Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
The system runs fine for a few minutes but then freezes or locks up
This is the classic symptom of a system that is overheating. Most likely the CPU is over-
heating, but other components such as the video card or motherboard chipset can also
be overheating. If the system is new or custom built, the design might be insufficient for
proper cooling, and bigger heatsinks, more fans, or other solutions might be required. If
the system was working fine but now is exhibiting this problem, check to see whether
the problem started after any recent changes were made. If so, then whatever change was
made could be the cause of the problem. If no changes were made, most likely something
such as a cooling fan either has failed or is starting to fail.
Modern systems should have several fans, one inside the power supply, one on the CPU
(or positioned to blow on the CPU), and optionally others for the chassis. Verify that any
and all fans are properly installed and spinning. They should not be making grinding or
growling noises, which usually indicates bearing failure. Many newer systems have ther-
mostaticallycontrolledfans;inthesesystemsitisnormalforthefanspeedstochangewith
the temperature. Make sure that the chassis is several inches from walls and that the fan
ports are unobstructed. Try removing and reseating the processor; then reinstall the CPU
heatsink with new thermal interface material. Check the power supply and verify that it is
rated sufficiently to power the system (most should be 300 watts or more). Use a digital
multimeter to verify the voltage outputs of the power supply, which should be within 5%
of the rated voltage at each pin. Try replacing the power supply with a high-quality re-
placement or known-good spare.
I am experiencing intermittent problems with the hard drive(s)
Typically,intermittentproblemsarefoundwiththecableandthedrive—itisfarmorerare
that the host adapter fails or exhibits problems. SATA drives use simple cables that con-
nectdirectlyfromthehostadapter(usuallyonthemotherboard)tothedrive.Tryreplacing
the cable with a known-good spare. PATA drives use either 40-conductor or 80-conductor
cables, with one 40-pin connector at either end and optionally one in the middle. Drives
supporting transfer rates higher than ATA-33 (33MBps or Ultra DMA Mode 2) must use
80-conductor cables. Check the cable to ensure that it is not cut or damaged; then try un-
plugging and replugging it into the drive and motherboard. Try replacing the cable with a
new 80-conductor version.
Ifreplacingthecabledoesnothelp,tryreplacingthedrivewithaspare,installanOS,and
test it to see whether the problem remains. If the problem remains even with a known-
good drive and cable, then the problem is most likely with the motherboard, which will
probably need to be replaced.
