Author Topic: Computer Issues. (Read 336 times)

Speed55 · « **on:** September 12, 2006, 12:06:51 PM »

Hi guys,

Ever since summer ended, and the a/c went off in the house, i've noticed a few problems with my pc.

1st off i decided to upgrade the video card from an ati 9550 to an ati x850 pro. I ordered the card but haven't put it in yet.

2nd i noticed that the temps in the box have been pretty high, and am considering installing another cooling fan, maybe in the front and low somewhere. Right now it has a side inlet through a tube onto a p4 3.2 ghz "hotbox" prescott, and a middle rear outlet fan. CPU die right now says 55 at idle, and goes up to 70 when i try to play ah offline.

3rd i saw today that niether power supply fans are spinning, so i took a cue tip and gave them both a jump start.

So i have an antec 350 watt power supply, and i see that the x850 minimum requirement is 350. Should i just order a 450 watt antec from newegg and blow out old one with air until i get it?

Does anyone have a recommendation on fan placement for better cooling?

I haven't been able to play for a while now, which really bites, but i don't want to blow up my rig trying to play online.

I don't know that much about computers, so any help would be great. Thanks

Skuzzy · « **Reply #1 on:** September 12, 2006, 12:54:11 PM »

The 350W power supply is definately not going to be able to drive the computer with the 850XT video card.

I would suggest the Antec 480W TruPower II supply.

Eagler · « **Reply #2 on:** September 12, 2006, 02:08:47 PM »

be sure to check your amperage on the 12volt rail
gl

Skuzzy · « **Reply #3 on:** September 12, 2006, 02:56:02 PM »

He should be fine on the 12V rail. I have an X850XT in my oter computer with the 480W Antec supply and it has worked fine.

Puck · « **Reply #4 on:** September 12, 2006, 03:08:50 PM »

Biscuit fans die. When I worked at Washington State I made sure all the fans got replaced every year, but that was an extreme case (still have volcanic ash in the dirt all those farmers are disturbing twice a year...we called it Palouse dust).

As a rule cool air in the front, warm air out the back. Air goes "down" through the CPU cooler and out the power supply. Some cases have exhaust fans on top to blow out the hot air. If you're looking at fans also get some compressed (canned) air and blow out the power supply, CPU heat sink, and everything else you can find (pay attention to the GPU heat sink and north bridge). Dust is a wonderful insulator.

Speed55 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 12, 2006, 05:35:38 PM »

I blew out the entire box with compressed air a few hours ago.
After restarting the computer the 1st time the power supply fans came right on, and CPU die was 51.

Just now on restart the power supply fans did not come on, so i took off the side cover again, and blew into the intake, and exhaust of the power supply, and they started. Not that i'm going to do it, but i wonder if theres a way to oil them. I know on little refrigerator fans, sometimes when there siezed up you can oil them and work them loose.

So i went to newegg, typed in antec under power supplies, and i see they have two 480w TruPower II listed, but both for the same price. I really can't tell the difference though, if there even IS a difference. I'll order it once i find out, with help from you guys of course.

Oh the card is an err umm, not pci.. but a onc, avg, pcp, lsd.....hang on have to get the motherboard book......ok its an agp style.

I can see how you computer guys can get so involved with these little monster machine boxes.

Thanks for the help.

Puck · « **Reply #6 on:** September 12, 2006, 06:21:51 PM »

Yes, you can oil the sintered bearings on biscuit fans. No, it's not worth it. They'll spin for a little while, then have problems again. Once they start to go it's best if you just give them a nice burial. They generally don't survive dissassembly to get to the shaft anyway.

Schutt · « **Reply #7 on:** September 13, 2006, 04:21:26 AM »

Get a new power supply, if your power supply blows up for some reason it can take halve of the comp with it.

Brenjen · « **Reply #8 on:** September 13, 2006, 10:37:00 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Speed55
I blew out the entire box with compressed air a few hours ago.
After restarting the computer the 1st time the power supply fans came right on, and CPU die was 51.

Just now on restart the power supply fans did not come on, so i took off the side cover again, and blew into the intake, and exhaust of the power supply, and they started. Not that i'm going to do it, but i wonder if theres a way to oil them. I know on little refrigerator fans, sometimes when there siezed up you can oil them and work them loose.

So i went to newegg, typed in antec under power supplies, and i see they have two 480w TruPower II listed, but both for the same price. I really can't tell the difference though, if there even IS a difference. I'll order it once i find out, with help from you guys of course.

Oh the card is an err umm, not pci.. but a onc, avg, pcp, lsd.....hang on have to get the motherboard book......ok its an agp style.

I can see how you computer guys can get so involved with these little monster machine boxes.

Thanks for the help.

One is probably a "smart power" instead of a "tru power" or a "tru power" & a "tru power II" I haven't looked so I can't say, but Antec makes several iirc.

You can just replace the fans in your P/S instead of oiling them, they are as easy to replace as case fans. Oiling may or may not work, I personally wouldn't. Oil can be conductive & fans are cheap. I use an Antec 550Watt tru-power II & it's a good P/S, I would buy an Antec or a Tagan.

Edit: be careful blowing out P/C's, yes you can, it rarely messes up the works, people have even been known to use leaf blowers

but it can blow crud into places it wouldn't normaly get like into pci or ram slots etc. Just a heads up.

Speed55 · « **Reply #9 on:** September 13, 2006, 06:55:17 PM »

I bought and installed a 600watt extreme power, power supply, and an 80mm case fan that i mounted on top of the hard drive. Im an impatient salamander, so i went to the local computer store instead. The china men in the store were positive that the supply and case fan would hold up to ah2.

CPU is now idle at 48

Offline playing 62.

New card seems alot smoother too.

Thanks for the help guys.

This was my first time messing with computer guts. When i plugged in and started up, i heard the computer boot up, but noticed i had a blank monitor!! I really thought i fried something, until i saw that i had unplugged it by mistake..

Gunthr · « **Reply #10 on:** September 14, 2006, 04:06:17 PM »

Don't know if this is the best config for fans, but its working for me in a Antec server case:

2 sucking in low front (over and around hard drive racks)

2 sucking in mid-back (blowing accross cpu and video card)

One blow hole out the top.