Krappadizzle
Member
I remember frying a Navy weapons system in a "C" school not wearing a strap. They called me Sparky for the rest of the class. I was okay with that.
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My custom built gaming PC keeps dying, considering just replacing it
- Thread starter SolVanderlyn
- Start date
I remember frying a Navy weapons system in a "C" school not wearing a strap. They called me Sparky for the rest of the class. I was okay with that.
An easy solution would be to buy a pre-assembled PC from a reliable Internet store.
theres already 2 pages full of answers for the OP.
Literal ten seconds for diagnostics and 15 minutes for a fix is too much of a price for the myriad of benefits PC gaming offers?
Also, any console would be out of warranty by that time, so you'd be paying for a fix, instead of having a blast doing it yourself.
Unlikely. Motherboards often give this popup and block startup when 0 RPM is detected on the CPU fan connector.
Abstrusity
Member
I mean that it's no longer seated correctly. It's very easy for the vibrations of the fan itself to rattle one peg connector loose from its seat. It'll still be running, it just won't provide half the benefits, if at all, of having it in the first place.
roadrunn3r
Member
I know this is off topic but OP's issue is pretty much identified so I shall go on. I don't see any negativity/off putting here so I'm a bit confused of why this "drama". We have a little thread on here where we help anyone about everything concerning PC hardware, even issues/troubleshooting. When you make a new thread, instead of posting there which surely helps to get attention and then say your 2000$ PC is continuously dying, it's surely going to get you replies like that. (and even replies like "that's why I'll never get a gaming PC") That said OP has had all the help he asked for so I don't see anything bad in this thread again but I hope you understand the context a bit more now.
Definitely but I'm always hesitant to advise 212 Evo to beginner builders. Absolutely fantastic grade A fan in my mind but it's an absolute nightmare to install. Always had issues with it and I've put it in 4 or 5 builds for friends. It's such a nuisance.
Literal ten seconds for diagnostics and 15 minutes for a fix is too much of a price for the myriad of benefits PC gaming offers?
Also, any console would be out of warranty by that time, so you'd be paying for a fix, instead of having a blast doing it yourself.
Well, sort of. The Xbox 360 was overheating much like this scenario and so they extended the warranty to three years. Of course I'd much rather reapply thermal paste to my PC than wait 2-3 weeks for a replacement 360 which I had to do twice. And since I guess it needs to be said for people like the person you replied to, consoles are not immune to these same issues
demigod
Member
You're nuts if you think 2k was an ok price 2 years ago. My nephew bought a comp for 1200 or so and got a shitty 960 last year when i could've built him one with at least a 970. He wanted the glowing keyboard crap from ibuypower.
i wasn't trying to start a console vs. pc argument, just making an observation. for the layman this shit seems pretty complicated. we got people talking about tiny fans breaking (how do you fix a tiny fan?), measuring temperatures with some gadgets, isopropyl alcohol and the proper application of various substances.. sounds like mad scientist shit to me.
i guess if i ever do decide to make the leap i'll be buying a pre-made thing..
Abstrusity
Member
It's easy, though. The isopropyl alcohol is to sterilize the leads so that when you insert them into your veins with IV, you don't get infected. :^)
The question about 'how to fix a tiny fan' is answered with 'replace it.' Fans are fickle things. Generally when a fan is broken, the ball bearings are no longer functioning how they should. It's always easier to replace a fan than fix one. Temperature measuring is done by the computer itself, just use Speedfan.
I can walk you through every step of putting a computer together, as long as you know what some stuff means!
It looks hard outwardly, but once you're in it, everything is easy.
For some, it's even FUN.
Aureon said:
Yeah, that's what I'm leaning toward. A CPU cooler normally has four pegs that go into holes on the motherboard and turn to lock in position, OP. But if those pegs are not turned, vibration can pull them out of the motherboard, removing the contact from CPU and thermal paste, and Thermal paste and CPU cooler. Even a little bit can cause a consistent spike in temperature, because it's no longer conducting heat across to the heatsink that makes up the bulk of your cooler.
Arrogant Bastard
Banned
So it was the complexity after all...
If you can put together legos you can build a PC. You simply download a program and it will tell you the temperature of your CPU. If you are really against applying thermal paste you can just use the stock cooler that comes with the CPU and it has the paste already pre-applied.
Isopropyl alcohol also goes by the name rubbing alcohol. It's a common household item, at least in the US. Computer fans are not tiny. I'm not sure how you got that idea.
shadow2810
Member
And when your pre-made thing breaks down, you will need to buy a new one or find someone to repair it instead of doing it yourself.
The fans aren't tiny, they are usually around 12 cm in diameter these days. And you don't fix them, you just replace them with a new one (usually around 10 for a good one).
My point is, most of these things really only sound hard as long as you aren't familiar with them.
Others have been answered but if a fan breaks, you just replace it. In my case, it was third optional case-fan, ie nothing essential so i don't need to even stop using my PC until i get another. Warranty will probably cover a replacement). Can't fix actual parts at home...
Pre-made computers suffer usually from poor value for performance. It is probably better to buy a service that assembles your parts for you if you don't dare to assemble it yourself, you'll still get better specifications for the price most likely.
EDIT As Durante says, it sounds hard but ain't really. Just need to read about stuff a bit, watch some vids, something. I had previous experience assembling PCs (at least partially) when i built mine so things were relatively easy despite some new things (like applying thermal paste).
what tiny fan? the one thats powered by one plug that you plug into the motherboard to power it and is clearly labled? or re-seating the heatsink, the thing where literally all you have to do is push down on 4 pins to get it secured? re-applying thermal paste? a youtube search of "reapply thermal paste" provided me with 3,220 results. try watching one and report back on its perceived difficulty and confusion.
well let me tell you how i got that idea. i think of your average fan as being about 1.5 to 2 feet in diameter. my assumption was that such a thing wouldn't fit into a computer case. my assumption was that a fan that's cooling a processor or whatever (??) would be much smaller, say maybe a few inches in diameter. that's a tiny fan bro. but that's not the point.
i was just pointing out that as a person on the outside looking in, this whole situation looks like a disaster. if i spent 2 grand on something and it didn't work (even if its eventually fixable after some research and time spent tinkering) i'd be furious.
i feel like i'm derailing here so i'll stop. carry on
roadrunn3r
Member
Arrogant Bastard
Banned
What is going on here. Lol.
I'll give you some advice that will save you a ton of headaches in your life: Never buy a car or a house.
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GHG
Member
OP, you said you don't know what heat sinks are?
Is there a block and a fan on top of your CPU? I ask because I know someone who had a similar problem, and it turned out he had slathered his CPU with thermal paste and never actually attached the heat sink.
It should look something like this:
Is there a block and a fan on top of your CPU? I ask because I know someone who had a similar problem, and it turned out he had slathered his CPU with thermal paste and never actually attached the heat sink.
It should look something like this:
i think that's good advice. i own a relatively old car and it's a pain in the dick.
CosmicQueso
Member
What are you, some kind of rocket science wizard? This is madness! I've never been so flabbergasted! This is alchemy! How am I supposed to understand what 12 cms are? Ok Mr supercomputer guy. This is too much for me Carl Sagan.
nkarafo
Member
Or don't do it. Get a friend who knows what he is doing, to do it for you and show you how it's done. It's not hard and you can probably watch some youtube videos. But i would still rather recommend someone with some experience anyway.
mcdomination
Member
The answer, for you, is A.
I would say i'm just joking...but personally, I dropped out of PC gaming a couple of years ago. PS4 is my "go-to" gaming device at this time, and it has everything I need.
Is there anything that your gaming PC is providing you (when it's working) that you can't get on a PS4? What games do you play the most on PC?
Your PC issue can be fixed relatively easy/cheap. However, if you do not like these "challenges" that PC gaming can produce from time to time, I'd look into consoles.
I would say i'm just joking...but personally, I dropped out of PC gaming a couple of years ago. PS4 is my "go-to" gaming device at this time, and it has everything I need.
Is there anything that your gaming PC is providing you (when it's working) that you can't get on a PS4? What games do you play the most on PC?
Your PC issue can be fixed relatively easy/cheap. However, if you do not like these "challenges" that PC gaming can produce from time to time, I'd look into consoles.
FF Seraphim
Member
This is so true. Built my first Gaming PC in 2011 or so and it was a mess. My cable management was horrible and I knew almost next to nothing on building one. Now each additional PC I make I try to do better.
OP don't let this small misstep stop you. As you can see you have loads of people willing to help.
EdwardTeach
Member
It is in incredibly poor taste. Guy is asking for help and everyone is criticising his component choices. I would assume via initial 2k included all the accessories like mouse, keyboard and a nice monitor.
Sevenfold
Member
We all started somewhere. I think a lot of peeps get used to the GPU/CPU upgrade cycle and seem to forget that the initial spend for a decent system, especially if display/input/audio are part of the build, can be pretty high. I was reminded of this recently with the jump to Skylake and a new GPU.
The 'Need a new PC' threads are what turned me on to Gaf in the first place. They're consistently shit-free and the home of sensible advice.
I haven't read the third page but I'm going to assume you're on with the thermal paste advice, and, yeah, consider your PSU a weak point going forward.
Finally, if you have any interest in upgrades in the future have a gander inside your PC. There are not that many things going on and familiariing yourself with the internals will pay dividends.
If it came lose there's the chance the thermal paste dried up though, better to at least replace the paste, it's cheap and super easy to do anyway.
AMD heatsinks actually have two brackets that you fit and then tighten with a lever that you push down, you either get it fit properly, or it's not on at all.
The loud fans and shutoff is similar to what happened to me before. For me, it was just the CPU power connection on the motherboard was loose. Not an expert so I can't tell you why the CPU would overheat rather than not work at all with a loose connection, but maybe it's something to try or replace the cable altogether.
Bonfires Down
Member
Replacing the thermal paste might be a good idea, but the first thing to try is to thoroughly clean the cpu fan and heatsink (a fairly large riffled metal block) using a a can of compressed air.
Actually, what are good CPU temps? I never really asked.
According to Afterburner mine seems to be around 33 idle and 70 under load (probably while playing Fallout 4). Stock speed, standard snap-on cooler with no thermal paste. If it matters it's all inside a full tower.
As for the cost of OP's computer, I'd like to see a breakdown of that, because I spent maybe 1k on a PC with the same graphics card two and a half years ago.
According to Afterburner mine seems to be around 33 idle and 70 under load (probably while playing Fallout 4). Stock speed, standard snap-on cooler with no thermal paste. If it matters it's all inside a full tower.
As for the cost of OP's computer, I'd like to see a breakdown of that, because I spent maybe 1k on a PC with the same graphics card two and a half years ago.
roadrunn3r
Member
For a stock cooler that seems quite normal. If you want to spend 25$ on an aftermarket one you will get around 55 C under load. (depending on the room temperature of course)
That's not too bad. It'll depend on the fan and the CPU too. Mine runs about 55-60C under load.
linus tech tips did a video testing the methods of thermal paste application
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2MEAnZ3swQ
tldw: even putting way too little paste on only makes it run a little hotter, other methods don't matter at all
hey_it's_that_dog
benevolent sexism
Those accessories have nothing to do with the problem so perhaps they did not need to be included in the reported price of the system.
Perhaps it's too much to hope that OP knows it's obviously not his monitor or mouse causing massive system failure?
"Incredibly poor taste" is making fun of someone's dead pet or something. This is a computer with a (likely) simple problem.
Do people often include the cost of a TV in the purchase price of a new console? I've never known anyone personally that does that... Now, controllers for the new console, I could understand.
But to me, it just seems disingenuous to inflate the price of a computer with the cost of a monitor.
justsomeguy
Member
For $2000 I'm hoping he's in Australia. (glad you got some good help, OP)
Even a 90c can be acceptable as a high end for some CPUs your system would more than likely auto shut down if it went any higher
milkham
Member
some people think the monitor is the pc
Seraph_Nicholas
Member
Did you buy a nice PSU? I didn't, and had very similar issues. As a stopgap until I can afford a better one, I underclocked my system by about 20%.