Help, My system shuts down after 5 - 10 seconds!

SeanM · May 18, 2005

These are my specifications:

Motherboard: ASUS P4P800 SE
Processor: Celeron D 330 D0 Stepping @ 3.68 GHZ / 184 FSB
Cooling: Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu P4 Cooler
Memory: 2 X Crucial 512 MB PC3200 DDR 2.5 2 2 5
Graphics: Sapphire 9800 Pro 128 MB
Sound: Sound Blaster Audigy 2
Power: Antec True Power 330 Watt PS

Everything has been running stable for months. I noticed the system was taking longer to boot up lately (like 4 times longer!) and the fans sounded different (possibly slower). Yesturday the system shut itself down and now it will not run for more that 5 to 10 seconds.

What happens is the ASUS post screen comes up, sometimes It starts booting windows, but after a few seconds the power supply just turns off. I get no error messages or beeps or anything. Does anyone have any ideas here? I really appreaciate your help.

-Sean

Veland · May 18, 2005

The fans are still running? Kinda sounds like thermal protection shutdown.. Got temps in BIOS? Will it restart even when going into BIOS or only as it tries to boot to OS?

@md0Cer · May 18, 2005

If your fans sound slower, that could mean the difference between all of them working and all working but the CPU fan.

Still, without a CPU fan from a cold start it should last much longer than 5-10 seconds before invoking thermal protection.

I would try to get into the BIOS so you can monitor voltages, temperatures, and fan RPM's. If anything looks abnormal, you probably found the cause.

Once you can get it to boot up though, does it run the OS fine or does it slow down and then crash?

EDIT: You may want to crack open that case and check things out too. Make sure the heatsink is mounted properly and all the fans work. Sometimes incredible amounts of dust can build up in the heatsink as well. In some cases, it can get to the point of it not mattering weather or not you have a CPU fan.

SeanM · May 18, 2005

The power supply shuts down. Everything shuts off including the fans after 5 to 10 seconds. I can get into POST sometimes but the system still shuts down. This is not really a restart as much as a power cut off.

Could this be caused by a failing power supply?

The system always shuts down after 5 - 10 seconds so I cannot get far enough into the BIOS menu to see my fan speeds or temperatures. I can visually verify that all fans are running (including the CPU fan), the fans only run for 5 - 10 seconds and then shut off with the power supply.

Any thoughts?

-Sean

nikhsub1 · May 18, 2005

First thought is heat... how hot is the CPU? Remove and reinstall the HSF. Do you have another PSU you can try? That is step 2. I have had this problem with socket A AMD's and in 4 cases it turned out to be a failing/failed CPU.

pip · May 18, 2005

Take out every fan and every heatsink then clean them all of dust, unplug you power supply and look inside it, clean the dust out fo there too, then reseat everything with new thermal paste. Try to find which fans are sounding bad, then replace ones that are after you've cleaned them. Hopefully this will work, worst comes to worst though, you may have to buy a new processor.

tae_moh · May 18, 2005

try clearing cmos... If you still have it oc'd...
Good luck

hUMANbEATbOX · May 18, 2005

i would bet on the power supply.

when the cpu starts to go, usually you end up with blue screens, not an immediate shutdown.

i would put the rig together outside of the case (after thouroughly cleaning), then you can more readily test each part.

infinitevalence · May 18, 2005

That really sounds like a failing power supply to me. I would do what people are suggesting.

1. remount the heatsink and clean it to remove dust and crud, just to be safe.
2. remove the PSU and test using another one

SeanM · May 18, 2005

Great advice everyone, thanks.

I just purchased a new Antec True 480 Power supply. I will install that tonight and see if it fixes the problem.

I did clear the CMOS, but I cant get any settings done becase the system shuts off after 5 to 10 seconds. I doubt the CPU is that hot, the fan is working and it could not heat up that much after 10 seconds could it? What happens with a thermal shut-down? does the power supply just shut off?

I will give the system a good cleaning tonight as well to rule that out.

- I will let you know what happens...

-Sean

nikhsub1 · May 18, 2005

Yes the system will power down for a thermal shutdown, hence why you should check that first, probably no that, but that is the first thing I would check, then see what happens. If it still shuts down after reinstall of the HSF, PSU is likely next choice.

batboy · May 18, 2005

I didn't have my heatsink locked down correctly on a new build once and it did the same thing. Power up, get to the first post screen and then completely shut down. At a certain temp, you can get total thermal shutdown. Is it possible the heatsink came loose? It's also possible it could be the power supply too since this is not a new build and it appears to be a gradual thing.

SeanM · May 18, 2005

Thanks batboy,

I built this system based on many of your posts so I value you opinion. I will check the heatsink. I can't imagine what would cause it to move. The system has not been moved for months. Still, it's a very heavy Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu so anything is possible.

-Sean

SeanM · May 19, 2005

The verdict is…

One of the retention clips on my MB has broken. This caused the heat sink to be off center and not making good contact with the CPU. I am guessing that I need to replace the whole motherboard because a plastic retention clip has broken!

Any of you care to guess if the CPU is fried? Does repeated thermal shutdowns damage a CPU?

Also, does anyone have some good advice on how to install a Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu P4 Cooler correctly without breaking a retention clip? I must have over tightened this thing and over time it broke the retention clip.

-Sean

Category 5 · May 19, 2005

You can get a new retention clip from the MB manufacturer, or you can look for a heatsink/fan assembly that doesn't make use of the clip.

I don't think you have hurt your CPU. Thermal protection does just that...protect the CPU from damage. If the heat at shutdown were that threatening to the CPU the threshold would be lower.

nikhsub1 · May 19, 2005

SeanM said:
The verdict is…

One of the retention clips on my MB has broken. This caused the heat sink to be off center and not making good contact with the CPU. I am guessing that I need to replace the whole motherboard because a plastic retention clip has broken!

Any of you care to guess if the CPU is fried? Does repeated thermal shutdowns damage a CPU?

Also, does anyone have some good advice on how to install a Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu P4 Cooler correctly without breaking a retention clip? I must have over tightened this thing and over time it broke the retention clip.

-Sean

I was right! I bet your CPU is fine, that is why the thermal protection is there and it works VERY well with Intels... As mentioned, you should be able to get a new bracket for like $5 or so... I actually have one laying around, you in the los angeles area?

hUMANbEATbOX · May 19, 2005

i've got a few lying around somewhere too, so if you just happen to be in the Winnipeg area

rofl..

worse comes to worse, buy a new hs, it will come with a bracket.

infinitevalence · May 19, 2005

Glad to hear it was something simple like that, replacing your bracket is much cheaper than the PSU.

batboy · May 20, 2005

Like several have already said, you should be able to pick up new brackets. Seems like one of the vendors sold a heavy duty version for $5 to $10 or so. Post a wanted ad in the classified section, I bet someone will send you one for not much more than shipping cost. My guess is the CPU is fine. Like Nik said, the thermal protection on Intel processors is excellent.

Cobra Tim · May 20, 2005

Same thing happend to me... I just didnt notice. I was checking my temps in BIOS after 30 miutes of run time and the thing was at 80*C!!!!! Apparently there is no shutdown temp set by default on my MOBO.

I have a new part on order I just hope my CPU is fine.

Help, My system shuts down after 5 - 10 seconds!

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