Re-applied thermal paste - computer won't start

[trigggl]

The motherboard/cpu combo Ste\/e sold me, I decided it was time to renew the thermal seal to the cooler. Temps were starting to get unevenly hot on one of the 4 cores and I decided it was time. I found the second-best paste money can buy, pulled it all apart, cleaned and reapplied. Asside from adding a 2nd GPU, I really didn't change anything when I put it all back together, but now the beast won't start. Wondering if it could have been the extra GPU, I pulled it - no change. I pulled the other GPU - still no startup. Now I'm removing the CMOS battery and eating dinner. I seriously doubt I shorted or toasted anything. I certainly don't smell anything toasted and it wasn't running between the time I shutdown and when trying to start after the reassembly. I used an ESD strap through the whole procedure.

When turning the PSU on and then pressing the power button, the fans will light for a half second and then it will all go dead, never to start again until I cycle power on the PSU. Then I can turn it on and it will give the same result.

I pulled the ram and reset it...just in case.

Any ideas out there? The paste is non-conductive. It's Prolimatech PK-1. I don't think I put on too much.

[zombie67]

The motherboard/cpu combo Ste\/e sold me, I decided it was time to renew the thermal seal to the cooler. Temps were starting to get unevenly hot on one of the 4 cores and I decided it was time. I found the second-best paste money can buy, pulled it all apart, cleaned and reapplied. Asside from adding a 2nd GPU, I really didn't change anything when I put it all back together, but now the beast won't start. Wondering if it could have been the extra GPU, I pulled it - no change. I pulled the other GPU - still no startup. Now I'm removing the CMOS battery and eating dinner. I seriously doubt I shorted or toasted anything. I certainly don't smell anything toasted and it wasn't running between the time I shutdown and when trying to start after the reassembly. I used an ESD strap through the whole procedure.

When turning the PSU on and then pressing the power button, the fans will light for a half second and then it will all go dead, never to start again until I cycle power on the PSU. Then I can turn it on and it will give the same result.

I pulled the ram and reset it...just in case.

Any ideas out there? The paste is non-conductive. It's Prolimatech PK-1. I don't think I put on too much.

Did you detach the power cord from the PSU to the mobo, to power the CPU? Sometimes I forget to reattach that, and I get the same symptom (fans blip then nothing).

[trigggl]

Did you detach the power cord from the PSU to the mobo, to power the CPU? Sometimes I forget to reattach that, and I get the same symptom (fans blip then nothing).

After getting something to eat, a strong beer and some prayers from my wife, I found the problem. I didn't hook everything back the way it was. I attached the front USB connector to the 1394 spot.

Time for me to go locate an ID 10 T.

Note to self: Read the manual, not the motherboard.

[Cruncher Pete]

You can take comfort triggle that you are not on your own. I did exactly the same thing as you did. After a few curses and a couple of beers, I pulled out the M/B and run everything on the bench from bare minimum and it worked. Reattaching the unneeded parts for this run, I noticed my mistake. That darned 1394 is too close to the USB and takes a similar pin combination.

[Fire$torm]

After getting something to eat, a strong beer and some prayers from my wife, I found the problem. I didn't hook everything back the way it was. I attached the front USB connector to the 1394 spot.

Time for me to go locate an ID 10 T.

Note to self: Read the manual, not the motherboard.

Been there, done that.

But to help bring some comfort, I give you this from wikipedia (Link)

Experts in interaction design such as Alan Cooper believe this concept puts blame in the wrong place, the user, instead of blaming the error-inducing design and its failure to take into account human limitations. Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini describes an anecdote of Dilbert's creator Scott Adams losing a significant amount of work of comment moderation at his blog due to a poorly constructed application that conveyed a wrong mental model, even though the user took explicit care to preserve the data.

Jef Raskin advocated designing devices in ways that prevent erroneous actions. Don Norman suggests changing the common technical attitude towards user error:

"Don't think of the user as making errors; think of the actions as approximations of what is desired"

[STE\/E]

After getting something to eat, a strong beer and some prayers from my wife, I found the problem. I didn't hook everything back the way it was. I attached the front USB connector to the 1394 spot.

Time for me to go locate an ID 10 T.

Note to self: Read the manual, not the motherboard.

Glad you got it going again Trigggl, if I'm not mistaken the USB Hookup's on the DQ6 are pretty well marked but I know mistakes can happen ...

[trigggl]

I don't know why, but Core 0 is still running hot. In fact, Core 1 is kind of high too. Cores 2 and 3 are about where they should be. I wonder if the cooler has a warped surface or something, maybe a loose pipe?

[Cruncher Pete]

Are you using a GPU or two that is using a core each? That would account for that for Donate for example is notorious for high temps.

[trigggl]

Are you using a GPU or two that is using a core each? That would account for that for Donate for example is notorious for high temps.

Well, I'm running DistrRT, which with the 2nd GPU takes up one core. However, the Linux system is pretty good at spreading work around and the GPU temps are lower.

[Fire$torm]

I don't know why, but Core 0 is still running hot. In fact, Core 1 is kind of high too. Cores 2 and 3 are about where they should be. I wonder if the cooler has a warped surface or something, maybe a loose pipe?

Yep, it could be the cooler's cold plate is not perfectly flat. The same could be true of the CPU, in fact most are not. And in the case of Intel Core series of sockets, LGA 1366/1156/1155, the clamshell cover could be interfering with the cold plate. I do not know if this happens with socket 2011.

See the two "tabs" pointing to the center of the socket, if either/both is bent upwards above the top of the CPU, then the cooler cold plate would not be able to make full contact with the CPU.

Socket LGA 1155