NationStates Jolt Archive

Apparently in moving around my old computer, a small heat sink came off (a little plugin that was holding it down apparently got pulled out either from jostling or because some compound holidng it down came loose as well).

I'm thinking this went on the onboard video card (assuming the giant heat sink with a fan on it is for the processor). This sounds really bad, the problem is, do I really need it? I have had an AGP card in my computer for years and havn't been using the onboard video card. (as far as I know, it just came on when I turned it over to put in a PCI network card and wasn't knocked off previously).

Pictures:
Computer
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/6649/phpphbbxhpmkr2.th.jpg (http://img508.imageshack.us/my.php?image=phpphbbxhpmkr2.jpg)

Sinc and holder thingy
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/465/phpzqaz00pmic5.th.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=phpzqaz00pmic5.jpg)

Haha, I laugh at you.

Too bad you can't read this since you were short sighted enough to put me on your ignore list.

Haha, I laugh at you.

Too bad you can't read this since you were short sighted enough to put me on your ignore list.

Because you are useless.

Do you have an actual AGP or PCI-E video card in there? Regardless, that heat sink thing came of your mobo, although I can't say if it was on the onboard graphics chip or not.

Do you have an actual AGP or PCI-E video card in there?
That is an AGP vid card next to the huge sync and fan.

Regardless, that heat sink thing came of your mobo, although I can't say if it was on the onboard graphics chip or not.
Me either. I don't think it's the processor unless they decided the onboard video crap needed a huge sync and fan and this was the processor sync, otherwise I don't know what else would need a heat sync beside the onboard vid card or processor.


EDIT: I decided to boot it. The motherboard on it is running 10 degrees C cooler than this one and the CPU is around 45C (about 10 degree C more) - goes to 60C when I am running spyware scanners. And this is with fans running half the speed too -_-. I guess it will be fine, just need to watch it.

Looks like my board's default Northbridge heatsink, although a bit smaller. My old ATi mainboard (the Crossfire chipset for Athlon64/X2s, I forget the name) had similar-sized heatsinks on two largish chips, presumably the North and Southbridges. It could have came off of either of those.

You could clean the thermal compound off the chip and look it up to see what it does, if you cared, but if I were you I'd put it back on whatever it came off of before firing the machine up.
Even the on-board graphics, you don't know that just because you turned it off in the BIOS the crazy mainboard guys don't leave it running.

Try running it and see what happens. Almost ALL modern computers will shut down automatically if anything gets too hot.
And, if all else fails, dont get a new video card, buy a fan and stick it next to your computer. Its worked for me for nearly a year now, I'm way too cheap for liquid cooling so I just stuck a desk fan next to my case to blow across my grahics card. Keeps it nice and cool, and its actually somewhat quieter than my graphics card fan going full blast.

Have you tried pouring hot water over your computer?

Try running it and see what happens.
I ran it with Everest on. Ran a Spybot scan
The motherboard went from 35-45C but didn't go any higher and is staying around 40C. CPU went to 60C under load but stayed around 45C without load. Harddrive stayed cool. I'm going to run a full system Ad-Aware scan then shut it down and see how hot the whatever it is is. If it is the onboard video card, I have a video card isntalled and the computer will no longer be used for graphic intensive things anyway.

And, if all else fails, dont get a new video card
The computer has an AGP vid card, the sync came off a bigger chip on the motherboard.

EDIT: The thing isn't very hot - cooler than my steering wheel out in the middle of the day, but it didn't run very long, even if I ran the scanners.

The_pantless_hero I'd like to help you, but you're not making it easy. What mainboard is it? Do you have any reason at all to think there's an onboard gfx card and the sink didn't come off a bridge/chipset? If you answer the former, I can answer the latter in 10 seconds. I agree it looks like a bridge sink, by the way, but the pic of the mobo leaves me wondering.

Re-attatching the heatsink shouldn't be very difficult. There's a million illustrated guides online. Google is your friend. The materials are cheap too. You'll already have most and thermal paste is dirt cheap.

Is this the machine you had/have gfx problems with? If it is, does disabling or increasing Anti-Aliasing make any sort of difference? Which driver do you use, and what version of it? Did you check the card is seated properly in the AGP slot? Is your AGP port configured correctly in your BIOS?

What temperatures does Everest report, exactly, and for which components?

What drivers are you running?

Which problems are you having exactly, and on what machine? And what are those machines? ... Please don't say "Dell" or something equally opaque. Specifics, yeh?

Be warned that although modern machines try to compensate by slowing down or shutting off if they overheat, they can't reliably do so if heatsinks are missing. I strongly advice against stressing the system.

The tech guy suggested I get some thermal paste and glue it on (because apparently it had been clipped on and one of the ghetto anchors popped out). I hope I mixed and applied the paste right otherwise it's probably kinda fucked because the stuff is permanent so even if it isn't on there right, fixing it is probably undoable.

Pour custard down your floppy drive to sort it out. That and rub really huge magnets over the whole thing, esp. the monitor *nods*

I had an AGP Voodoo Banshee and the heatsink fell of the chip. It happens with the older videocards, but not with the new ones with those monster cooling systems.

Pour custard down your floppy drive to sort it out. That and rub really huge magnets over the whole thing, esp. the monitor *nods*
I don't have a floppy drive and do magnets pwn LCD monitors?

And I am tlaking about a mother board heatsink, not a video card.


But speaking of video cards, the problem with the one in my new system is apparently it is fucked. I got in touch with the tech people from where I bought it and they said call Monday about a replacement order.

I don't have a floppy drive and do magnets pwn LCD monitors?

And I am tlaking about a mother board heatsink, not a video card.


But speaking of video cards, the problem with the one in my new system is apparently it is fucked. I got in touch with the tech people from where I bought it and they said call Monday about a replacement order.

The ATI HD2900XT only just came out really so they are probably ironing out issues with the production lines.

One of the bridges. Cpu is the one with a big fan, Graphics card will also probably have its own heatsink.. not hard to check.

One of the bridges. Cpu is the one with a big fan, Graphics card will also probably have its own heatsink.. not hard to check.

I don't see anything else with a sink, and I've already thermal glued the thing back on.

The ATI HD2900XT only just came out really so they are probably ironing out issues with the production lines.

*owns an ATI-pwning GeForce 8800GTX*

*owns an ATI-pwning GeForce 8800GTX*
Thanks for totally not contributing anything at all to the conversation. And the benchmarks are all over the board on what owns what. Wait until the HD 2900 XT is 8 months old and see who is pwning who.

Thanks for totally not contributing anything at all to the conversation. And the benchmarks are all over the board on what owns what. Wait until the HD 2900 XT is 8 months old and see who is pwning who.

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12833102&postcount=14

Blue coat white coat, eh? :rolleyes:

Also, have you tried running the machine and checking the the temp?

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12833102&postcount=14

Blue coat white coat, eh? :rolleyes:

Also, have you tried running the machine and checking the the temp?
Nope, I got all those numbers on the front page out of a magic top hat.

Nope, I got all those numbers on the front page out of a magic top hat.

Missed the edit.

How much CPU usage are the scanners taking up? That could give you an indication of how much the processing is influencing the heat increase. If the scanners aren't very intensive and you are getting a big jump, you might have a problem.

Missed the edit.

How much CPU usage are the scanners taking up? That could give you an indication of how much the processing is influencing the heat increase. If the scanners aren't very intensive and you are getting a big jump, you might have a problem.

It doesn't really matter now... but assuming it dead, Spybot caused CPU temp recording to jump 20 degrees.

Apparently in moving around my old computer, a small heat sink came off (a little plugin that was holding it down apparently got pulled out either from jostling or because some compound holidng it down came loose as well).

I'm thinking this went on the onboard video card (assuming the giant heat sink with a fan on it is for the processor). This sounds really bad, the problem is, do I really need it? I have had an AGP card in my computer for years and havn't been using the onboard video card. (as far as I know, it just came on when I turned it over to put in a PCI network card and wasn't knocked off previously).

Pictures:
Computer
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/6649/phpphbbxhpmkr2.th.jpg (http://img508.imageshack.us/my.php?image=phpphbbxhpmkr2.jpg)

Sinc and holder thingy
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/465/phpzqaz00pmic5.th.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/my.php?image=phpzqaz00pmic5.jpg)
I'm thinking it went on the chipset. The onboard video stuff is a jammed between the CPU and shield.

It doesn't really matter now... but assuming it dead, Spybot caused CPU temp recording to jump 20 degrees.

Well then thanks for being pissy with me for no reason.

What kind of CPU % did it take up?

Thing is glued back in place, problem with it solved.

Problem with my new video card possibly solved - it's fucked. Have to call PC sellers Monday to get replacement shipped out

*owns an ATI-pwning GeForce 8800GTX*
You win this thread.
And I envy you.
Wait... I'm guessing I don't have enough mans to declare you the winner, so you can ignore the thread-win part.
But I still envy you.

Thing is glued back in place, problem with it solved.

Problem with my new video card possibly solved - it's fucked. Have to call PC sellers Monday to get replacement shipped out

Good. Broken can be fixed. Melted cannot. :p

Good. Broken can be fixed. Melted cannot. :p

It's not so much melted as it is full-screen-phobic.