help!

[of_dark_waters]

i got a barebones kit for my graduation and ive been waiting for it for a week now and it finaly came. to the point i put it all together and turned it on, and it starts to run and then cuts off. sometimes it will go as far as trying to load windows(which isnt installed yet) but then some times it will just check the cpu then in the middle of it cut off. the cpu fan is working, and all the drives are comming up... anyone know what my problem is?

help!

>d<

[BigBlue66]

First, we need to know where you have the fan on the heatsink for the CPU plugged in. Is it plugged into a 3-pin header on the motherboard or is it plugged directly to a 4-pin molex connector from the power supply?

Second, it is very possible that the CPU is overheating, thereby triggering a built-in safety mechanism to shut the system down before damage occurs.

Recheck your HSF installation to be sure it's oriented correctly on the CPU. Did you use thermal paste or a thermal pad when you installed the HSF for the processor?

[Budfred]

You could also have a power supply problem. Power supplies that come with kits are often one step above garbage (sometimes not even that).

Post back with details about your system and we may be able to do more to help.

[of_dark_waters]

its a Future power 400 w power supply, and the cpu fan is pluged in to the mother board. i didnt use any thermal paste, it had some on it already. should i get more?

An AMD Athlon XP2000+ Processor, 256MB PC2700 DDR memory, 64MB GeForce4 MX440se 2X/4X AGP Video Card,XFX MACH 4 KT400ANB ATX motherboard


and the cpu fan is a speeze socket a/370cooling fan up to a xp2800

i tried it again and it started to load windows but then shut down in the middle of it. what do i need to do now to get that started again?

the power supply has a box checked that says pentium 4...does that mean anything?

[Budfred]

The thermal paste you have is likely to be sufficient if you applied it properly. Was it actually paste or was it a pad? Either way, it is possible that it might not be properly installed and that could cause a heat problem. The Athlon chips are designed to shut down very quickly if they heat up so that they don't burn out. Make sure that your heatsink it properly placed and redo the thermal stuff if you think you might have done it poorly. I use Arctic Silver for this, but it will void your warranty if you do, so you may not want to go that route.

As for the power supply, I think Future Power is one of the cheapy companies, but I am not certain. Check the amp rating for the 12 volt leg. If it is less than 20 it is probably a cheapy...

The P4 on the power supply is just to tell you it can be used for that CPU. It probably has the extra connector that P4 boards use. You don't have to worry about that though.