[CLUE-Talk] hardware vendor recommendations sought

[Jed S. Baer]

On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 12:01:00 -0700
"Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier" <jzb at dissociatedpress.net> wrote:

> The symptoms are that the machine
> > freezes after running for a period of time, and the intervals between
> > reboots are getting shorter.
> 
> This sounds a lot like overheating -- have you checked to make sure that
> the CPU fan is still functional? Make sure the CPU fan is still running,
> also that the PS fan is still fully functional... if this is the case,
> the fix will be relatively inexpensive.

I'll second that. One thing I've noticed, when the need arises to muck
about inside the box, is the way that dust accumulates. In particular, on
fans and the gratings or components immediate to them, such as the CPU
heatsink. As a side benefit, sometimes getting rid of dust makes things a
bit quieter. I will note that I've not had any hardware failures resulting
from accumulated dust, and this is borne out by having a machine running
non-stop for months on end. Nonetheless, it's worth your time to give it a
look. Some articles I've read on system cooling do mention dust as an
issue, as it can affect both airflow rates and thermal transfer.

I used dry pipe cleaners to swab out the heatsink. Being the nut about
static discharge that I am, I make sure that I'm grounded via a static
wristband when cleaning any components other than the fans and their
grilles.

If you do determine it's time for a mobo/CPU, and want to buy locally,
check out Axess Computers in Thornton. I don't have any particular shops
to mention down south.

If you need a new power supply, and aren't picky about getting a
higher-end unit, like those from PC Power and Cooling, or Enermax, I have
a spare ATX supply -- never used. I think it's 250 watts -- I'd have to
dig it up from whatever box it's in (and I'm pretty sure I know where it
is).

jed
-- 
... it is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could someday
facilitate a police state. -- Bruce Schneier