I just get six seconds of on time

[jponebox]

Hi all,

Thank for reading and will appreciate any help.
I have been reading and searching for the answer for hours.

About a year ago I built my computer..no bells or whistles. Just a simple gigabyte MB with an AMD Athlon cpu.

About six months ago I needed to restart, but it shut off instead. And it wouldn't start back up till ten minutes had passed. If I ever needed to restart after my computer has been on for hours or just a couple minutes, it does not start back for about ten minutes.

Now it doesn't turn on for more than six seconds. it doesn't even get to a screen. I see the fans kick on and I hear the HD spin and engage but another 2-3 seconds and then it just shuts off.

I switched the power supply, same result
I switched the HD, same result
I thought it might be the power on switch but it doesn't make sense
I took it apart and put it back three times now - LOTS of dust in the cpu heatsink.
I have never overclocked either

I'm thinking it just cooked but what? The MB or the CPU or ???? I don't know what to look for and I get 6-7 seconds of on time, not even to sys check or boot really.

Any ideas?

-Jim

[Chaky]

Obvious reason it didn't turn on (before) was the lack of CPU cooling.
It needed time to cool down before it could be started.
CPU obviously suffered some damage. If anything is fryed there, it's CPU.

Only thing left for you to do is remove the fan and heat-sink, clean both, remove any old thermal paste (bottom of the heat-sink and CPU's surface, apply thin layer of thermal paste and install the heat-sink (must be TIGHT) and fan.

If that doesn't do it, CPU's dead.

If it does, you should think about some serious cooling solutions. (bigger, better quieter)