Attempting to bring back my old machine.
Attempting to bring back my old machine.
I'm working on an old PC to revive it for a home server. I've tried all the usual checks—removing parts, resetting CMOS, cleaning everything—but nothing seems to help. The machine keeps powering off and on in milliseconds after turning it on. Even without the CPU, it still cycles. I removed the 8-pin connector, but it still powers up. My research suggests this is probably a VRM issue. Could anyone confirm that theory? If so, I'd be happy to buy a used board instead of buying a new one. I've tested all components on other systems and everything functions properly, but I don't have a spare board or CPU available right now. This computer was overclocked for most of its life, yet it never overheated. It ran smoothly as a home server for months before failing suddenly. Any advice would be appreciated!
Probably just removing the VRMs if it hasn’t worked much recently and got dusty. Take off all the heatsinks, along with the CMOS battery, and short both power buttons and the CMOS for a couple of minutes to fully discharge the board. Then clean it thoroughly, making sure everything is completely wet, and either soak it in water for an hour or two or run it in a dishwasher without detergent. Let it dry for a day or two. It should regain normal function. If it doesn’t, consider replacing it with a cheaper board—though it’s not worth the cost. I’m also wondering how many sticks you can get from that board; my best memory board is the Z97X SOC, which handles over 3300 sticks reliably and stays stable. A DaisyChain board like that seems unlikely to reach 3000 or more without issues. It’s probably not a budget-friendly option either, but it does offer decent performance compared to others in its price range.
Thanks for the details! I'm going to attempt cleaning the board again. The computer worked fine when it crashed as a server—turned it off one night and it was off the next. I’ve had the board cleaned and stripped down before, just to check capacitors and spots with a thermal camera. No issues found until today. I’m planning a thorough clean now and hope it works. As for overclocking, I don’t remember much from when it was last used. I reset everything back to factory settings after it was retired as a main rig. If it runs again, I’ll definitely experiment with it. It’s been a while since I’ve tried that.
Randomly shutting down at night isn't great because it could mean the device is permanently damaged. You'd likely need to fix the VRMs, though maybe it'll recover. If it's completely dead, you could simplify it by removing all the design touches and use a basic functional Z97 model—so it shouldn't be a total waste. I'd be much angrier about losing an SSD or an MVI impact than about a midrange board. You might even get a decent price on a used Z-boards depending on your luck in the market. Right now, everything seems like it could be resold for a good amount, especially with deals popping up unexpectedly while I'm troubleshooting and buying a Ryzen 5500.
I understand, the performance isn't a big concern. It's mainly about experimenting with overclocking. I currently handle all my server tasks through VMs on my main system since it has enough cores and RAM for my work. Having a backup setup would be nice, but I already have some older machines that still function. My old 4790K was great for pushing those limits, whereas my current R9 setup isn't as adaptable. I don’t want to risk damaging anything, so I’m planning to strip the board down now for a fresh start and then update it later. It’s already dead, so why not give it another shot? If it fails completely, I’ll consider swapping in a cheaper unit and maybe tackle a VRM fix just for a project.
I also attempted it, just like I thought it would work. I tested both Corsair RM850i models and a Cooler Master GX750. People say it's a really bad power supply and you should give up if you restart the system.
Even haswell appears uninteresting when compared to platforms such as x58 or 775, especially considering the mem oc just because of the straightforward way to install DDR3 3200+ stable. The fun comes mainly from pushing the frequency higher, though otherwise it feels quite routine. Simply increase the VCCSA/IO settings together with VDimm and you’ll have a stable 3200+ system. If you’re using a low-end Samsung 4Gbit model, you won’t reach beyond 2400. Verify your RAM modules by checking their version numbers on your hardware; if they start with '4' and are single-sided, you won’t exceed 2400.
It seems you're interested in tinkering with some older hardware, especially your EVGA X58 and i7 systems. You mentioned a few components that aren't working well right now and are curious about getting them back online. Your note about the Z97 overheating and the need for a 4790k board is clear—looking forward to helping you out once things stabilize. You also hinted at having some DDR3 memory available, which could be useful for testing or upgrading.
i have a broken 4 way sli that needs the southbridge replaced and is currently being repaired or waiting on a southbridge anyways it isnt an amibios board so you should be able to run 1:1 (45nm) or 5:4/11:8 (32nm) uncore memclk for ddr3 2800+ stability albiet only in duachannel for 45nm as triple channel needs uncore +3 over mem multi and anything between 1:1 and 2:1 is straight up unstable though does boot so when you turn the thing on the cpu is cold and no vcore is getting through? maybe this can give a pointer as to why but if its too annoying to fix theres always the common gigabyte board available, and you definitely want to look out for the x58a oc as that is literally the best mem oc board on this platform otherwise a ud3r will do just fine