strange computer problem
 

okay guys this computer I built I have a really strange problem with it. If the case is kept on its side everything is perfect and working. As soon as I put it upright the computer immediately turns off. If then I try to turn it it either 1) turns off immediately 2) turns off within 20 seconds.

any idea on what may be wrong with it?

The only thing I can think of that could be causing this would be the heatsink. Mind posting your specs?

check the cables inside/outside and make sure its not being tangled up...

are all the components snugged in...

Um... Is the heat sink on properly? When on it's back the weight of the heat sink pressing on the cpu will keep it on, but once up right it looses contact thus overheating pretty quickly.
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Bet there's a loose screw trapped under the motherboard, and when you turn it upright it settles somewhere that shorts a mobo trace to the chassis. In fact, I've seen exactly this happen before.

+1 I have to agree.

You should tear your machine apart and recheck your build and make sure everything is where it should be. You will most likely find your problem when disassembling.

So I opened the side and on the board there is a digital reading which I am assuming is the temperature. It reads 84. Isn't that way too high? What might be causing this? I also downloaded evga preceision and put the fan speeds at 100%. they were at 49%. A bit loud now :(

i've had a faulty motherboard PCB where the system would not start unless i slightly flexed the board by pulling up on a corner. I tried multiple HS's and every time i had to flex it to get it to do anything. I assume one of the traces was slightly cracked and was causing the issue. Could be a similar situation.

I could have RMA'd it, but it was the notorious evga 680i that i had already RMA'd 3 times so i just threw it out and bought a decent one.

okay so a few things...

the cpu fan the top 2 screws are kind of loose. I can't get them to screw into place. the bottom two are fine. Maybe this is what is causing the problem?

when I start the computer on its side the digital reading (I'm assuming its temperature) reads at 84-86. when I put it upright the reading goes from 29 to 69 to 89 and then immediately hits 96 and the computer kills the power.

is it the cpu fan that might be causing this??

suggestions on who to take it to get it looked at? would ncix be a good option? i want it fixed and back to me today or if an easy fix I will quickly try to do it myself.

That is absolutely the problem.

Without a heatsink mounted properly, the CPU will overheat very rapidly. You're lucky that nowadays, most motherboards have built in thermal protection where it will automatically shut the system down if it exceeds a threshold.

Revscene to the rescue!! So I finally got all 4 of them in properly! the bottom white area on one side was bent out of shape therefore stopping the entire side from going in properly.

Temperature reading is 46 degrees on its side and upright. Is this normal operating temperature? i used evga precision to turn the fans to 100%. Any negatives (other then the noise) about keeping fan speed @ max vs. auto?? and what is optimal temperatures. I was told about 30 degrees.

also how much thermal paste is supposed to be between the cpu fan and the chip? There was very little maybe size of a nickel right now. Should I get artic silver 5 paste take the old stuff off and reapply or not worth it? I would rather not but if it will make sure this computer isn't going to screw up again I'll do it.

46°C is perfectly fine. Even up to 60°C at idle can be "okay". Last I knew, just have to ensure CPU temperature never reaches 70°C under load.

If you only have the stock thermal paste, replacing it with Arctic Silver 5 or similar compound can reduce the temperature a few degrees.

ONLY A SMALL drop of thermal paste, nickel size is too much.. pea size..

as for what kinda, if you dont plan to OC your rig, artic silver 5 is good enough..

if your heatsink wasnt mount properly the first time, chances are the paste wouldnt be good.. clean it off and reappy..

i would definitely reapply thermal paste
46C is perfectly normal depending on room temperature and what chipset you are running

The thermal paste really isn't your main problem, so fixing up the paste is not important. Your heatsink mounting is the main problem. The heatsink appears to be falling off. Figure out how to fix that and you can use your computer. Replacing the paste may give a minor improvement. If you have some thermal paste on hand, go ahead and replace it. If not, just secure the heatsink and get the computer working. You can always replace the paste at a later date.

Yeah I would prefer not to take the thermal paste off and reapply but if its necessary I will.
anyways right now I'm posting from that computer. (its a i7 920 chip btw). temperature is staying between 46 and 49 @ idle. My house is controlled temperature so the temp is always 23 degrees inside.

if I do need to apply new thermal paste will I need to take the cpu off the motherboard and clean it off or can I just put some more overtop? I don't have any at my house so if I'm going to go get it is there anything else I should get as well?

I'm not going to overclock it...should I leave the fans at 100% or should I put them on auto? I don't mind the noise its not to bad. The computer is in a antec case

If it's running at under 50°C, just leave everything as is.

If/when you want to re-apply thermal paste, take the heatsink off, wipe off all the old stuff with a towel, then put a pinhead sized drop of the new stuff on.

Stress test it and report back with some load temps

how do I do a stress test?

What heatsink are you using? Is it the stock i7 heatsink?

I find the retention mechanism on the stock heatsink is terrible - the pushpins have to be the worst design ever.

If you've got some money to spend, try see if you can find the Prolimatech Megahalems in stock at your local store. It's one of the best rated air cooling heatsinks out there. It's what I'm using right now and the retention mechanism on that is top notch. It's a screw in design with a bracket on the underside of the board that the heatsink screws into rather than using the push pins that somehow manage to pop themselves out when you push the opposite pin.

In any case, 46C is alright for idle temp. My i7 930 runs around mid to high 30's on idle when not overclocked. You don't need a lot of thermal paste - there should be just enough to create a very thin film over the processor. You don't need so much that it oozes out of the sides when you apply your heatsink. There just has to be enough to fill in the minute spaces in between the heatsink and the processor.

A few different methods people use is to apply a small amount on the CPU and spread it around with a credit card or a similar flat item. Other people use saran wrap and wrap it around their finger and spread it over the CPU surface. If you remove your heatsink from your CPU after the thermal paste has been applied, I'd recommend repplying it just to be safe.

EDIT: Some burn in tools I'd recommend: Linpack (based on Intel's BurnTest) and Prime95. There's hundreds of them out there so take your pick.

Considering type of problems the OP is having, I think its too much to ask him to install a heatsink that requires the motherboard to be removed. I recommend that the OP stick with the push pins for now.

I think the heatsink on the CPU may not have thermal paste, but may be using the original Thermal Interface Material. It's some kind of waxy gum. To remove this stuff requires some type of chemical. I use lacquer thinner, but other solvents will work. I have seen many people scratch up the cpu and heatsink trying to remove the TIM. Try not to use a scraper.

So I thought I'd get an actual program to see what temperatures are at.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/7076/tempm.png

I guess the digital reading on the board is wrong?? :confused:

The reading on the board are probably diagnostic codes. If you look in your manual, it may have a list of what those codes mean.

What model is the board?

^ i can't remember its either evga p55 ftw or evga p55 ftw 200

Yeah, the CPUs are running a bit hotter than you'd like it to be.