Exchanged cpu w/ same model now computer won't start

chronucard

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Mar 21, 2009
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Hi, I just replaced my cpu, which seemed to be overheating, with the same model but the computer won't start up now.

The cpu is an intel duo core E8400, motherboard is a gigabyte EP45-DS3L. I'm not sure how to read the rams model off the ram itself and I don't have it's old packaging, there's two 2 gig DDR2-800 sticks, other info on the ram itself is F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ and PC2-6400. Sorry about not being able to be specific with the ram. The video card is an nvidia geforce 7600 gt.

Everything was working fine until about a month ago when i started getting freeze ups, usually playing a game. It was infrequent until 3 weeks ago when it would shut down within 30 minutes of start up. I checked the cpu temp and it was around 100 degrees celsius. The cpu fan spinning around 3k rpm. I called intel support and they said just to send them the cpu and they sent back a replacement. I just got the new cpu today but the problem now is the computer won't start up, I don't hear any beeps, I don't see the power lights, but the cpu fan turns on.

I've double checked that the cpu and cpu fan is installed right and secure. I also took out the battery on the motherboard for a minute to reset the motherboard to default settings. I tested the monitor with an xbox and it checked out there. I'd appreciate any help anyone could offer.
 
Did you put thermal compound on between the CPU and heatsink? Did you check the security of the heatsink?
Is the motherboard standby light on, on the motherboard?
Did you try with just the integrated graphics, if present?

That's all I can really think of. I'd try replacing the PSU myself. I was just working on an old P4 system and tried booting and I got the same problem. The PSU had been reliable for a long while and the motherboard standby light was on and everything. It even booted with the PSU before. Changed the PSU out and it started working again. Same exact thing happened to a friend of mine recently with an Athlon 2600+/ ATI x800 system he was working on. PSU issue it turned out to be. And he'd been using that PSU as a test PSU for ages reliably. Just a thought.

Let me know how things go and if anything helps or not.
 

chronucard

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Mar 21, 2009
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That was it :p I'm not to used to dealing with the hardware but I'm thinking I should've caught that. I was afraid my motherboard or something got fried when the cpu was gettin so hot. Thanks for the quick help my friends!
 

one-shot

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Jan 13, 2006
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Don't feel bad. In a computer class, this classmate claimed to be a PC tech and I had to walk him through the troubleshooting steps to get the PC to power on. RAM in wrong slots and didn't have the 4 pin 12V CPU connector plugged in. It happens