Noob help PLZ

N

niceandeasy

Member
I have a dell dimension E521. It will run for 5 mins to 8 hours but it will run fine then it will automatic logoff and shut down by its self then cuts on and off over and over. never getting to the dell sign. i have to unplug it for a hour or so to turn back on. i tryed cutting off the "auto cut off" in the my computer properties did not help. i ran avg antivirus and nothing came up and i run ccleaner. I was thinking it was the psu but it logs off. can some one help me?????
 
MyCattMaxx

MyCattMaxx

Active Member
Have you looked to see how much dust is in the CPU heatsink?
It may be overheating and shutting down.
That would be the thing I would look at.
 
spirit

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
Yes it either sounds like a dodgy power supply or its overheating. I'd especially look for dust in the CPU heatsink as Maxx said above. Take the heatsink off, take it outside, spray compressed air into it, then reapply some thermal paste onto the CPU, then reinstall the heatsink.
 
N

niceandeasy

Member
lol i have tryed there is a cover over it like a wind tunnel. i undid whats holding it down but if i pull it the motherboard moves.
 
Last edited:
spirit

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
The CPU heatsink should come off. There should be 4 screws or push pins on each corner of it. Undo the screws or push the pins in and then carefully lift off the heatsink.

You want to make sure you are grounded before you do any of this. Plug the PC into power, make sure the power is on at the wall, then touch a part of the case that is bare metal (not painted). You are grounded that way and you can safely remove the heatsink. Don't move about too much because you'll build up charge again. To ground yourself again, just touch that same piece of bare metal.
 
N

niceandeasy

Member
done it and its just 2 screws and you have to remove a pvc cover and it has a cheap really big heatsink and to CPU poped out with it. but i was not all that dusted at all i looked it over and ran next door and got some thermal paste. up and running i guess i will find out soon
 
spirit

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
Hang on - the CPU came out with the heatsink? That shouldn't happen! Did you dust down the cooler? It may not look dusty but there may well have been a lot of dust trapped inside that heatsink.
 
N

niceandeasy

Member
yes i did dust it not doing all that work of nothin got the trusted air compressor out and blowed it out. had it set on about 40-50 psi.
 
spirit

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
72C that's way too high at 3% load. Are you sure you have reapplied the thermal paste correctly (should be a small blob in the middle of the chip) and is the cooler actually pressing down on the CPU?

I think that's your problem, you're overheating.
 
spirit

spirit

Moderator
Staff member
Still probably a bit too hot. You say you kept getting random reboots? It could be a dying PSU, what make and model is the PSU?
 
N

niceandeasy

Member
yes i did it all but ? for you my fans are on at a low speed and they never speed up but when i cut it on can i change the speed
 
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