.

Well, they can be replaced but you need a surface mount repair facility. I wouldn't risk a new CPU in that motherboard.

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## d0nju4n

damn, that's no good.  I didnt know you could do so much damage so quickly.

I"m running a p4 1.8 ghz in the box that I'm typing on now, and a while back (im not sure when) one of the retention clips that hold the fan/heatsik assembly tightly onto the cpu was broken.  the entire heatsink assembly was leaning, and only made contact with about 3/4 of the heat spreader on the cpu.  I didnt even know about it until I switched to gentoo, tried to compile kde, got messages about cpu temps in the console.  I have a temp fix right now, but It's been running like this for three months (if the clip broke when I think it did)  I havent seen any noticable hardware f*ups.  I consider myself lucky

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## blaksaga

Yes, I have done this before, and yes, I did make sure to take care of all the details as mentioned.

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> To add to your decision making problems, the CPU failing may have destroyed the core voltage regulator switching transistors on the motherboard, in which case the motherboard is scrap too.
> 
> Well, they can be replaced but you need a surface mount repair facility. I wouldn't risk a new CPU in that motherboard.

 

 :Sad:  So you're saying new motherboard + new CPU???  Ugh.  Maybe I will take it to a computer shop and let them dick with it once I get some money.  But, considering I don't yet have a job, that could be a while.  Ah well, it's nice outside, I can find other things to do.  :Wink: 

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## Malakin

Maybe you scratched your motherboard in the process? any slips with a screwdriver?

If anyone has the problem of a noisy cpu cooler you can buy a fan speed controller, it's cheap and much less chance of screwing anything up. A Zalman fan mate works well and it's like $5can, so about $4usd.

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## dalek

I have a ThermalTake Volcano 11+ and I can't hear it at all.  I can just barely hear it when compiling and the room is warm.  Mine came with a sensor that will adjust the speed according to temp.  That would quiet that puppy down.

If you put a CPU in that mobo and the mobo is bad, it may burn out your new CPU.    :Shocked:   :Shocked:   :Shocked:   :Shocked:    Just a thought before you buy and try it.

Later, hope you get it running.

 :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy: 

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## Malakin

There's quite a few different thermaltake volcano models out there. Considering he's using an XP1900 I'm guessing he might be using a Volcano 6+ which is really really loud (not to be confused with the volcano 6 which isn't overly loud).

Fortunately all the newer noisy volcano's come with something to control the speed.

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## NeddySeagoon

blaksaga,

I thought you may have built the system because a volcano is not standard kit in an 'off the shelf' PC. that was the only hint I saw in your post.

If you are into electronics and have a multimeter I can tell you how to check out the core voltage regualtor. Fixing it at home is harder. You need a soldering iron and a domestic electric grill/oven. Best wait until you are alone in the house for this step.

Sorry to hear it broke.

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## evol262

As long as you were safe with the processor, and you didn't slip with the screwdriver, you're probably ok.  The cores on K7 processors (Athlon/XP/Duron/MP/T-Bird) are incredibly easy to crack or scratch, though.  You tilt that heatsink a bit, apply just a hair too much pressure, or let it slip a bit, and your processor bites it.  Have you tried resetting the CMOS?  It's about the only step you could take which might fix this, and it probably won't unless you had the processor running over spec (overclocked).  Otherwise, hardware failure is your likely culprit.  

As for whether or not the motherboard is still good...  Take a whiff inside your case after you turn the system on, then off.  You'll KNOW that smell, even if you've never smelled it.  Nothing smells quite like burning hardware.  If you don't smell it, your mobo is probably still good.  

Do you have a friend who'd let you test your motherboard with an old processor?  Any socket A chip should do.  Well, within reason.  Your board probably doesn't support a 166/200 (333/400 in marketing terms) Mhz bus, but an old Duron, T-Bird, whatever.  Pick up a new AthlonXP for ~20 from Pricewatch.

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## Malakin

 *Quote:*   

> Have you tried resetting the CMOS?

 evol262 has a good suggestion, you should try resetting the cmos. There will be jumper for it in your motherboard manual. I'm more inclined to believe it's something simple like then then a toasted cpu.

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## blaksaga

Eh, I'm pretty sure it's hardware failure.  And no, I'm not going to stick a new CPU in it and risk frying another one.  I'll probably just wait and get a new mobo with a good processor.  Can anybody make suggestions for a mobo?  I'd like to put something like an athlon xp 2500 or 2600 in it.

As for resetting the CMOS, I will give that a go tonight...but I have a feeling that the problem is deeper than that.  :Sad:   Oh well, thanks for the help everybody.

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## Malakin

 *Quote:*   

> Can anybody make suggestions for a mobo?

 

Here are my suggestions, depending on how much you want to spend. ASRock is just another name for Asus, you can just ignore the onboard video on it, it's very cheap, it performs fairly well and has all the features most people would need.

$42usd ASROCK (Asus) K7S41GX

$76usd Asus A7N8X-X

$112usd Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe

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## NeddySeagoon

blaksaga,

If your are going to stick with AMD, I like my Asus A7N8X Delux. Its got everything you need on board except video. Its a fairly old board now and I know there are later revisions of it.

When you are pricing things up look at an AMD 64 bit setup.

There is already some overlap pricewise between a top end 32 bit box and a low end (if thats the right term) 64bit setup. A 64 bit box will be much more fun to play with too.

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## dalek

Mine is pretty cheap and stable.  It's in my sig below.  I have been pretty happy with  it.  I don't like the on board sound is all.    :Rolling Eyes:    I have been told that no on board sound is really good so I guess that can be ignored.

Later

 :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy: 

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## blaksaga

As far as a processor, I'm trying to hit something in the <100 dollar range.  I'm going to try to hit the performance/price curve where I get the most bang for the buck without breaking my wallet. (I'm poor)

Well, the perfect mobo for me would be no onboard video, audio, or lan.  But seeing as how I cannot find such a thing these days, a board with audio and lan built in will have to suffice.  I guess I'm not really looking at buying one yet...at least not until I have a job secured.

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