SIgh 2 months of computer problems

[luckme10]

Sigh ok here's the thing i've had a long list of computer problems for 2 months now. Ok to begin, I've build several computers and currently building a smp for my sister with the help of cmcquistion's great sticky :) alright well for starters i went with all the parts that cmcquistion recomended my power supply was a powermagic ...but for reasons later explaned i'm now using a forton 530.
Alright to begin with everything was going smoothly. I had tested out the processors and the computer had sucessfully posted in its initial boot. The ram sticks were being properly read and everything It was then when I decided to swap the power magic fans with panaflo L1a's. I got the increased airflow ones because i thought i could do the 7 watt trick to them if they were too loud.
Heh this is when things started to go wrong. I didn't connect the powersupply fans directyly into the former solders but instead ran them through the molax connectors. The powersupply wouldn't run. So I was like ok well perhaps its some security issue so i cut the wires and soldered them on to the spots where the previous fans had been before. Everything was running for about 15 seconds and i was turning the power on and off testing out the quietness of the fans with various 5/7 watt settings using the y adapters of the molex connectors when suddenly poof everythign just turned off. My first thought was oh crap heh. My first thought was the computer fans weren't even coming on but the led lights were showing up on the mobo so I thought that it was still recieving power. From that point out the computer wouldn't post. I cleared the cmos, took out the battery other proceducal stuff tested the vid card(just to make sure it wasn't that) and it still woulnd't post. So I was like crap I guess I fried the mobo. I returned the mobo and got a new one luckily still under warrantee.
Anyways when I got the new motherboard I tested it and got similar results...the thing still wouldn't post. My next thought was it must be the powersupply then since i was doing all that tampering with it and since it suddenly just blew out. I tested the power supply out on a different computer and it woulnd't boot. Since I had already voided the warrantee on the powersupply I thought well crap a fuse broke or something and went out and purchased a well known quality powersupply(Forton 530) not tampering with it to leave the warrantee in tact. I got the new powersupply and the fan and and the leds on the mobo started up. To take extra procautions I tested each processor again with one stick of ram. The first one posted and read as an mp processor. The second one didn't post and just had a bunch of red leds flashing near the ps2 slots on the internal side of the mobo. It also kept clicking like when the comptuer freezes up and you keep pressing buttons on the keyboard. I was like oh great so i held the button on the case to turn off the comptuer. Except it wouldn't turn off! after about 10 seconds i began to smell something funny not strong by all means I can't quite pinpoint it and it was very faint. So I immediately cut the power through the powersupply Anyways so I was like great one of my processors got fried that was once running fine. Both processors already ran as mp processors in the initial testing. I then went to try to put the other processor that was WORKING just before in and it wouldn't WORK!!? GAHH I'm ready to scream i've been at this for like 2.5 months ordering parts stuff on hold blah, reordering parts parts haven't come in parts not working dremeling holes. I sware i've never had so much stress building a computer before and its taking everything i have not to throw this computer out the window and get a dell.
Anyways so thats my story up to date. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do next? I feel at a loss right now and this frustration is beginning to cloud my thinking process.
btw here is my exact computer project. Once again very similar to the things that cmcquistion recomended:

Mobo - MSI K7D MASTER L AMD 762 MOTHERBOARD

Cpus - 2 AMD Athlon XP 1700+ Thoroughbred Processor CPU

Memory - 2 sticks Buffalo Technology DDR DIMM 512MB PC2700 Samsung Chipset, OEM


Cooling - 2 ThermalRight SK-7
2 80mm panaflo l 1a's
PSU - Fortron 530 Watt Dual Fan PSU, P4/AMD, Standard ATX, True Power Supply

Radeon 9500 vid card
52x2452x btc burner

wd 200 gig special edition 8mb cache ultra dma
3x 120 fans 2 panaflo 1 antec

antec SLK3700AMB
Also because my case had to be backordered and all the wait times on other misc parts my processors warrantee has expired...but i bet it would have been voided anyways with the scratching on the l5 bridges.

[2los]

I feel for you..

I went through the same trials and toils with some success. Majority of those in here who overclock have had great success over and over again with cpu mods, though psu mods are something rarley people attempt to do.
I have a simple system that took me almost 8 months before I could get it to run stable. And thats trying to run everything stock. And about that stress part, when you get stressed, you get into stupid mode, like I did on my 8 month project. I started making mistakes; forgetting to plug in the cpu fan, mounting the fan the wrong way, forgettING TO SLEEP BECAUSE THE DANG PIECE OF MOTHER ....SON OF A.......(almost blacked out trying to relive the trauma during the 8 month ordeal) Ookok need to calm down. breath breath.... ooook im ok. wooooooooow

Whenever you feel your about to thrash your system and cant take it anymore.!!!! I'll give you $500.00 for it :D
No really take a breather and step outside, think about your other joys in life. then give me a call and we'll talk over a price. :D

[luckme10]

anyways though the summery is i'm still ont he basic boot up i swapped the mobo and powersupply and the computer tested worked once with 1 processor(xp registered mp by the way) then i tested the other processor got that strange smell(after about 10 seconds of leaving it on!!) and tried the other processor again and it didn't run.... sigh does that mean i fried another mobo? And the processors are busted? Should i hurry up and get the mobo replaced again? Buy new processors? maybe check out the ram? test and vid card? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO ANYMORE it seems like no matter what i do nothing runs and even if it does then its only temporary................................

[cmcquistion]

Test each component, one at a time, in a different system.

On your L5 mod, did you cover up the mod with some tape? Something is killing your CPU's. My first guess is improper heatsink installation, since that is the most common killer of CPU's. My second guess is maybe one of your mods is to blame. (Did you do any multiplier mods? If so, you may have done them wrong and that may be what is killing CPU's.) My third guess is that the motherboard is at fault.

Remember, when in doubt, strip the system down to barebones. Sometimes, a silly thing like a bad IDE cable can be to blame, but you'll never find it, until you strip the sytem to barebones (PSU, MB, one CPU, one stick of RAM, one video card, nothing else).

Best piece of advice: take your time, take a break, sleep on it, if you have to. 2los is right, the worst mistakes are made when your frustrated or tired.

Good luck.

[luckme10]

Right the computer has been running in stripped down state for the past 2 months. Unfortunitly i don't have the luxury to test out many of the components in the computer solo the closest computer i have to this is the one i am currently using which only accepts ddr 2100 ram and has a palamino chipset(shutters at the thought of taking off the heatsink) I had some problems getting this computer to run as well. Actually what got it running was the computer fan plug in. i switched where it was plugged in. Heh strange eh? Well the computer does run, the fans go on and the leds on the new mobo do seem to run. Also my start up buttons seems to work again. heh fancy that I didn't even do anything. Not hearing any beeps though i guess the speaker doesn't work or something i double checked and it seems installed that correctly. I think i'll go get some new processors mp this time not going to do anymore mods to anything and go from there. Thanks for your help everyone

[Remove]

I had A LOT of problems with 2 seperate MSI K7D MASTER L mobos. They worked great at first but after about a week or less they would start trippin out and doing all kinds of weird thing.

I really think there is a bad batch of these boards going around as I have been reading of MANY people have serious issues with them lately.

My problems and dealing with a terrible retailer (nexcomdirect) have put me off these boards.

[JimmyK]

I burned out 2 cpus as well before I lerned, with the CPUS Im almost POSITIVE you did the same thing I did. The ridge of the socket is high and if your heatsink is barely touching it, it wont sit properly and the right contact isnt there.

Ttust me it even looks good but it isnt. You HAVE to be VERY VERY meticulous and exact about this simple part. I gaurantee you that is why the chips friend. You had bad heatsink placement.

Oh yeah and I also have 2 sk-7s trust me that is a common problem for a lot of sk7 and k7d owners, I have been building PCs since 1996 so I know wha tIm doing, its a simple and common mistake to make, you MUST be careful.

-Jimmy

[JimmyK]

so far it seems your only problem has been user error. Bad experience when trying to modify your PSU, and bad processor/heatsink placement.

are you in norhtern VA or DC area by any chance?

[luckme10]

alright heres an update: I got 2 mp 2400's and they both run fine. Yeah guys I guess you were right I somehow managed to blow both of my processors. Here's the situation now. Well i got everything running and tested. However at the standard vcore settings auto my computer cpu temperatures are at like 53*C where they remain stable. Cpu 2 is usually slightly higher and also stable. I was able to tweak the vcore to 1.550 where it can still be functional and my cpu settings run about 47*C standard. If I take off my 7 watt mod on the power, then the computer runs at about 43*C standard but it sounds like a tornado with 3x 120's and 2 80s. All high powered! Is it just me or do these temperatures sound a bit too high. I haven't updated my bios yet. Perhaps this could be a contributing cause? My heatsinks are sk-7s and i have adjusted them several times with no effect.

[Xtc4u]

what is your ambient temp? They look fine to me for Air cooling. I hit mid 50s because my computer room is so damn hot. 85F even with the freakin window open and i live in Wisconsin.

[luckme10]

room is probably like 68*F right now. What was your vcore settings at and what kind of cooling system do you have? i've seen core 2 cpu's temp hit 60*C when my vcore was was at auto and this is just in the bios.

[Xtc4u]

I'm using a Vcore of 1.725 and I use Swiftech MCX-462+ Heatsinks paired with TT SF2s running at max rpm.

[luckme10]

hmm ok well at the cost of my ears I was able to get the core temps at 41-43*C in the bios. In otherwords I undid the 7 watt molex mod and have the panaflos running at full power. Yikes~ although i have yet to try a burn in with my low vcore... its at 1.55 with fsb set to 150. I better run a stability check

[cmcquistion]

Those temps sound about right. Don't worry if they are in the 50's. Worry, when they get in the 60's;)

[luckme10]

sorry double post

[luckme10]

The RMA for which the place i ordered it has a 30 day return policy. For the first few weeks my computer was great. Everything was running fine. All of the sudden my computer won't post. I have had 2 k7d master L's both with the same effect. The first one was exchanged and this is the 2nd time this has occured. I cleared the cmos and it posted with a checksum error. So then i restored the default settings and it ran perfectly. Well the next time i shut it off it wouldn't turn on again. I cleared the cmos only to recieve the same result. I have tested numerous processors, ram, powersupplies and video cards on this computer only to get the same results. All other components in which have run perfectly on other computers. What can I do? I had my vcore settings to 1.625 because at idle temperatures my cpu 2 was reading 57*C
I can get the computer to post and run fine but when i turn it off it doesn't want to turn on again unless i clear the cmos and wait awhile then sometimes it will turn on

[Xtc4u]

you realize when you clear the CMOS the comp will boot up at 1.8Vcore the first time.

[luckme10]

yep yep. My main concern now is getting the computer to actually post every time. Since it seems rather inconsistant. It only posts about 25% of the time. Default bios settings and all.