# Is My PC dead?



## shnaek (3 Jul 2008)

I got more RAM for my PC yesterday, and when I was installing it I noticed that there was an awful lot of dust in my PC box. The PC has been crashing a bit of late, so I thought I'd best clear the dust out.

There was a lot of dust on the processor fan, so when I went to remove it to clean it -the processor came out with it! I cleaned all the dust away anyway, and reinstalled the processor, but I must have pushed down too hard as I bent a couple of the pins. So I straightened the pins up again and put everything back together.

But now when I switch the machine on, my monitor stays in powersave mode. It doesn't seem to be 'seeing' the PC at all.

What do ye think? Have I damaged the processor, or could this be something else? Is it time to get a new PC?!


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## Towger (3 Jul 2008)

shnaek said:


> Have I damaged the processor, or could this be something else? Is it time to get a new PC?!


 
Probably, could be, Probably.

You dont say that type of processor it is. The newer ones tend not to have pins on the CPU, but pads and pins on the socket. Try reseating it again.


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## shnaek (3 Jul 2008)

Towger said:


> Probably, could be, Probably.
> 
> You dont say that type of processor it is. The newer ones tend not to have pins on the CPU, but pads and pins on the socket. Try reseating it again.



Will do. It's a celeron, about four years old.


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## aircobra19 (3 Jul 2008)

You installed new RAM. Go back to what was there previously. then re try it.


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## michaelm (3 Jul 2008)

aircobra19 said:


> You installed new RAM. Go back to what was there previously. then re try it.


I agree with this; It's a RAM issue until you're sure it isn't.


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## Towger (3 Jul 2008)

Good though...


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## ClubMan (3 Jul 2008)

Even if the _RAM _is a problem would the _BIOS _not be accessible?


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## aircobra19 (3 Jul 2008)

In my experience. Sometimes but not always. Bad ram can prevent a machine from posting. Expecially an 4yr old Celeron machine which might not have the fancy motherboards we have now. As a matter of process. I'd always go back to the original config before trouble shooting. Then remove things one by one. If the OP didn't take static precautions he could have fired the motherboard. Thats less likely than bad or incompatible RAM. IMO.


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## michaelm (3 Jul 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Even if the _RAM _is a problem would the _BIOS _not be accessible?


I wouldn't think so.





aircobra19 said:


> In my experience. Sometimes but not always. Bad ram can prevent a machine from posting. . . I'd always go back to the original config before trouble shooting.


Ditto.





aircobra19 said:


> If the OP didn't take static precautions he could have fired the motherboard. Thats less likely than bad or incompatible RAM. IMO.


I never take static precautions and in 15 years tricking about with computers I've only ever killed two motherboards.  My money's on the RAM.


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## rmelly (3 Jul 2008)

michaelm said:


> I never take static precautions and in 15 years tricking about with computers I've only ever killed two motherboards. My money's on the RAM.


 
And the moral of the story is...take static precautions and you wouldn't have ever killed any motherboards.


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## rmelly (3 Jul 2008)

OP, you didn't try something like this, did you?  http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Silent-But-Deadly.aspx


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## aircobra19 (3 Jul 2008)

I'll admit I never take static precautions and I've not killed anything due to static, in well over 15yrs of fixing all kinds of computers. Its still a possibility. 

Something like a missmatch in RAM, CAS speeds can be a problem, especially with old Dells etc.


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## aircobra19 (3 Jul 2008)

rmelly said:


> OP, you didn't try something like this, did you? http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Silent-But-Deadly.aspx


 
You'd think someone who read enough to know about cooling and damping sounds in the PC would also have read about airflow though a case.


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## ClubMan (3 Jul 2008)

michaelm said:


> I wouldn't think so.Ditto.I never take static precautions and in 15 years tricking about with computers I've only ever killed two motherboards.  My money's on the RAM.


Yeah - but the original poster reefed the _CPU _out and then seemingly just jammed it back in again!  My money's on the _CPU_, socket and/or motherboard being physically damaged.


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## aircobra19 (3 Jul 2008)

I've bent a few pins in my time, straighten them out with pilers and they worked ok. 

It could any or all of the the above. Only way to know is to start over with the original config. If that doesn't work. Disconnect everything and then start adding each bit by bit.


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## michaelm (3 Jul 2008)

rmelly said:


> And the moral of the story is...take static precautions and you wouldn't have ever killed any motherboards.


Well my propter hoc analysis was that I killed them due to static but I'm not really convinced of that.  I always touch some metal or the PC chassis to discharge any static I may have before touching anything else.


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## rmelly (3 Jul 2008)

michaelm said:


> Well my propter hoc analysis was that I killed them due to static but I'm not really convinced of that. I always touch some metal or the PC chassis to discharge any static I may have before touching anything else.


 
That should be sufficient, I do the same and have never had an issue, your post suggested you didn't even do that though.


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## michaelm (3 Jul 2008)

rmelly said:


> . . your post suggested you didn't even do that though.


Yes, it does.  Unintentionally misleading.  I meant that I don't employ formal anti-static precautions such as those anti-static straps.


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## shipibo (3 Jul 2008)

Bending pins on CPU, and PC no longer works .....

No need for Sherlock Holmes here, yar PC is Lisbon Treatied ...


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## aircobra19 (3 Jul 2008)

crumdub12 said:


> Bending pins on CPU, and PC no longer works .....
> 
> No need for Sherlock Holmes here, yar PC is Lisbon Treatied ...


 
Sherlock Holmes you're not. Bending pins is not irreversible. You can bend them back. Its possible to even solder pins. Modders do this a lot. At the end of the day its just a wire making an electrical contact.


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## shnaek (4 Jul 2008)

Thanks for all the help. I got it fixed last night! It wasn't the ram. Some pins were bent alright, and I straightened them. But I couldn't re-attach the processor with the heat sink attached to it. So I removed the processor from the heat sink using floss, cleaned off the old thermal paste, re-attached the processor to the motherboard, applied new thermal grease, put back on the heat sink and away it went!
So it turns out it is quite hard to break a PC after all


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## ClubMan (4 Jul 2008)

shnaek said:


> Thanks for all the help. I got it fixed last night! It wasn't the ram. Some pins were bent alright, and I straightened them. But I couldn't re-attach the processor with the heat sink attached to it. So I removed the processor from the heat sink using floss, cleaned off the old thermal paste, re-attached the processor to the motherboard, applied new thermal grease, put back on the heat sink and away it went!
> So it turns out it is quite hard to break a PC after all


Damn - I should've named my price! 


ClubMan said:


> Yeah - but the original poster reefed the _CPU _out and then seemingly just jammed it back in again!  My money's on the _CPU_, socket and/or motherboard being physically damaged.


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## aircobra19 (4 Jul 2008)

In fairness from the first post...



shnaek said:


> ... bent a couple of the pins. So I straightened the pins up again.....


 
Obviously not straight enough!



shnaek said:


> Thanks for all the help. I got it fixed last night! It wasn't the ram. Some pins were bent alright, and I straightened them....


 
Alls well that ends well etc.


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## hopalong (17 Apr 2009)

anyone got an old dell dimension 5150 they dont want,my power supply is blown and if i can get an old one i could fix it.thanks.


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