New, home built comp shuts off after 3 seconds.

[Gweedo]

Hey there.

I'm helping my room mate build a computer and we're having a bit of a problem. Everything is set up and ready to go. I turn it on, and it starts fine. 3 seconds later it shuts off. I tryed re-seating everything and that didnt help. I double checked everything. The one thing I have not tryed is taking the motherboard out and booting it with it outside the case to see if one of the risers are shorting it or something.

Does anyone have any ideas for me?

System specs:
MSI KT4 Ultra Motherboard
AMD XP2000+
3200 DDR 512mg
GeForce4 Ti4600 8x

[DougL]

Hi Gweedo

don't think it is shorting out as the PC would not even boot. More likely a heat issue whereby the BIOS is shutting down the system to prevent permanent damage to the CPU. Are you using a heatsink & Fan? Re check and make sure you have the correct Heatsink and fan fitted for that type of CPU.

Doug

[Confused]

I agree it sounds as if it could be heat related. If you have a heatsink and fan, are you using thermal compound?
Chas

[RenegadeKing]

Try it out of the case anyway. Easier to redo the heatsink that way if it's all out too if you do try redoing it. Also check to make sure the clear CMOS jumper is not in the clear position.

Also, are you getting any beep codes or error messages when it boots before it shuts off?

[TEEB]

Originally posted by Gweedo
Hey there.

I'm helping my room mate build a computer and we're having a bit of a problem. Everything is set up and ready to go. I turn it on, and it starts fine. 3 seconds later it shuts off.

By starts fine do you mean it boots up to Windows(or your o/s) and then shuts down?

[Alienware_Dude]

What brand/wattage is the PSU?

[Gweedo]

The PS is a Enermax 320w. The Heatsink and fan are a Thermaltake Volcano 9. Now... the cmos jumper is odd. In the manual it says 1 and 2 are the "unclear" pins.... bu the board came with it on 2-3. Now when I move it to 1-2 it wont even turn on. I am not using thermal compound, but would that really matter? I'll try putzing around with the heatsink and fan for awhile... if anyone has anymore ideas, feel free to post them.

Gweedo

[Alienware_Dude]

It does sound like improper HSF/CPU die contact; try re-seating the HSF on the processor.

[Gweedo]

You dont think it could be the cmos.... cause when its in the proper position I wont get any power at all. its in the clear position when I get the 3 seconds of power.

[ktkendall]

If your Heat sink fan did not have that little white square of thermal tape and you did not use thermal compound, then yes I believe that could be the problem. You need one of those for the heat to transfer into the heatsink properly, especially as we move into these faster processors, and also AMD's are said to run on the warm side. If it did have that little white square patch on it, did you remove the protective strip?? Little peice of tapelike strip, sometimes has a pinkish tint to it so you'll know to remove it, sometimes comes on those, and needs removed before seating HSF to processor.

[RenegadeKing]

Originally posted by Gweedo
I am not using thermal compound, but would that really matter?

Gweedo

YES! It is needed to fill the imperfections of the 2 surfaces so there are no air gaps which can cause heat problems.

[ktkendall]

Originally posted by Gweedo
You dont think it could be the cmos.... cause when its in the proper position I wont get any power at all. its in the clear position when I get the 3 seconds of power.
You do have a good point here, they usually don't come defaulted in the clear position. There does seem to be a descrepancy there. I would double check the diagram in the book, of course sometimes they misprint. Can you check the support website??

[Gweedo]

I can check the support website... and I did... it doesnt help at all. So we're leaning towards it not having thermal compound being the problem. It would run for more than 3 seconds if it didnt have thermal compound, right?

Gweedo

[RenegadeKing]

I've heard of motherboards coming with the clear cmos jumper in the clear position. Accidently of course, but they are put on by people, and people make mistakes. I've also heard that some computers will start up and shut off right away when the cmos jumper is in the clear position.

The cpu could be getting up to the temperature where the motherboard shuts the computer down within those 3 seconds.

[ktkendall]

I would think It would take more than 3 seconds to overheat. Just read another thread here recently that with NO HSF installed and AMD xp processor will be roasted in about 5 seconds, but you have one on there and you maybe didn't notice but it may have had the thermal tape in place, so even if improperly installed I would think you should got a bit more than 3 seconds, but maybe not. Can you access the BIOS??

[Gweedo]

Okay okay... figured it out.

The bastard was slightly slightly touching the cpu bay...... I moved it about a 1mm... and now its fine. I feel dumb. hahahahaha. Thanks for all the help.

[RenegadeKing]

I highly doubt he can get into the bios if it's shutting off after 3 seconds.

Whether or not having no thermal compound is the problem, you should still redo the heatsink with some. Unless it had a pre applied thermal pad, but I don't think the volcano 9 does.

Edit: Nice, you figured it out. What was touching what??

I would still get some thermal compound between the cpu and heatsink.

[mken]

Got the same mobo. It is a mis-print in the manual about the cmos jumper. Saw that in a faq, once. Whatever the manual says about the positioning, do the opposite.

Also, the board does support thermal protection using the internal thermal diode in the cpu. If it is set up in the bios to do so, it will shut the board off immediately when it reaches the pre-set shut off temperature. If you aren't using a thermal pad or compound, I would say that is most likely the problem as it doesn't take long for an Athlon, even a Thoroughbred, to heat up.

[Cricket]

Originally posted by Gweedo
Okay okay... figured it out.

The bastard was slightly slightly touching the cpu bay...... I moved it about a 1mm... and now its fine. I feel dumb. hahahahaha. Thanks for all the help. What do you mean by "CPU bay"? Do you mean the raised part of the socket? The recessed part of the heatsink should go over the raised part of the socket.

Glad you got that system going.

:) Cricket

[catfishjoe_1]

You are fortunate that that board has some sort of built in protection for the cpu. Without the heatsink in proper position, on a lot of socket A boards, instead of just shutting down it would have continued on until it burnt up. Like maybe a second or two longer.
cat

[Alienware_Dude]

Glad we could be of service!

[suzanne]

Hmm I just posted a very similar problem (http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54907)

In my case, I used the thermal compound. My computer doesn't even stay on for a second though. Although I'm using a huge heatsink without a fan right on it (though there are fans very near it). That's the only problem I can think of, but it doesn't seem like it ought to be a problem... I've heard of people running silent systems with zalman copper flower heatsinks and no fans.

Argh so puzzled!

[ILLPHIL]

ive gota a question, if I use a pentium 4 2.4ghz northwood with the retail heatsink and fan will I need additional thermal compound?

if it matters it will be on an asus p4pe

[Alienware_Dude]

No, the Retail HSF comes with thermal goop/wax on it; you can use that, and it should work fine.

[RenegadeKing]

Yea, you are fine. There is stuff already pre applied, so u don't need to worry about it. In fact, adding additional thermal compound is bad and will increase your cpu temperature.

[glc]

If you want to use compound on a retail P4 HSF, you have to remove the black goop and the foil patch it's stuck to first.