Hi All,
Before I send my eMachine T6540 on the journey from which there is no return, I wondered if a sensible remediation was possible. By sensible, I mean primarily cost effective. Although I have a sentimental attachment to it –it was my primary desktop for many years-- it is, after all, quite old and been replaced by a solid desktop, a laptop, a notebook and a rarely used Asus 701sd. As the T6540 can run 64-bit systems, has 2 Gbs of RAM and a 160 Gb hard drive, I had intended to donate it to a charitable organization. But a computer which can’t function isn’t much of a gift.
I ran applications in Hirens which revealed that both the RAM and hard-drive are OK. These are the symptoms: The machine always ran ‘hot’. So, early on I added a pci-fan. Thereafter, I think it was that fan which would very frequently, and noisily, run very fast for a couple of seconds, then quietly for a while, then fast again. I stopped using the T6540 at all when, from time to time, the display would turn into a repeating pattern of gibberish and the computer would freeze requiring that the plug be pulled. The computer could then be booted immediately, run for a while, then repeat the fault. Having wiped the hard-drive, I intended to install some Puppy via a USB-Key, but during that procedure it again displayed gibberish and froze.
The computer has built in graphics. So my best guess is that the problem lies with the CPU. But that’s just an uneducated guess.
Any thoughts?
mikesLr
Has this computer reached the end of the line?
Open it up and look at the motherboard and it's condition.
Look closely at the condition of the capacitors.
If any are leaking or bulging.
It is dead or almost dead.
Example:
Look closely at the condition of the capacitors.
If any are leaking or bulging.
It is dead or almost dead.
Example:
- Attachments
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- Failed-Capacitors.jpg
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The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
I would grab a tube of Arctic Silver 5 or 7 and the associated cleaner. Over time the silicone heat-transfer between CPU and heat-sink has deteriorated. This point is vital in longevity of a desktop. Hopefully the heat problems have done no harm.
Clean both mating surfaces first, then apply "a grain of rice" of the Arctic Silver to heat-sink center. Put it back together.
Should cost less than US$20.
Regards
8Geee
Clean both mating surfaces first, then apply "a grain of rice" of the Arctic Silver to heat-sink center. Put it back together.
Should cost less than US$20.
Regards
8Geee
Linux user #498913 "Some people need to reimagine their thinking."
"Zuckerberg: a large city inhabited by mentally challenged people."
"Zuckerberg: a large city inhabited by mentally challenged people."
If no obvious damage.
Pull everything you can loose from the motherboard.
Check connections for corrosion, damage, etc...
If corroded clean it off.
Check for anything in the connection locations like dirt, dust bunnies, etc... and clean it out.
Connect everything back up making sure you get a good connection. Components can work loose, over time, so this should fix that issue.
See what happens.
That added fan was a good idea, but make sure all fans are working. Those do go bad and anything can happen if stuff is getting too hot.
The fan in the power supply will go bad over time.
Speaking of power supply.
Those go bad. If they are not putting out constant, steady, clean power, nothing is going to work correctly.
Pull everything you can loose from the motherboard.
Check connections for corrosion, damage, etc...
If corroded clean it off.
Check for anything in the connection locations like dirt, dust bunnies, etc... and clean it out.
Connect everything back up making sure you get a good connection. Components can work loose, over time, so this should fix that issue.
See what happens.
That added fan was a good idea, but make sure all fans are working. Those do go bad and anything can happen if stuff is getting too hot.
The fan in the power supply will go bad over time.
Speaking of power supply.
Those go bad. If they are not putting out constant, steady, clean power, nothing is going to work correctly.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
Hi mikesLr, jafadmin and all.
Yes, "fans, fans, fans!"
Have they been cleaned recently? Is anything in the path of the blades? (That could
explain the variance in temperature.) As you no doubt know, fans play an essential
role in keeping the computer cool.
Depending on how your heat sink is made, pipe cleaners made of cotton (not the
metal ones) may be the tool you need to delicately slide out the dust accumulated
in the heat sink grooves.
Now, I'd like to draw your attention to the fan we never think of. The fan in the
power unit has collected dust all those years. It is difficult to clean because you
have to dismount and disassemble the unit from the computer to clean this fan.
And of course reassemble and remount afterwards. (Very important: if you do,
please make double sure the computer is unplugged from the electrical outlet in
the wall.)
If you have a little money to spare, it may be less trouble changing the entire power
unit. They are not very expensive. New ones have higher current output, which
means you can connect more peripherals to your computer, or perhaps higher
performance ones.
Finally, new power units have meshed, not solid, walls, so they circulate the air
inside the entire computer much better than the old ones, like a mini wind turbine.
This seconds the work of the regular CPU and GPU fans.
The solutions above have helped me get two more years out of an old PC that had
symptoms similar to yours.
IHTH.
Yes, "fans, fans, fans!"
Have they been cleaned recently? Is anything in the path of the blades? (That could
explain the variance in temperature.) As you no doubt know, fans play an essential
role in keeping the computer cool.
Depending on how your heat sink is made, pipe cleaners made of cotton (not the
metal ones) may be the tool you need to delicately slide out the dust accumulated
in the heat sink grooves.
Now, I'd like to draw your attention to the fan we never think of. The fan in the
power unit has collected dust all those years. It is difficult to clean because you
have to dismount and disassemble the unit from the computer to clean this fan.
And of course reassemble and remount afterwards. (Very important: if you do,
please make double sure the computer is unplugged from the electrical outlet in
the wall.)
If you have a little money to spare, it may be less trouble changing the entire power
unit. They are not very expensive. New ones have higher current output, which
means you can connect more peripherals to your computer, or perhaps higher
performance ones.
Finally, new power units have meshed, not solid, walls, so they circulate the air
inside the entire computer much better than the old ones, like a mini wind turbine.
This seconds the work of the regular CPU and GPU fans.
The solutions above have helped me get two more years out of an old PC that had
symptoms similar to yours.
IHTH.
musher0
~~~~~~~~~~
"You want it darker? We kill the flame." (L. Cohen)
~~~~~~~~~~
"You want it darker? We kill the flame." (L. Cohen)
-
Sailor Enceladus
- Posts: 1543
- Joined: Mon 22 Feb 2016, 19:43
Cleaning out the dust definitely sounds like a good idea. If you can't find what's causing it to heat up, as a last resort, you can run CPU Frequency Tool in the Menu (I think under System) and make sure "ondemand" is selected, and perhaps set the max frequency to something lower (I think it has Cool N' Quiet so this or something similar should be possible). On my Pentium M laptop, running at 800MHz has a 10W TDP but running at 1866MHz is around 27W, try different max frequencies to see how much feels right.
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... &id=109550
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... &id=109550
With lube, old and noisy fans can revive:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPyHBH3WwBM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPyHBH3WwBM
Remember: [b][i]"pecunia pecuniam parere non potest"[/i][/b]