URGENT! My baby (computer) died :(

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll let you know what Best Buy says about it. I can't rep everyone on this thread can I?

Some stock heatsinks do come with a very small layer of thermal paste on them though, my stock AMD fan did (usually covered by a bit of plastic film that has to be peeled off and/or a plastic square cover over the bottom of the heatsink). but if theres no trace at all it doesn't look to promising.

IF the cpu is dead, you need to buy one that is compatable with your motherboard, or if you want a better CPU you need to buy a motherboard capable of running that CPU (and then your memory may not be compatable with the new mobo).

you should also check you havn't melted your motherboard around the CPU area and see if there's any sign of heat damage. otherwise the mobo could be fried too due to over-clocking it so much.

You should also know that applying too much paste is just as bad as not applying it at all or applying too little. You should google around for thermal paste application methods, but there are generaly 2 "schools" of thermal paste application - one advocates a thin line accross the center of the CPU heat-spreader (the CPU, basically is much smaller than what you see. The metal cover on top of the CPU core is what you see and is called the heat-spreader). If applying a thin line of thermal paste, the heatsink is supposed to press it down and spread it out over the CPU. Also the heat from the CPU should help the paste spread more evenly under the heatsink.

The other method is applying a small drop of paste to the center of the CPU and then spreading it with a flat object (like a credit card or such) into a thin layer over the entire CPU heatspreader. Both methods work fine even though the actual source of heat in a CPU is under the very center of the heat-spreader.

It's up to you to chose which method you like better, but it should also be noted that the full "capacity" of the thermal paste for transferring heat is never achieved instantly. On Zalman's heat paste (the one distributed in small bottles) it even states that you should allow the paste to "settle" for a full week under normal usage conditions before it will realise its full potential.

As for types of paste, this is also debatable, but the general rule is go for the well-known manufacturers. All in all, the subject should (like most other things concerning computer assembly, components, etc. - IMHO) be throroughly researched before taking action. (also IMHO). (just on a side-note, I've been building computers for about 10 years now. Never a single burned CPU though, although I did manage to kill a motherboard with a screwdriver when taking off one of those horrible old AMD coolers)

And one last thing: if at all possible, NEVER leave the heatsink manufacturer's pre-applied paste on a cooler unlesss you really, really, really don't want to bother with applying paste yourself or you don't have any. Those are usually really bad (I can't forget the intel's box coolers with that almost rubbery 3mm thick dark gray muck they put on them that doesn't really work well either)

Got back from Best Buy. The guy is very positive it's a dead motherboard but then I'm wondering would the CPU and all still come on if the motherboard was dead?

I'm calling ASUS now to see what they can do for me.

Generator said:

Edit: He said he's tried hard booting 3-4 times Beginning, wouldn't that 'wake' it?

Well it did sound that way... But I was thinkin the same about it may be stuck in hibernete mode... Bryce - Sorry to hear you got problems on an almost new comp...

Just RMA'd it. And my new 22" monitor is ****ing awesome! To bad it's on my crappy laptop and I can't dual screen with my other monitor. I would pull out my 2nd best pc but its in the server rack and to hard to get to

I've gotta tear down my rig to RMA the board and all it's accessories. How should I go about removing the CPU and how should I store it? I don't really have the original packaging for it so kinda stumped on what to do and not screw it up.

Anyone know if mobo's come with an IDE cable or no? I think mine did but not sure lols.