Weird alarm?

[superklye]

I just got back to my apt. turned ont he ol' computer and had to install some Windows update.

I noticed that my CPU was getting insanely hot (61 and it was idling) and so I restarted. I got back into Windows and it was halfway through loading my desktop and the startup apps when it restarted. Then it got about halfway through the pre-Windows boot and restarted again, then again before it could even post.

Finally, it just turned off and this weird alarm started sounding. I turned off the PSU power, waited 30 seconds, turned it back on and hit the power button only to hear that alarm again.

I took the machine apart and checked everything, pushing in all the power leads and all the PCI cards as well as the GT, put the case back together and powered on and now here I am...

Is this that "low power" alarm that sounds when the GT doesn't get any/enough power?

[CaptNKILL]

Is it like a DEE DOO DEE DOO DEE DOO sound?

If so, thats the NF7-S overheating alarm. Believe me, I've heard it ;)

Reseat your CPU heatsink and make sure theres enough thermal paste on it. Its sort of a glitch with the board. If the heatsink isnt contacting the CPU just right, it will set off the tempurature alarm even if the temps are well within the safe limits of the CPU (60-65 is pretty hot but not nearly enough to cause any damage).

I had this problem with my other system with the same board... it was because my heatsink (Thermalright SK-7) used a normal clip but was extremely heavy. That and the clips holding it on bumped my PSU a little bit, so it probably pushed the heatsink just enough to cause this alarm to go off.

So check the heatsink and fan, make sure they are clean, reseat the heatsink, re-apply the paste if it looks like there isnt enough.

[superklye]

hmm...well, I thought that might be the case, but the machine has been working like a dream since I got the new case and reseated everything about a month ago (almost a month and a half by now).

It has been running in the high 30s to mid 40s and then I was gone for 9 days and it wasn't touched/used at all.

Then I put this new Windows update on and things got all screwy. I touched the heatsink when I opened the machine up and it SEEMED really hot, but I dunno...now it's running at 43 (I've got Winamp playing...otherwise it would be at about 37) and I haven't had a problem since.

It was really, really odd...maybe it was just becuase the CPU had gotten so hot due to that update and it was STILL hot that the mobo wouldn't let it power up until it cooled down?

[CaptNKILL]

Its hard to say what could have done it... I guess you'll just wait and see if it comes back. Play some games, run some benchmarks, stress it some (but dont overdo it... prime95 would probably be a bit much). If it seems ok, whatever it was probably just worked itself out.