26 replies to this topic

[Marauder3D]

And as a dad of two young kids, no budget for a new rig. I think the problem is the Dell power supply. It's a 450, and the computer works until I load any game, and then fans start going crazy and the screen goes to black.

System is a dell XPS 7100 1055T I got back in 2011 (IIRC)

Should I get a new power supply on amazon like a corsair 650, or should I not throw good money after bad?

Halp! Must get mech fix!

[Flapdrol]

you sure it's the psu?

[Marauder3D]

No, not really. Dell is known for using weak PSU. I guess it could also be the video card. But is there a way to accurately diagnose it?

[Flapdrol]

Could run prime95 or LinX, that should draw a lot of power without stressing the gpu.

If it's fine with that maybe see if someone has an old gpu you could test with.

[Marauder3D]

I'll try it this weekend and get back to you, thanks for the suggestion!

[MovinTarget]

If it isn't until you load a game... could the "fans going crazy" be the gpu fan(s)?

[Rhavii]

That sounds like it is the video card. There is a smaller chance it could be the PSU. Do you have any friends who have a desktop or PSU they could bring over to test it with? (move your video card to their comp, or their PSU to yours)

[Electroflameageddon]

Do you have access to a shop vac or something similar?

I had heating problems with my rig running high resolution and would get intermittent lock ups, black outs and shutdowns. The fans would be cranking like crazy as it was trying to dissipate heat.

I used my shop vac to blow out the computer and got enough fiber and dirt out of the crevices that amazed me. Mostly from behind the motherboard.

I do this once a month now and it runs quietly and the fans rarely crank up to full.

Otherwise, if you computer is staying on and the screen is going black, I would first suspect your video board is on the fritz. Try running a game at the "low end" computer spec, with the lowest resolution, anti-aliasing settings that you can. If the game loads, great, you know that the GPU is getting tired and can't process the information as well as it used to. (In other words, one or two months away from catastrophic failure).

Typically, when PSU's go bad they shut the computer completely off. This is because the voltages used for the motherboard, discs, fans, etc. are the same voltages used for the GPU. You could try switching the cables that operate the GPU and see if that helps.

[SCHLIMMER BESTIMMER XXX]

from 2011?
how is anything in it still alive? xD

[Tarl Cabot]

Fans going crazy/high rpms - heat related. Clear out all dust buildup on the heatsinks (make sure computer is unplugged from AC). Make sure CPU heatsink is still attached to CPU. Double check that all fans are actually working.

If your heatsink is plugged up and no amount of compressed air will clear it out, review on how to remove the fan/heatsink, get a tube of thermal paste, remove Fan/heatsink then fan from heatsink, clear that heatsink thoroughly and dry it out. Clean the old thermal paste off the cpu. Follow the instructions on applying thermal paste, spreading it very thinly. Lots of info on the web on how to do this properly.

Considering the default heatsink AMD uses and that I have had to deal with, you will very likely have to remove the heatsink/fan assembly to get it cleaned up of any caked on dust buildup. (shudders). If your heatsink looks like the pic below, I doubt very seriously you can clean it while on the motherboard. I make that mistake with my nephew's AMD built, even though he tried to keep it cleaned there were spots that would not blow clear. I ended up getting him an aftermarket heatsink/fan setup that has definitely lowered the temps and much easier to keep clean.



edit - This is the aftermarket fan/heatsink I replaced the default one with - Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan

Edited by Tarl Cabot, 28 April 2017 - 05:53 PM.

[Lizardman from Hollywood]

Like they said above try cleaning out your comp and might as well put in new thermal paste on top of the cpu. My 2011 rig was getting warm and after a full disassembly and cleaning it ran great. Do yourself a favor and pick up a low rise cpu cooler with a 120mm fan. One made by cooler master fit my dell prebuilt perfectly and really helped out with general airflow in the case since dell is a chinchy and only gives you 1 90mm fan for exhaust.

[The Lighthouse]

If fan goes crazy, it is most likely not PSU, but either/both CPU and/or GPU is/are getting overheat.

After 6 years, it is natural to collect dust and getting more inefficient and inefficient.

Before you spend any big money. First thing you should do is clean up your computer inside. Get a compressed air can, clean dust off from the CPU fan and GPU. See if that solves the problem.

[Electroflameageddon]

I suppose you could always use double heatsinks on a 2011 potato as long as they are clan. I think that they are the only ones that will fit Dell computers.

[Flapdrol]

The Lighthouse, on 28 April 2017 - 06:03 PM, said:

If fan goes crazy, it is most likely not PSU, but either/both CPU and/or GPU is/are getting overheat.

Computers do that if the system crashes completely, doesn't have to be heat per se.

[Magnus Santini]

Remember to put the heat sinks in the computer's legs.

[SCHLIMMER BESTIMMER XXX]

Magnus Santini, on 29 April 2017 - 09:04 AM, said:

Remember to put the heat sinks in the computer's legs.

and remember also clan heatsinks

[SCHLIMMER BESTIMMER XXX]

Marauder3D, on 28 April 2017 - 09:59 AM, said:

And as a dad of two young kids, no budget for a new rig. I think the problem is the Dell power supply. It's a 450, and the computer works until I load any game, and then fans start going crazy and the screen goes to black.

System is a dell XPS 7100 1055T I got back in 2011 (IIRC)

Should I get a new power supply on amazon like a corsair 650, or should I not throw good money after bad?

Halp! Must get mech fix!

i feel your pain, took me 6 years until i had no other choice then get a new rig because my old one (old one was amd tripple core with 4gb ram) gave up his life finally.Beforehand i also replaced the cpu fan with an expensive one.In the end my potato didnt made it much longer and i wished i woud have used the money for the new rig i had to buy anyway, instead of flushing it down the toilet in an attempt to keep a potato alive.

[MovinTarget]

If it is the gpu, can you plunk down for a gtx1050 Ti?

It requires no extra power so you don't need a new/higher psu...

Depending on the cpu, you can run the game at high with minimal fps dips...

I just got one for ~130US$ from new egg and it was ezpz to install...

Edited by MovinTarget, 29 April 2017 - 10:12 AM.

[Fat Jack Murphy]

"how is this still alive"... i am running a rig from 2006 with a current GPU, its a workstation with X5000 chipset and dual xeon, ok, but it was cheap and still runs enough fps.
never underestimate old computers. my CBM 64 from 1984 still runs, too.
long after my car, the electric toothbrush, the shaver and the microwave oven failed.
last week we had to take that 1972 toaster behind the house. shots where heard, man did i cry...

^^

[Dinochrome]

Hailz Marauder 3d

I agree with The Lighthouse, clean it, also I assume you are running Win 7. Download a diagnostic called Open Hardware Monitor. It is primarily used to view hardware temps, CPU, GPU, anything dealing with hardware. Should tell you if you have overheating issues. It doesn't cost anything. Do not get on the upgrading hardware and hope it works bus. You paid a lot for that Dell, maybe $1000 when you bought it. A new computer costs about 400-600 dollars and will have much more capability. I am familiar first hand with family and money needs, been there. Keep your current comp going. Set aside 10-20 bucks a month and ask for Xmas (santa) gift for balance of the cost for new comp.

V/R Dinochrome