possible system failure

[dynamix1]

I was wondering if anyone can elaborate on this. I am have a problem in which during heavy operation of my system, it reboots itself. The last time the fan on the MB and procesor didnot start. after turning the system on and off 3 times the fans started simultaneously. Is this a possible mb failure waiting to happen. Thanx All.

[hellbringer]

it could be loose power cables to the fans, mb could be bad, but another pos. is that it could be a bad power supply. or bad cables from power supply ect.

[guns1inger]

It sounds like either overheating or possibly memory problems. Overheating could be caused by inadequate ventilation, poor placement of cables, or simple too much dust in your existing fans, making them inefficient. I suggest MotherBoard Monitor 5 as a good quality freeware monitor. It will tell you (assumimg your board supports it) CPU and case temperature, fan speeds and all sorts of other things. Get a can of compressed air and blow all the dust out of the case, including in the fans.

If it is memory then there are a number of memory testing programs that can read through and check all your memory. Most require booting off their own floppy or CD. Microsoft have one as well somewhere.

Given that it seems to only happen under load, these would be the two logical starting points. Personally, I'd concentrate on the temperature first.

[redwudz]

It's possible, but there are a few things you can check;

First is CPU temperature, the next is power supply voltages.

You can usually check these in BIOS. But more convenient is a program like Motherboard Monitor. You can monitor both the voltage and the temps while the computer runs. If it crashes, you may have a clue.

CPU temp is definitely a suspect. Many motherboards will shut down automatically if the CPU overheats. And they may resist restarting till it cools down. Power supplies are a little harder to diagnose. If you suspect the PS, unplug all drives but the boot and all cards except the video card and try again.

If you still have the same problem, it could be the motherboard. The fans not starting does sound like a MB problem, if the PS is ruled out.

Hope that helps a little.