joea64
05-12-2002, 06:24 PM
I've got my system running again, and I know what caused my problems with those repeated system freezes and boot failures:
1) Excessive heat: interior temperatures were going up to at least 110 degrees for the CPU (AMD Duron 800), power supply, and presumably the system boards as well.
2) Excessive dust: the system was caked with dust and lint, and especially around the CPU cooler fan.
3) An inadequate power supply: I was using a 4-year-old 250W power supply designed back when PII 300's were still the top-of-the-line CPU. It wasn't AMD-certified, and besides, it was trying to drive a system full of components and peripherals.
So, I did the following:
1) I installed a second fan into the system, one of the new "exhaust" turbine fans that fits into an expansion slot and blows hot air out the back of the case. Coupled with the new power supply and the cleaning, the results have been dramatic; the new power supply runs a few degrees cooler, at 99-100 degrees; the CPU runs at 103 - 105 degrees; but the system board has been rock-stable at 75-76 degrees for the last three days! (All temperatures are in Fahrenheit.)
2) I installed a new, 300-watt power supply, AMD-certified.
3) I gave the system a thorough blasting with compressed air (I would have used a vacuum if I had had one available), paying particular attention to the CPU and RAM areas, and making sure to spray everywhere else. I intend to give the system a compressed-air treatment every month from now on, because my own home environment produces quite a lot of dust.
So, the upshot is, I haven't had a _real_ system freeze or crash since Thursday night - the only "freezes" have been brief ones, 5 to 10 seconds, during the installation processes for various types of software. Those, however, I think are normal.
-Joe-
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Alternate email: joea64@yahoo.com
1) Excessive heat: interior temperatures were going up to at least 110 degrees for the CPU (AMD Duron 800), power supply, and presumably the system boards as well.
2) Excessive dust: the system was caked with dust and lint, and especially around the CPU cooler fan.
3) An inadequate power supply: I was using a 4-year-old 250W power supply designed back when PII 300's were still the top-of-the-line CPU. It wasn't AMD-certified, and besides, it was trying to drive a system full of components and peripherals.
So, I did the following:
1) I installed a second fan into the system, one of the new "exhaust" turbine fans that fits into an expansion slot and blows hot air out the back of the case. Coupled with the new power supply and the cleaning, the results have been dramatic; the new power supply runs a few degrees cooler, at 99-100 degrees; the CPU runs at 103 - 105 degrees; but the system board has been rock-stable at 75-76 degrees for the last three days! (All temperatures are in Fahrenheit.)
2) I installed a new, 300-watt power supply, AMD-certified.
3) I gave the system a thorough blasting with compressed air (I would have used a vacuum if I had had one available), paying particular attention to the CPU and RAM areas, and making sure to spray everywhere else. I intend to give the system a compressed-air treatment every month from now on, because my own home environment produces quite a lot of dust.
So, the upshot is, I haven't had a _real_ system freeze or crash since Thursday night - the only "freezes" have been brief ones, 5 to 10 seconds, during the installation processes for various types of software. Those, however, I think are normal.
-Joe-
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Alternate email: joea64@yahoo.com