Super Orb fried my CPU!!

[markprz]

Oh my God, I am so pissed off at Thermaltake! After one and a half hours of actually trying to install the Super Orb, I finally got it in. I hooked everything up, turned on the computer, and the [-peep-] thing burned my CPU!!! The fans were both spinning, and it looked like it was installed properly, yet it burned the CPU! I applied the thermal compound, followed every goddamn step on their website, and it burned my CPU!

Sigh..I don't even know the status of my motherboard yet. It seems okay, since all the devices connected to it seem to power up properly, but I don't even know for sure!

 

[kingbrd1]

And this of course was all the fault of the Super Orb? Funny mine didn't set fire to mine even after 6 mo. of operation. Couldn't be that you broke the CPU or damaged it spending all that time trying to mount it?

Just a thought
King

 

[markprz]

Funny, I don't recall saying all Super Orbs do that, but searching the Internet for about 15 minutes, I found at least 2 people who had the exact same experience as I did. (Installed Super Orb, turned on computer, 15 seconds later CPU burned). It's also funny that the CPU was charred to a crisp, and not just broken in two if I had cracked it. I'm thinking it's the piece of [-peep-] thermal compound that comes with it. There didn't seem to be any other problems with the cooler itself. I certainly did apply enough of the stuff... Anyway, instead of being an [-peep-] about it, you can try to be the least bit helpful, or at least not say anything at all. Good god, some people...

 

[atavus]

It is possible to apply too much thermal compound. Arctic Silver recommends a translucent layer. If you really slathered it on, then it might not have been able to transfer the heat.

<b>P</b>eople for the
<b>E</b>ating of
<b>T</b>asty
<b>A</b>nimals<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by atavus on 08/12/01 10:14 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[markprz]

I know I applied just enough, and not too much. Actually, now I'm beginning to think I may have cracked or chipped the CPU, as the first very helpful, and not at all hostile reply from kingbrd1 stated. Of course, this is hardly my fault, but that of the idiotic design of the heatsink clips, unless me and virtually every single other reviewer on the Internet are just morons. It seems every review of this thing says at one point or another about how easy it is to crack the CPU, chip the core, break motherboard capacitators, or worse.

They need to take these things off of the shelves until they fix them! Or at least post warnings, or at the very least include detailed instructions about how to properly install them. The instructions on the box just invite chipping the CPU, and those on their website aren't much more helpful.

I'm returning the Super Orb to Compusmart tomorrow, and will hopefully get them to stop selling it to other people, or at least post some sort of warning. If I can save at least one person's CPU...<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by markprz on 08/12/01 10:56 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[atavus]

Yeah, installing heatsinks can be a real pain. It seems like you need about four hands at some point. I found that with my Silverado, it worked best to have someone kind of hold the heatsink up while I pushed down on the clips, taking the pressure off of the chip, if that makes any sense. Also, the directions I got with my Silverado state that no more than 1.5 kg of pressure should be put on the chip. That seems really delicate to me.

<b>P</b>eople for the
<b>E</b>ating of
<b>T</b>asty
<b>A</b>nimals

 

[markprz]

Tell me about it. The problem with this one seems to be that the first clip didn't want to fit to my socket. I searched around the net a bit, and found another person had the same problem. They actually had to file away some of it to make it fit. I didn't think of this, and must've damaged my CPU in the process...

 

[killall]

super orbs are terrible coolers... badly attached can lead to a fried cpu... the dragon orb 3 on the other hand... thats a completely different story... wait a second... no its not... any heat sink badly installed can fry a cpu... try putting it in the microwave... baby fireworks... hehe

if in doubt blame microsoft...

 

[markprz]

A big thank you to everyone who helped! I bought a new CPU and I'm up and running again. This has actually caused another problem, but at the moment it's not that important. If you think you can help me, please check out the CPU board.