|
Posted by Tim Wescott on February 21, 2010, 1:58 am
Please log in for more thread options
It's been ages since I kept current with PC technology, so I wanted to
run this by some of you, to see if it lights any bulbs.
One of my boxen runs for a while, then (in Linux at least) kernel panics
and resets (in Windows it resets, but I haven't stood over it to know if
Windows notices the problem). My kid and I were working on it today to
reinstall Ubuntu on the theory that the software was just royally
screwed, which is when I noticed the kernel panicking.
It acts like a thermal problem -- leave it off for a long time and it
takes a long time to have a problem, use it a lot and it happens much
more often. All the fans work, and at one point I was able to monitor
the various system temperatures which showed OK, so it's not something
simple like the processor overheating.
At this point I'm about ready to start swapping parts, but part-swapping
costs $$, so I thought I'd ask the group if these symptoms sound
familiar, and if you found out anything specific to go with them.
--
www.wescottdesign.com
|
|
Posted by Jon Slaughter on February 21, 2010, 2:37 am
Please log in for more thread options
Tim Wescott wrote:
> It's been ages since I kept current with PC technology, so I wanted to
> run this by some of you, to see if it lights any bulbs.
>
> One of my boxen runs for a while, then (in Linux at least) kernel
> panics and resets (in Windows it resets, but I haven't stood over it
> to know if Windows notices the problem). My kid and I were working
> on it today to reinstall Ubuntu on the theory that the software was
> just royally screwed, which is when I noticed the kernel panicking.
>
> It acts like a thermal problem -- leave it off for a long time and it
> takes a long time to have a problem, use it a lot and it happens much
> more often. All the fans work, and at one point I was able to monitor
> the various system temperatures which showed OK, so it's not something
> simple like the processor overheating.
I had the same problem. Starting a few weeks ago my computer started
freezing up mainly after I would leave it(say in over night). It turned out
that the heatsink compound was dried up... fixed that and it's been running
fine ever since(about 2 weeks).
Of course it could potentially have been something else but that seems to
have been the issue. What happened was the thermal compound was relatively
dry and I guess wasn't making good enough contact and would eventually cause
the thermal sensor to trip(most modern CPU's have a shutdown mode to prevent
damage).
I was monitoring the temp too but since it always happened when I was
off(except the last few times) I never knew what was going on and imagined
it couldn't be overheating when I wasn't on it(since it was basically in
idle) but after replacing the compound no issues at all.
Anyways, it's worth a look...
It could be the memory or PS... usually one of those is the issue(Which is
why I figured it was my memory since I have a monster PS).
|
|
Posted by Tim Wescott on February 21, 2010, 11:58 pm
Please log in for more thread options
On Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:37:10 -0600, Jon Slaughter wrote:
> Tim Wescott wrote:
>> It's been ages since I kept current with PC technology, so I wanted to
>> run this by some of you, to see if it lights any bulbs.
>>
>> One of my boxen runs for a while, then (in Linux at least) kernel
>> panics and resets (in Windows it resets, but I haven't stood over it to
>> know if Windows notices the problem). My kid and I were working on it
>> today to reinstall Ubuntu on the theory that the software was just
>> royally screwed, which is when I noticed the kernel panicking.
>>
>> It acts like a thermal problem -- leave it off for a long time and it
>> takes a long time to have a problem, use it a lot and it happens much
>> more often. All the fans work, and at one point I was able to monitor
>> the various system temperatures which showed OK, so it's not something
>> simple like the processor overheating.
>
>
> I had the same problem. Starting a few weeks ago my computer started
> freezing up mainly after I would leave it(say in over night). It turned
> out that the heatsink compound was dried up... fixed that and it's been
> running fine ever since(about 2 weeks).
>
> Of course it could potentially have been something else but that seems
> to have been the issue. What happened was the thermal compound was
> relatively dry and I guess wasn't making good enough contact and would
> eventually cause the thermal sensor to trip(most modern CPU's have a
> shutdown mode to prevent damage).
>
> I was monitoring the temp too but since it always happened when I was
> off(except the last few times) I never knew what was going on and
> imagined it couldn't be overheating when I wasn't on it(since it was
> basically in idle) but after replacing the compound no issues at all.
>
> Anyways, it's worth a look...
>
> It could be the memory or PS... usually one of those is the issue(Which
> is why I figured it was my memory since I have a monster PS).
What did you use for heat sink compound? Just the usual white silicone
goo like I may find in my 30-year-old tube? This has the magic melting
elastomeric stuff that came with the CPU.
We've replaced the power supply, and drives, and played 'swap the memory'
games -- still does it. The caps on the mobo look good, so either it's a
bad cap that's not visibly bad, or it's a CPU fit issue.
If I have good heat sink compound I think I'll give that a go.
--
www.wescottdesign.com
|
|
Posted by cavelamb on February 22, 2010, 2:19 am
Please log in for more thread options
Tim Wescott wrote:
> What did you use for heat sink compound? Just the usual white silicone
> goo like I may find in my 30-year-old tube? This has the magic melting
> elastomeric stuff that came with the CPU.
>
> We've replaced the power supply, and drives, and played 'swap the memory'
> games -- still does it. The caps on the mobo look good, so either it's a
> bad cap that's not visibly bad, or it's a CPU fit issue.
>
> If I have good heat sink compound I think I'll give that a go.
>
Ok, Tim, here is how to locate the problem...
Make a cone of paper that will fit over a component to be tested.
Big end up - little end fits the device to be tested.
Printer paper and tape work fine.
You'll probably wind up with several odd shaped cones for computer parts.
Use a hair dryer to blow WARM air onto the part for a few seconds
to try to fail a part.
Use a freon can the same way to try to recover a part.
Try to control your spray area carefully so as to affect only one part
at a time.
With computers this is more difficult because once a computer goes
crazy it must usually be cooled and restarted before it will run right.
So you probably want to plan an attack that keeps parts cool to prevent
the crazies rather than cause them.
Old light aircraft autopilots and other avionics are about the only thing
expensive enough these days to warrant fixing rather than just replacing.
That's where I learned this trick.
--
Richard Lamb
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cavelamb/
|
|
Posted by Winston on February 22, 2010, 10:43 am
Please log in for more thread options
On 2/21/2010 11:19 PM, cavelamb wrote:
(...)
> Use a hair dryer to blow WARM air onto the part for a few seconds
> to try to fail a part.
>
> Use a freon can the same way to try to recover a part.
(...)
Yup. We used to call Freon 11 "Tech-in-a-can".
--Winston
|
| Similar Threads | Posted | | hardware vendor | November 8, 2006, 7:20 am |
| Container hardware | June 20, 2008, 2:55 pm |
| Help Finding Hardware? | March 28, 2010, 5:12 pm |
| Cost of hardware (rant) | February 20, 2007, 8:58 pm |
| Supplier for Helicoil hardware | January 6, 2009, 1:25 pm |
| Weird hardware request | May 12, 2009, 9:00 am |
| Shop hardware stocking vendor | November 7, 2006, 6:51 pm |
| she might become the clean rubbish and propose it along with its hardware | August 12, 2007, 8:02 pm |
| Grand Hardware Manufacturing Factory | September 4, 2008, 9:45 pm |
| OT METAL .............Container door hardware | September 18, 2009, 7:43 pm |
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap
> run this by some of you, to see if it lights any bulbs.
>
> One of my boxen runs for a while, then (in Linux at least) kernel
> panics and resets (in Windows it resets, but I haven't stood over it
> to know if Windows notices the problem). My kid and I were working
> on it today to reinstall Ubuntu on the theory that the software was
> just royally screwed, which is when I noticed the kernel panicking.
>
> It acts like a thermal problem -- leave it off for a long time and it
> takes a long time to have a problem, use it a lot and it happens much
> more often. All the fans work, and at one point I was able to monitor
> the various system temperatures which showed OK, so it's not something
> simple like the processor overheating.