PC Problems , (fixed Thanks)

[daywane]

its a old gateway
1.8 P4 intell
512 meg mem
Windows XP Home

this PC has been kicking along fine for years.
This is my main PC on a TV. I used it for .AVI files and console EMU,s
It now boots up for about 5 ( maybe 15 ) min and the screen goes black and the power button goes from green to orange.
nothing will respond.
I must unplug PC and restart all over.
but again it will only run maybe 5 min and shuts down.
no beeps no error code, nothing
I am thinking power supply?

I did try to reinstall windows. but after format it started to install and shut down.

[Ginsu Victim]

Are the fans on your PSU, video card, and CPU working?

[Kevin Mullins]

Ditto -

Sounds like it's getting hot somewhere and shutting itself down.
Now would also be a good time to clean and redo the heatsink compound between the CPU and heatsink, and of course make sure the cpu fan is running.

[Ginsu Victim]

If the inside looks like this, it's time to clean it:

[SavannahLion]

Clean then check your caps. Don't know about Gateway's quality control, but that PC comes from right around when  crap Chinese cap knock offs started flooding the market. I can't find the original site that "broke the news" complete with photos, but I did find a text copy of the site at: http://www.dashdist.com/1u2u/company/capacitor.html

[daywane]

It was dusty.
That was the first thing I did.
1st used a new 3 inch paint brush and dusted it.
Did not help.
I tried the Rainbow Vacuum on it,
all is clean and still acts up.

I am about to stick the mother board in a dish washer. (after I take out the battery.)

I allways desolder most caps on old junk  Motherboards.
I have fixed many boards with old caps I saved.
I do not see any that has popped up.
all fans seem to work fine
no out of the ordinary sound from them.
I watched the CPU fan closely and it never seems to slow down.

I smell nothing when it shuts down.
 
I have 1 spare p4 power supply here. I will try that.
if that don,t work I will try a new CPU fan
and wash the board
thinks for the help.
I thought it is a heat issue
glad to hear you guys pop in and confirm it.

[SirPeale]

With arcade boards I'd recommend washing it, but not a computer motherboard.  Blowing it off should be sufficient.  If you do wash it make sure you rinse it well with DISTILLED water.

Even if the caps on the board "look" good they may not be.

Same goes for the power supply.  If you have another one, preferably newer, swap it out and see if that makes a difference.

You also may want to try remounting the CPU heatsink and cleaning up the old heatsink grease.  I've noted that some of it tends to dry out and not transfer heat very well anymore.

[SirPeale]

Jim: if it's got all that HP software on it from the factory, I'm sure it's bogging it down with needless stuff. 

[ChadTower]

You need the server version of XP to run dual procs.  The standard desktop version of XP doesn't do that out of the box.  You may be able to add some extensions to add it to regular XP, never looked into it.

For the original PC, swap that power supply to a different mobo and test... if it runs the other mobo well then your motherboard is hosed and probably not worth more than an hour's effort to fix.  Motherboards of that vintage are cheap and everywhere.

EDIT:  looking at jim's specs I don't see anything about dual procs on that board.

[SirPeale]

EDIT:  looking at jim's specs I don't see anything about dual procs on that board.

It says it has 2x processors.  Unless it means dual core.

edit: yes, dual core.

[Hoopz]

XP pro handles two processors (dual core).  I'd suggest that route.

[ChadTower]

EDIT:  looking at jim's specs I don't see anything about dual procs on that board.

It says it has 2x processors.  Unless it means dual core.

edit: yes, dual core.

Yep, and since it's dual core and not two separate procs, any version of XP should handle it just fine.  Really even Home XP has the ability to handle dual procs but since that's considered a server for licensing reasons Home won't do it.  Pro or Server will since they have the pricier and piecemeal licensing scheme.

[ChadTower]

What I'm saying is that you only have one CPU - it just happens to have two cores.  That is not the same as a multi-CPU system.  Even if you have a Windows that is optimized for a dual core proc - and your Home might be - a lot of apps aren't going to benefit.  Any app written to execute in a single thread is going to see no difference between a dual or single core CPU.  Larger professional style apps are usually written multithreaded but the typical home use apps, and especially anything freeware that isn't full open source written by pros, are going to be singlethreaded and only use one core. 

[saint]

You need the server version of XP to run dual procs.  The standard desktop version of XP doesn't do that out of the box. 

The what? You mean XP Pro, or Server 2003, or 64 bit, or ...

[shardian]

My laptop is dual core, and my new work PC is dual core. I am quite underwhelmed by the alleged performance increases. The work PC is no faster than the P4 it replaced when loading programs or performing certain CAD processes that I use routinely.

[ChadTower]

You need the server version of XP to run dual procs.  The standard desktop version of XP doesn't do that out of the box. 

The what? You mean XP Pro, or Server 2003, or 64 bit, or ...

"server version" around my workplace is sort of a blanket term.  I forget that sometimes.     He's most likely looking for Pro but given that it's only dual core I don't think it matters much.

The OS can't really shove the apps into different cores, it doesn't work that way, because it doesn't see the cores individually.  It can shove the apps onto different CPUs because they are separate but AFAIK the cores in a dual core CPU are presented as a single unit at the OS level unless the software is written specifically to take advantage of the dual core.  I haven't played in that area so I don't know the specifics lower than the usage details.

[ChadTower]

I don't think that can be right, Chad.  What would be the point?  I can't see the firmware on the motherboard being robust enough to load balance applications on its own.

CPU -> instruction set -> DLLs -> end user software

The difference here is at the instruction set level, I think, and that's why I laid the impetus at the compiler.  You take your app code and compile it with or without SMT support.  With would likely support both dual and single cores but be larger binaries.  Without is smaller and optimized better for single core.  With would also cost more to develop as some of the lower level algorithms would best be designed with the SMT support in mind to really grab the optimization by the throat - developers who can do that just cost more and it takes longer.

[2600]

Too long to type why, but Chad your wrong.

[ChadTower]

I could easily be wrong, as I said, it's an educated guess at that level.

Nice to see you put that much effort into the debate, bro.   

[2600]

Honestly, I didn't know where to begin. 

I'll put some more effort into it next time. 

[Ginsu Victim]

Too long to type why, but Chad your wrong.

WALL OF TEXT!

Shorten your responses in the future!

[daywane]

question about dual core.
I have 3  (2.6 ghrtz CPU's)
1 is in use right now ( the one I am talking to you with)
all are socket 478
I have looked all over for socket 478 Mo Bo
EBay is all I can find.
I have bought 3 of them  at differant auctions.
only one worked.

I have been thinking of a new system.
I have been looking at Tiger Direct.
Mo Bo bundles.
I see the CPU's are not that large. But all say dual core.
is a 2.8 dual core larger than my 2.6?
I know 2.8 is larger than 2.6 but not enough for me to upgrade
but the word dual core.
this is new to me

[Ummon]

I don't recommend it. PC is just the need to run away from the grit of the world. ....Oh....you mean, like, a personal computer PC. Heh heh heh heh heh heh.

Anyways, I recently tried to fix a computer for someone. Thing just won't turn on. Used a different power supply, board LED comes on with either PS, but nothing. I thought maybe the switch was bad, but the interface for it is special - damn Emachines, figures - so I guess I'm not getting it to work. Had another mobo that was the same deal. Neither smelled like they'd burned anything. ??

[Fordman]

If you dont mind spending a few bucks for a decent MAME or Jukebox setup may I suggest:

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0293825
This is a great mobo/processor combo with Great Video & Sound onboard

You will need http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0289511 this memory.

Also this http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0304816 heatsink.

For a hard drive I would use a SATA http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0289051.

And power supply ( some will dispute this selection ) http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0248568.

Basic yet very functional for what you want it for!

or find you a Dell Optiplex GX-280 or better computer off of craigslist or ebay. You can get one for about $65.00 on craigslist and $100.00 on ebay after shipping!

Ditch the socket 478's, getting harder to find replacement boards - heatsinks - 4x AGP video cards and PC3200 - PC2700 memory that fit them.

Fordman

[Hoopz]

Okay guys, I hope this is the last question on this...

XP Professional or XP Professional x64?

Look for 64 drivers for your hardware.  If you can find them, go that route.  If not, stick with vanilla XP pro. 

[ChadTower]

Okay guys, I hope this is the last question on this...

XP Professional or XP Professional x64?

Look for 64 drivers for your hardware.  If you can find them, go that route.  If not, stick with vanilla XP pro. 

Yeah, if you think XP tested drivers are in short supply, try finding 64 bit XP tested drivers... not a lot of them out there.

[daywane]

my problem seems fixed.
I replace power supply today and added new grease to CPU and CPU fan.

I think it was the CPU grease. I saw no evidence of any used .
bought grease at Radio shack, tube is as big as my pinkie finger. ( I have large hands) seems like a life time supply.

after windows is fully installed , I think I will put the old power supply back in and see what happens.
Not that the power supply is all that important , I just want to see what the problem was .

I do have to redo my console PC , I do not see this as a real problem , I have every thing backed up on a Maxtor one touch USB hard drive. The only beef is the setting of the TV out card. That was a pain to set up the first time.

[testicle187]

its a old gateway
1.8 P4 intell
512 meg mem
Windows XP Home

this PC has been kicking along fine for years.
This is my main PC on a TV. I used it for .AVI files and console EMU,s
It now boots up for about 5 ( maybe 15 ) min and the screen goes black and the power button goes from green to orange.
nothing will respond.
I must unplug PC and restart all over.
but again it will only run maybe 5 min and shuts down.
no beeps no error code, nothing
I am thinking power supply?

I did try to reinstall windows. but after format it started to install and shut down.

I know you solved the problem now, but we use Gateways about that spec all over the place I work.  The power button turns from green to orange when the computer goes into standby.  Normally you can tap the space bar a few times to get it out of that.  Sometimes Windows will hang up on standby and you have to reboot.  You might have just been able to disable Standy and Hibernation in the Power Settings of XP.  It never hurts to take your CMOS battery out and put it back in as wall.  Thought I would throw this out for you.