core i7 system problem

E

Elyone

Geek Trainee
Ok all first post here, I hope you guys can help me!


I recently built my first system.

Core i7 920
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V
ASUS P6T Deluxe LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX (non OC - BIOS on default except for boot drives..)
CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666)
Monsoon III LT cooler with Arctic Silver V paste
SAPPHIRE 100245L Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM x2
Fujitsu MBA3073RC 73.5GB 15000 RPM Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) x1
built in an Antec P182

I KNOW I built it right, I did it very slowly. It started up, I installed Vista64 , Installed the drivers. Everything was running great. Say for about a day. The CPU temp was showing about 33 centigrade on idle, according to the ASUS utility.

OK, I next tried to to run Prime95. Not the torture test, just the basic program. No OC at all yet. Everything baseline.

I started the program and I looked at the temp and it said about 60. This after about 5-10 secs. Ok. About 2 secs later I heard some not good sounds from the case, a burning smell and before I could do anything - it shut down. I couldn't restart. There was a clear burning smell. :(

I took the thing apart.
There was NO smell AT ALL from the PSU. Nada.
The paste seems to have been enough and spread around nicely.
The chip did not smell at all, even after I lifted it up and smelled it real close.
The only place that had a faint smell, was on the mobo.
I did not spot any obvious melty places.

So, I replaced the mobo under RMA.
Alas, still does not work, so it was not the mobo. :(

This is what happens:

I connect the PSU and the onboard power button lights up.
I hit the 'on' button and I get about a half second startup - the CPU fan spins a bit and then the whole thing turns off and stops within about a half a sec. (Just as before I changed it)

I then tried the following:
Removed vid card. Same. (so it not the card)

Put in a different PSU - same exact thing. (Only connected the fans and mobo, did not even connect any drives to the PSU) So it's likely not the PSU or the drives.


I ask what could be causing it not to turn on at all and try to even POST? I guess it must be the CPU, no? I was so sure it was the mobo, darn it. Could I have fried both the motherboard AND the CPU in 10 secs?? I do not have another X58 system to check the CPU on or take another CPU to try on this system.

Will Newegg (USA. I know this is a UK based forum) let me send in another RMA for the CPU? What do I say?? Just nothing and say it won't work? It LOOKS just fine - no burning and no obvious physical damage.


help!!!!
 
Obvious thing maybe, but is there any chance of anything shorting on the back of the motherboard? Modern CPUs just shouldn't fry unless its faulty from the off because most have thermal protection and won't allow themselves to fry. The first mobo sounds like a capacitor burning. They smell really bad but don't necessarily show external signs of blowing. Also any fans running would clear the smell from inside the case quite quickly.

If the motherboards were made around the same time there may be a manufacturing or component defect.

Maybe the shop where you bought your gear from can test the items for you and find the faulty part. By the sounds of your system you must have spent a fair bit of cash so its worth getting it all tested.

Otherwise theres always ebay and start again. I'm sure someone will let you know which bit didn't work okay LOL
 
Hi,

Have you tried taking the motherboard out of the case, and adding your cpu/gfx/memory and then trying it?

there might be something shorting in the case maybe?
 
Thanks for the replies.

I just did what you advised. I first connected the mobo, gfx card and mem, OUTSIDE the case, and turned it on. (On a wooden board with my wrist on a static cord connected to the case). The board lit up and the gfx card fan spun. The monitor, however, did nothing. Should I not have gotten BIOS?

Anyway, I then added in the CPU (after reattaching heatsink) and turned it on and nada. Just like before, a split sec turn of the heat sink fan and shut off.

I then disconnected the CPU but left the CPU fan connected and turned it on and again, it and the mobo remained on. (i.e. the fans spun and some pretty lights on the mobo lit up and stayed lit.)

Is this convincing evidence that the CPU is the problem??
 
But the CPU won't fry because it has a safety switch that if it reaches a certain critical temperature it automatically shuts it's self off before it burns it's self to death, but i think you need to do more investigating to understand the fault it might not be the CPU, so I'm thinking what else can the guy do, any suggestions???? because i feel sorry for this dude i mean he gets a core i7 and it wont work, what a bad day lol :doh:

Just a thought why not ring up Intel and see what they have to say, they might have an answer??
 
hey thanks for the empathy! yea it does suck, I am thinking I should not have tried my first system on a corei7, even though it did work great for a day lol.

I am returning the chip, I really hope it's that. if not, it must be the mem. ill update in a week or so when I get it back.
 
Elyone said:
hey thanks for the empathy! yea it does suck, I am thinking I should not have tried my first system on a corei7, even though it did work great for a day lol.

I am returning the chip, I really hope it's that. if not, it must be the mem. ill update in a week or so when I get it back.
Click to expand...


I hope whatever it is, it doesn't cost you any more :)
 
Elyone said:
Anyway, I then added in the CPU (after reattaching heatsink) and turned it on and nada. Just like before, a split sec turn of the heat sink fan and shut off.

I then disconnected the CPU but left the CPU fan connected and turned it on and again, it and the mobo remained on. (i.e. the fans spun and some pretty lights on the mobo lit up and stayed lit.)

Is this convincing evidence that the CPU is the problem??
Click to expand...
If you did not clean the old paste off of the processor and the heat sink...and apply new paste...before reattaching the heat sink...(which you have not indicated) Then Ya the processor is Done.

Even if the above is not applicable I still suspect the CPU.
 
does the I7 socket have the same kind of grid array as the 775 (obviously not exactly the same, just the same kind of contacts) because apparently they are very easy to break and a cpu should not be put in and taken out too many times as it buggers up either the socket or the cpu.
 
update:

It was the chip!

I got the new one today, rebuilt the system (and of course I cleaned up the old paste of the cooler with 100% propanol - I work in a lab so easy to get) and it works.

Now, should I run prime95 again lol?? I am DYING too, the computor SHOULD handle it, but I do not want to fry it again haha.
 
Elyone said:
update:

It was the chip!

I got the new one today, rebuilt the system (and of course I cleaned up the old paste of the cooler with 100% propanol - I work in a lab so easy to get) and it works.

Now, should I run prime95 again lol?? I am DYING too, the computor SHOULD handle it, but I do not want to fry it again haha.
Click to expand...



lol good to hear!
 
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