Computer randomly shutting down. Even Geek Squad can't figure out the problem. Help! (desktop, graphics)
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Pruzhany, I'll check into that when I'm making my new computer. If there's something much better and cheap, I'll just buy new parts. This is also the first time I've heard about SSD so I'll do some research on that as well.
RD5050, yes I followed the instructions for the coolant. It still didn't work. I've tried everything you've listed and I can't get to the diagnostic utility because the computer keeps malfunctioning, resetting, and getting worse each time I move anything. It would make sense that I fried the motherboard with my low power supply. I know what to check for next time I buy a graphics card.
A SSD is basically a huge flash drive. A HDD with terrabytes tends to be the same price or cheaper then a 20 gig SSD.
Don in Austin, I hope the motherboard isn't fried. It's more than I'm willing to pay. I'd have to trash the computer.
Mack Knife, but does it matter if the thermal paste isn't sticking? Doesn't that mean it's worn down and ineffective?
Also, not booting windows still doesn't work. It will still shut off on the boot screen.
The only way you'd know if the thermal paste wasn't sticking is if you remove the fan/heatsink from the CPU and then you've broken that seal anyway so it is a self inflicted wound so to speak.
There is no reason, generally, to remove the CPU fan/heatsink unless the CPU fan has failed. It is one of those don't touch, don't break it things.
A SSD is basically a huge flash drive. A HDD with terrabytes tends to be the same price or cheaper then a 20 gig SSD.
SSD is used for programs & HDD is used for data. Currently while on vacation in another country, I built my Nephew a gaming system. With the SSD it was at the Win7 screen ready to go in under 10 seconds. Unless one has a hybrid HDD/SDD there is no where over time will a HDD do that with all the updates from MS. You do know why one partitioned HDDs, right?
Pruzhany, I'll check into that when I'm making my new computer. If there's something much better and cheap, I'll just buy new parts. This is also the first time I've heard about SSD so I'll do some research on that as well.
RD5050, yes I followed the instructions for the coolant. It still didn't work. I've tried everything you've listed and I can't get to the diagnostic utility because the computer keeps malfunctioning, resetting, and getting worse each time I move anything. It would make sense that I fried the motherboard with my low power supply. I know what to check for next time I buy a graphics card.
Perhaps you can see if you can find a cheap "no frills" graphics card on Craigslist or eBay, that doesn't require much power? Then use it to test your system.
You might even post an ad on Craigslist yourself in the computer section for "cheap working graphics card wanted" ... anyone with an old working card they no longer want, offer $10 for it.
Or see if there are any electronic recycle centers near you that sell parts they removed from donated PCs?
Or see if a friend has an old one they no longer use?
Just get the cheapest card (least video memory on board) you can find, that will work in your PCI graphics slot, since this is just for a test, and nothing else.
That way you'll at least know if your motherboard and/or CPU is bad.
SSD is used for programs & HDD is used for data. Currently while on vacation in another country, I built my Nephew a gaming system. With the SSD it was at the Win7 screen ready to go in under 10 seconds. Unless one has a hybrid HDD/SDD there is no where over time will a HDD do that with all the updates from MS. You do know why one partitioned HDDs, right?
Ah my comp does windows 7 in 30 seconds on startup with no SSD and no partitioned HDD. It makes no sense to pay 300 hundreds for just 20 seconds on bootup.
Ah my comp does windows 7 in 30 seconds on startup with no SSD and no partitioned HDD. It makes no sense to pay 300 hundreds for just 20 seconds on bootup.
$120 by this link for 240GB and its not simply boot up. Its access and reads. By watching the links I supplied earlier in this thread, I picked up a 240GB for $60 in a 1 day sale. TB HDDs are for data storage. Take a look at your own computer, how much room does just the programs take? Think about nearly any link loads instantaneously.
Pruzhany, you can't salvage anything? Even the memory cards? I ask this again because I've spent thousands of dollars on this computer. To say that nothing but the harddrive can be salvaged is really depressing.
Wouldn't it be better to buy the replacement motherboard for $100 to try to get the computer working again before I throw everything out?
You probably could partner with a computer tech and say if you fix this and sell it, I'll give you 1/2 of the profit. How long ago did you spend your thousands of dollars. I don't think I can get $100 for a 6 year old XP Dell box that I spend $1000 on. Much of that cost is Acrobat and Microsoft Office.
You could probably put your hard drive in an external enclosure. After reading what someone said about extra voltage to the components, I wouldn't want to use it as my main drive. The memory which you bought is probably non ECC, meaning it is cheap and you would rather pay less upfront than have more expensive memory with more features.
Ah my comp does windows 7 in 30 seconds on startup with no SSD and no partitioned HDD. It makes no sense to pay 300 hundreds for just 20 seconds on bootup.
It's not just boot speeds but affects everything else too that is reading or writing from the drive other than data if you are using additional drive. Application start up for example, click, *poof* just like magic it's loaded. I have all my applications on SSD, "My Documents" is drive D which is two regular drives in RAID1 array.
The only way you'd know if the thermal paste wasn't sticking is if you remove the fan/heatsink from the CPU and then you've broken that seal anyway so it is a self inflicted wound so to speak.
There is no reason, generally, to remove the CPU fan/heatsink unless the CPU fan has failed. It is one of those don't touch, don't break it things.
Mack Knife, the way the XPS 9100 is set up is that the heatsink is directly under the PSU. You cannot get out the powersupply unless you remove the heatsink. I only moved the heatsink when I started having problems anyway, so it wasn't the cause of the whole problem in the first place.
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