Pc won't boot after reapplying cpu thermal compound.

Fledge

Fledge

Fledge

Associate
Joined
9 Jan 2009
Posts
851
Location
Olney
As pre-applied thermal compound is never fantastic, today I decided it was time to remove it and put some MX-4 on it myself.
This went completely to plan, I did it all by the book and everything went fine. this was until I tried to boot afterwards.

Cast your eyes over this: http://i.neoseeker.com/neo_image/170048/article/asus_maximus_formula/qled.jpg

This is part of my (well, not mine) Maximus III Formula mobo. When the pc starts up, the LEDs should light up when they are being used or being checked or... something along those lines. When I try, the CPU led flashes and then the DRAM led stays on for a few seconds, then the cpu led flashes again just as the pc turns itself off. Then it turns itself on again and cycles like this.

Half an hour later, the DRAM led doesn't light up at all.

I have no idea what could have gone wrong, any help is appreciated !

Thanks all, Fledge.
 
I checked the CPU and it's socket and everything looks fine : /
The connections have been triple-checked but maybe there's one somewhere I'm still missing...

I've also tried using the clear CMOS button and even removing the mobo battery. No toffee.
 
Last edited:
It usually is an connection issue , i did it while installing an SSD the other day, rechecked them all multiple times, in the end i just went through and unplugged and re-plugged everything in, voila booted up straight away :D
 
could be a short ?

is the motherboard in contact with any part of the chasis ? Did you get any thermal material on the board while applying ?
 
Take your rig apart and start again. You coul leace the PSU in there though.
If you have tried everything else this could be the best way short of an RMA
 
Just a question... why did you remove the cpu when applying the thermal paste? Usually a bit of thermal compound remover on some tissue rubbed accross the top of the processor is all it takes...
 
SparkyG said:
When you checked the CPU did you check for missing pins or just bent pins cause you could off snapped a pin off
Click to expand...

The CPU doesn't have pins. They're in the socket.

OP can you take a decent picture of the CPU socket with the CPU removed and upload it. We may be able to see if there are any problems with the pins in the socket.

You might as well take a picture of the bottom of the CPU as well so we can see if there's any damage to the contacts.
 
As you've taking most of it apart I would want to rule out shorting altogether.

Try running a skeleton setup outside of the case - use a screwdriver to bridge the headerpins to power it up.

If this doens't work you may want to test the PSU using the paper clip test - i'll find you a link on how to do this if you don't know what i'm taliking about.

Good luck.
 
Okay so now I've taken everything out of the case except the PSU and mobo -- although that's coming out in a minute as well.

Here are pics of the CPU socket and CPU:

14ueyhj.jpg

sf9yt1.jpg

2hi9xmc.jpg


...and as I know you lot love pics, here's another one of the 'project':
1zwdzfd.jpg

...yeah I'm doing this on the floor :D

Gonna try a skeleton setup now.
 
Last edited:
I hope it starts working when you put it back together. Probably a loose connector somewhere.

I build mine on carpet too. Well not entirely. I place a section from a large cardboard box on the floor first but that still means I'm kneeling on the carpet. But I always, always wear an antistatic wrist strap when doing a new build. It's possible that something may have gotten static damaged from last time it was built (static damage is often delayed in showing up as a fault) and this build/maintenance just became the push it needed to fall over.

But chances are, it was just a loose connection as others suggested. Fingers crossed for you.
 
Last edited:
Baldbloke said:
It's possible that something may have gotten static damaged from last time it was built
Click to expand...

Every other time I've been working on this PC it's been pretty well protected from static so I don't think it was previous damage.

Also, the skeleton build still failed :(
 
Fledge said:
Also, the skeleton build still failed :(
Click to expand...


Damn!.

I see you have cleared cmos. In the past I have had a couple of pcs which took up to 30 minutes to properly clear the cmos. 5 minute attempts didn't do the trick but 30 minutes did. In fact I have an old pc here which can take two hours to clear the cmos. But the mobo on that one is screwed so not really a good representation. Just a thought.

Otherwise, maybe a multimeter would help confirm the psu voltages are ok.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom