New XP, New Mobo, New Crispy Smell, Help!

[VashTheStampede]

ATACOM finally got my Asus A7V133-C through to me. My Alpha PAL8045 and XP1800 were getting lonely not having a home, so instead of putting the T-bird in my sig on the mobo, I did a little research here. I found that the board revision I had would support XPs so I proceeded to put the XP on the board and mounted the PAL8045. I followed the directions in mounting the HSF to socket holes, alternating screwing them down in a criss-cross pattern. I wasn't tight enough to crack anything, but it was snug enough. Mounted the shroud and Delta on top and proceeded to put the rest of the stuff in my sig on the board. I got everything done and went to power it up... no video signal was being sent to the monitor. So I turned it off, checked the monitor cable, made sure there were no bent pins, that it was snug in the connector and screwed down. Then checked the board to make sure it was fully seated in the AGP slot, check, I detected a smell of something but didn't pay any attention to it.

Powered up the system again, still no video signal and the smell had become more prominent, it was the smell of burning/burnt electronics. I know the smell well, especially after my older, smarter, brother told me a few years ago it was fine to stick a Slot 1 P3 in a Slot A mobo.

The PAL8045 heatsink is cold, but the backside of the socket is blazing hot.

Right now I am on borrowed time on another machine and I need assistance ASAP. Not sure where to post this because I'm not totally sure of the problem. Please help!

~Vash~

[Yodums]

I'll recap what I said and try to put more detail:

The heatsink wasn't mounted right and chip fried.
If the bios on the board didnt support the XP intentionally could have over voltaged the chip thus frying it.

[flounder43]

Ok, do you have any reason to believe that your HSF was not on tight?

I am trying to keep up with the musical thread topics...

[flounder43]

Also, does the processor look burned at all?

[VashTheStampede]

From the other thread:

"If you want to know what I think it is its the fact that if you haven't flashed the bios you just fried that CPU because the V Core on an XP is 0.5 lower than the athlons also might want to make sure that the heatsink is seated right also." - AmbientFiction

I thought I had a good chance, I read that it required a certain BIOS version, but those replies were posted back in December, so I thought I had a good chance at getting an Asus mobo with the newer BIOS since it is February now. Had that experience with a 440BX Giga-Byte mobo, shipped with a beta BIOS.

I have the option to lower the voltage via jumpers, what is the voltage of an XP and anyone think that would actually work?

~Vash~

[VashTheStampede]

Well never seen a burned processor (Seen a burnt slotkey) and I couldn't tell without removing the PAL8045, that thing is huge (And a pain to deassemble/reassemble). As for if it was tight enough, the screws were just barely turning and no light could get through the base of the HSF and die when I held it up to the light.

~Vash~

[flounder43]

Originally posted by VashTheStampede
From the other thread:

"If you want to know what I think it is its the fact that if you haven't flashed the bios you just fried that CPU because the V Core on an XP is 0.5 lower than the athlons also might want to make sure that the heatsink is seated right also." - AmbientFiction

I thought I had a good chance, I read that it required a certain BIOS version, but those replies were posted back in December, so I thought I had a good chance at getting an Asus mobo with the newer BIOS since it is February now. Had that experience with a 440BX Giga-Byte mobo, shipped with a beta BIOS.

I have the option to lower the voltage via jumpers, what is the voltage of an XP and anyone think that would actually work?

~Vash~

I would not agree with these "buned processor" assessments...

The Xp's run at 1.75. That is not that much higher or lower than a regular T-bird...My citation:http://users.erols.com/chare/chipsets.htm

Ok guys, lets try to help vash with this...

Is there an issue with his mobo? Lets be specific...

[VashTheStampede]

VIA KT-133A
[VT8363A]
[VT82C686A] K7
Duron SDRAM PC133
ESDRAM
VC SDRAM
Mem=4/3 Bus 6 16Mbit
64Mbit
128Mbit
256Mbit 1.5GB No 1x
2x
4x 100 (x2)
133 (x2) 1/3
1/4
Pseudosynch
PCI 2.2 N/A

At first I thought it was just an video issue, because I had finally ditched the Voodoo2. Alas putting it back in did nothing.

I didn't think the voltage was that much different either. I know when I was attempting to OC the T-bird, I played with the voltage, sending it up, didn't fry it. So why should such a miniscule difference, not even an entire volt as I understand it, fry it on contact?

~Vash~

[flounder43]

Well, the contact between the HSF and the CPU might be an issue, but the voltage is not a legit concern...

Let us know, vash...

[VashTheStampede]

Well, even though the voltage jumpers were set to jumper free, I set them to 1.75. Took off the PAL8045, only to have two of the four standoffs screw off while I was unscrewing it.

I also snapped several shots of the CPU, and things always go to pieces when you really need it, the SmartMedia card reader went all flukey, and the camera USB connector disappeared, I found one, but the connector was too large for the camera. It doesn't look burnt at all.

Rereading the PAL8045 instructions here. I cannot tell whether this A7V133-C has large or small holes near the socket. The instructions do say if you use the shoulder washers on mobos with small holes it will prevent contact between the HSF and CPU. So does anyone know if the A7V133-C has small or large holes?

~Vash~

[VashTheStampede]

Grrr :mad: :mad: used the flat washers instead of shouldered ones. Got everything back together in the system and went to power it on... it doesn't power on anymore. Grrr.

I give up for tonight...

~Vash~

[ThePunkGeek]

Originally posted by flounder43
Also, does the processor look burned at all?

i wouldn't go by looks on the XP. i burned out 1 and it looked fine still.

[ThePunkGeek]

are you sure you smelled the burning of electronics and not the melting of thermal proxy?

[Silver]

The processor voltage is put to rest and I agree. What about the DDr voltage? Also, absolutely sure nothing is grounded on the mobo? I have definately fried some eggs (wonderful smell) on my ram in the past. As quick as it happened (i.e. boot) it sounds like a ground does'nt it?

[VashTheStampede]

Well the power problem was resolved by plugging in the ATX power molex to the motherboard, when your frustrated you kinda forget about the simple stuff.

The A7V133 is still SDRAM, no DDR. I can power it on now, still not video signal, the heatsink still cold, and the backside of the socket is only slightly warm now.

Thermal proxy? or epoxy? The Alpha shipped without any kind of thermal grease, which was like a first because every heatsink I've ordered in the last year came with grease in the box, albeit generic. So I didn't have any grease to put on the die.

~Vash~

[Randy]

Vash, so if I understand correctly, you have no thermal paste or TIM what so ever on the die?:confused:
Randy

[Malakai]

even is seated properly, if u didn't use any kind of thermal grease, or even a pad, than that'll do it. thats a cardinal rule. when i got my XP, i was out of ASII, so i got some thermal paste from radio shack, this stuff is OK, till i get some AS.
One deep fried XP, comin right up!:mad:

[Silver]

Read Malakai above. No thermal grease=really, really bad.

[VashTheStampede]

Even with a big enough HSF as this? All grease did, as I understand it, is improve heat transfer. I ran this orb without grease for the longest time, then got bored one day, took it off and put some on the die, put the HSF back on, made a 2 degree difference. I didn't know it was a requirement now.

~Vash~

[Malakai]

vash, was it an athlon????
ive never heard of an athlon not roasting without any kind of thermal compound. metal on metal without a thermal coumpound doesnt have good surface area to transfer heat across. i cant imagine an athlon running without it. that sucks though man, good luck wit the next one:)

[VashTheStampede]

Yes it was, and still is, the AMD Thunderbird 900. It started out with a CoolerMaster HSF that I pried off my P3 550E Slotkey, forgot OEM meant no heatsink, and then got transfered to what's currently cooling it, the Thermaltake Super Mini Orb. The CoolerMaster had a TIM which the T-bird quickly cooked off, and the Mini Orb got put on without any grease and stayed that way for about 2-3 months.

Tried the XP1800 in another system with a different vid card and PSU. Still no vid signal being sent to the monitor.

~Vash~

[CrystalMethod]

You have another CPU you can put onthe board just to check? heck even just mount a regular HSF with thermal grease just to check to see if you haven't fried your CPU. Hopefully through bad luck, you got a defective MB, and can return it for another. Worse case senario (I hate having to tell people this), you have a defective MB, and your CPU fried because of it.

[VashTheStampede]

Only other socket A CPU I can test on the board is this T-bird 900. There's a few problems there:

1) It's a Thermaltake Crack-A-Core Super Mini Orb sitting on the T-bird at the moment

2) Upon removing the Thermaltake last time to put grease on the die, I noticed the lugs on the socket had grooves worn into them and yellowish dust laid around the socket.

3) If the mobo fries this one, I gotta find out where I hid my P3 550E slotkey and mobo to go with it.

Finally got those pictures off the camera, don't know what a burnt XP looks like, so you guys be the judge. Yeah it used flash, the damn Olympus cannot take a picture without flash. The core is still all nice and shiny.

~Vash~