Situatie
The Central Processing Unit (CPU), also known simply as the processor, is considered the heart of a computer system. Despite what the title of this post says, a CPU very seldom fails and if it does, there’s nothing much that an average user can do about it, in a sense anyway.
Simptome
By design, today’s computers won’t load the operating system if an essential component like a CPU is not working. In other words, the usual boot up process can’t be completed as POST or Power-On Self-Test will indicate that a critical component is missing in the system. Other components such as fans, hard drive, and the motherboard in general will continue to work but the boot up process will eventually end up in a blue screen of death error. Still, there are other observable symptoms before and during a CPU failure that you must be aware of. Knowing them can help you identify the problem faster, shortening downtime.
Lock ups and overheating immediately before PC shuts down. If you noticed that your computer had lock up instances before the final crash, one of the things that you should consider is a bad CPU. It may have overheated causing the system to shut down automatically to prevent further damage. A CPUhas a built-in fan to keep itself cool but if the fan fails for some reason, the CPU can temporarily overheat. This is one of the reasons why you should ensure that all fans in your computer are checked and cleaned once every year. Dust can sometimes choke fans so keeping it away regularly can make or break a system. If your CPU appears to suffer from frequent overheating, consider cleaning its fan first. If that won’t work, check the BIOS to see if there’s a way for you to lower its RPM. Doing so may have significant impact on performance, especially if you’re using your computer for graphics-intensive activities but it can also be the only effective remedy short of replacing the CPU.
Keep in mind that prolonged overheating can permanently damage the CPU. If you are 100% sure that the CPU is overheating (some motherboards have diagnostic tools to let you monitor the CPU’s temperature), find a way to lower the temperature down, or consult an expert how to fix it.
Beeping. As mentioned above, your computer runs a self check (POST) to verify if all the essential peripherals are working or not. If the test will find out that the CPU is not working, the boot up process will then be interrupted and the motherboard will produce a beeping sound. The beeps are actually codes that helps a technician identify the problem so make sure that you take note how many beeps there are. You can then search Google what the beep code means.
Charred motherboard or CPU. Severe overheating can melt or leave charred appearance on both the motherboard or the CPU itself. Try to remove the motherboard from the tower and disconnect the CPU to see if this is the case (steps provided below). If overheating was bad, the CPU may be damaged permanently. In this case, there’s nothing more that you can do about it. Simply replace it and go on with your life. Depending on the damage, the motherboard can also be rendered useless so make sure that you troubleshoot the motherboard too afterwards.
Solutie
A CPU either works… or not. If properly installed, a CPU will work until it dies, unless it something drastic happens like a power surge, lightning strike, severe motherboard damage. That said, if a CPU appears to be not working anymore, the best thing that you can do is to replace it. Period.
Check if the system is overheating. Before you consider the physical removal of the CPU and testing a new one, you must double check if the system is showing signs of overheating. These are some of the concrete steps that you can try:
- Make sure that airflow is clear. Sometimes, extra cables inside the case can block important vents.
- Keep the number of fans under control. Too many fans does not necessarily mean it’s better.
- If you can still access the BIOS, make sure that it runs the latest firmware version. The update process depends on the board you’re using so make sure that you consult the documentation that came with it. Usually, you’ll know the BIOS version by checking the BIOS string that shows up during boot-up. Other motherboards may have a different way to showing their firmware version so again, do a small Google search or use the manual.
- Check the fan or heat sink. This step is only applicable if you know how to remove and re-place the CPU. If you do, make sure that the push pins are in the correct position and that the heat sink is correctly attached to the motherboard. Together with this step is to check if there’s a thermal interface material on the bottom of the heat sink. If there’s none, it may be the reason why the computer overheats. Thermal interface material often comes in the form of a thermal glue.
If nothing happens during boot up, that is, the display remains blue or black and you suspect a processor failure, you must do the following steps:
- Check if the power LED light on the motherboard is on or off.
- If the LED light is off, check for motherboard or power supply issues.
- If the LED light is on, check if the processor fan spins when the system is powered on.
- If the processor fan spins, you must do a swap test using another workable processor. Confirm the other devices are working correctly.
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