Help.. No o/c , possible chip burnout?!

[Kna]

Posted a message in cooling about my 1Gz Tbird being hot (47c) at idle.. it has a good CoolerMaster HS on it, thermal paste and I added another fan to help airflow.. did a few more case mods and managed to get the temp down to a more respectable 34c.

Suddenly I can only sporadically and now not at all, power the PC up (it powers but no screen). I checked all my connections and took the CPU HS assembly apart.. the thing was hot (understandably) but also smelt a bit.. didn't know if this was the paste burning.. turning it over, a small paper label appears 'burnt' but looking under that there's no other signs of anything toasted. I would imagine a hot chip burning any labels on it anyway, is this the case for other people?

Could I have burnt my chip out, with no overclocking and a HS?? If I was running it OC I could understand it but, if anything, I was making it cooler so I'm utterly stumped.. anyone got any ideas suggestions as to what's happened?

I'm really stuck as I don't know if it's me or if the thing really is FUBAR.. if it is then I'll be damn cheesed off as I haven't even done anything!

Cheers!

[AZZKICKER]

sounds like your heatsink wasnt flat

tiltid off to one side
thats the only way i see really

unless the chip was just a bad chip and it lived a shot life and then it gave up on life and killed itsself
buy overheating itself or something

only thing i can see is one of 3 things

short on the board somewhere

heatsink not flat on the core

or your power supply is bad and its shooting way too many volts somewhere

[Kna]

Checked a few obvious things.. I've discovered the favourite 'crushed sand' effect with the heatsink, turns out one of the rubber feet had come off so I now have a nice bevelled core.

Is this enough to fry the Chip? If so, seeing as I installed it correctly, does anyone think I would be entitled to get a replacement from the supplier.

The board is an Abit KT7-RAID and I've tried everything listed about no POST screen twice.. no go.

Shame I don't have another Athlon to try really.. if I can't get a replacement off the supplier I might just buy a Duron and overclock the thing.. too expensive to risk another I think.

Cheers!

[Kna]

Hrm, ran it for about 10 mins (with HS), powered off and removed the HS and the Core was still cool to the touch.. that's not good is it?

[AZZKICKER]

yup

i have a duron with a little of the core brok off the edges

its dead

t bird i heard is worse about a little broke off and it will kill it