[Jubei]

I really hate this PC nightmares!

I just tried to boot up my PC this morning and on my first try, POST was completed and Windows XP seemed to be loading . . . suddenly the PC powers off. I try to turn it on again, this time entering the BIOS to check if it identifies the SATA hard drives (I have prior experience of a fried SATA controller). I do manage to enter BIOS, but after around 10 seconds, the PC powers off while I am still in BIOS. Given the limited time, I did see that the SATA drives were identified.

So my question is what is my problem? A faulty PSU??

I was using the PC less than 12 hours ago, ripped a couple of new CDs, was surfing the web and using Foobar. All was fine!

My PC:
Asus P5K-E
Core2Duo E6550
2G Corsair RAM

 

[myinitialsaredac]

CPU fan might be the culprit. Take it off and wipe off the old grease and slap on some new and replace. Check the psu to mobo connectors (take em out and plug em back in). If you are running sli try pluggin in the 4 pin molex and see if its cause you arent gettin enough power. If not it sounds like it might be your psu, if you have another comp switch the psu and see if it boots.

What wattage is your psu puttin out?

Dave

 

[Jubei]

Thanks. I just opened up my PC to peek inside and to my utter shock, the Zalman heatsink was hanging by its power cable. I use a Zalman CNPS7000C in a Cooler Master Centurion 5 case. The clip lever for the Zalman literally snapped into 2 piece, so the HSF fell off the CPU leaving it "naked".

I really should have opened the PC case up before posting for help I suppose, but I never figured that this would happen - more so because the HSF was only installed 6 months or so ago.

Damn, I think I am going back to the shop to complain!

 

[Jubei]

So yesterday I went to the retailer where I bought the Zalman CNPS7500-AlCu. I showed the man at the shop the broken clip lever and he told me that he has had a few customers coming back with the same problem. So apparently this is not a completely unique freak accident.

Anyway, I didn't like the clip mechanism much and so ended up getting a new cooler - the Apack Zerotherm BTF80 - recommended over at Silent PC.

The Zerotherm was easy to install with spring loaded clips thru a back plate. I much prefer the screws to Intel's push-pins. I am using an Asus P5K-E, and in the BIOS I have enabled Q-fan control with CPU fan set to "silent". The Zerotherm is not audible during the day. On the cooling front, it seems to keep the CPU cooler by 1-2C when compared to my previous Zalman - through this could be because of bad contact between the Zalman and the CPU if the clip lever was already bent before it snapped.

In short, I would recommend the Zerotherm over the Zalman.

 

[uraflit]

yay it works!