Defiance
Member
+438|6931

So: My friend's parent's PC started having intermittent IO errors, sometimes no POST, and extremely sluggish performance. We've eliminated everything but the CPU and the PSU, even swapping the mobo doesn't seem to solve the problem.

To those hardware oriented folks: Do you think a PSU could cause these problems? My understanding is that if the PSU is shoddy then the machine either won't boot or it'll BSOD regularly.

I don't know how to troubleshoot a CPU besides replacing it, and can a CPU partially 'fry'? Would it cause these problems? Is there any other way to test a CPU besides a swap?

Note: Can't get in to any OS at all.
Morpheus
This shit still going?
+508|6259|The Mitten
it will only BSOD after it enters an OS... it might be the PSU, not supplying enough voltage... what make/model is it?
EE (hats
Flaming_Maniac
prince of insufficient light
+2,490|6966|67.222.138.85
A faulty PSU can cause any type of error under the sun. Apart from a multimeter and some patience for testing the PSU to some degree, I don't know how to troubleshoot either one short of swapping them.
Freezer7Pro
I don't come here a lot anymore.
+1,447|6457|Winland

Run LinX. That will load down the CPU lots. If it gets errors, the CPU is a goner, if the machine shuts down or reboots, it's probably the PSU. Also run memtest86 if you haven't already.

If you can't get into any OS on the machine, just take that other mobo, some random parts and assemble a system with as few parts as possible from that machine, and then use that system to test various parts. If the CPU works, leave it in and test the RAM, graphics card, etc.
The idea of any hi-fi system is to reproduce the source material as faithfully as possible, and to deliberately add distortion to everything you hear (due to amplifier deficiencies) because it sounds 'nice' is simply not high fidelity. If that is what you want to hear then there is no problem with that, but by adding so much additional material (by way of harmonics and intermodulation) you have a tailored sound system, not a hi-fi. - Rod Elliot, ESP

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