processor question

[lifeisawaterfal]

Can a shorted processor damage a motherboard?

[Fruss Tray Ted]

...perhaps billions of transistors and circuits within a lone processor, just to which half dozen 'thousand' do you refer? :D

I'm not sure nor an expert but if it is a circuit to do with power I would venture a yes guess. But in the logic circuits it's either a 1 or a 0 which is 'on' or 'off'. In those I would guess nothing more than the moboard receiving a constant supply of zeroes or ones. Thus not harmful. Of course it (the pc) wouldn't work that way but replacing the processor could bring the pc back, not sure.

I'd like to hear the opinion or fact from someone in the real know though.

[lifeisawaterfal]

Thanks. The reason I am asking is that I have a computer that wasn't working. I narrowed the problem down to the motherboard or processor. I tested the same kind of processor from another computer and the problem wasn't fixed. I could smell a burning odor in the motherboard so I think the motherboard is bad. I put the processor back into the the computer that I used to test and it won't work. The motherboard must have shorted out my processor. I am wondering if buying a new processor will fix the computer with the processor that I used to check on my other computer.

[Budfred]

I think it is highly likely that a new CPU will work in the motherboard you borrowed the test CPU from as long as that board was working ok when you borrowed the test CPU. If your old board fried the test CPU, that is unusual. However, even if that happened, it would be extremely bizarre for that to have effected the test CPU in a way that could somehow then damage the board it came from.

That said, before buying another CPU, I would make double sure that you seated that test CPU properly in its home motherboard so that you don't find out it was still good after all.

Budfred

[lifeisawaterfal]

Thanks, I reseated it twice and it still won't work. The computer comes on but doesn't load or show anything on the monitor.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

same kind of processor But the different ones all work at a different voltage depending on how old or what 'architecture' they are made of.

Life is...,
I'm just tryin' to put it an easy way to look at it. Smelling smoke near the circuit :confused: = 'BAD!' :D (Call the Fire Department!!! ;) )

Some more 'system specs' would be useful. Thanks.

[no-mbr]

What's a "shorted" processor? I would suggest that most defects in a solid state devices would fail to an "open circuit" mode where lower currents and voltages have little effect.

I guess circuitry in a processor could "meld" after thermal overload.
I don't see how this would affect a motherboard unless the heat is so great that it's damages a circuit on the board itself.

But hey, I don't know what you are talking about. Nor do I.