need some help, system keeps rebooting

[urpointis]

Hey, so i was using my computer when it shut off on me, when i tried to turn it back on it got stuck in a booting cycle. so i have rearranged the hardware, and i think i have narrowed it down, i am just not sure if its, the mobo or the cpu. if i unplug the cpu power supply. it stops the rebooting cycle, i am thinking its something wrong with the cpu, but i am hoping it isnt. i took out the ram and the system gave me 3 beeps, so i think the mobo is fine. i looked at the cpu, and it seems the thermal paste has dried out,its not gooey anymore. that may have been the problem. but if the cpu wasnt bad i think the computer would make it past the booting stage if i left it alone b4 overheating and turning off. that is why i am thinking its a bad cpu, but it doesn't look fried or anything. id be glad to hear your thoughts, thanks.

 

[kennai]

1 is this computer a new build or a recent upgrade?
2 what parts are you using in the computer?
3 are the fans actually spinning or are you pressing the on button and it just goes straight to dead
4 if your motherboard has and lights on it, what are they doing?
5 You are correct, if your CPU is not working it will not boot past the first check which is the cpu. This can happen because your cpu is damaged, not in the socket correctly, is not having enough power supplied to it, and so forth and so on.

 

[urpointis]

Im just going to pick a solution, and make a new post, i foudn something out, which has nothign to do with anything here.

 

[urpointis]

in answer to this, i opened it up, removed my sound card, sprayed some condensed air into it and it worked fine. i think the sound card was causing it to overheat.