Hello, instead of heat conduction paste I found liquid metal pads. This is its description:

The Coollaboratory Liquid MetalPad ist the first heat conduction pad, which is composed of 100% metal and melts with just less heating (BurnIn-process), then it confects its superior heat transfer. It dissipates the heat fast and efficiently and needn´t hide from the best heat conduction paste. The simple, clean and fast installation turns the Liquid MetalPad into the ultimative heat conduction medium for HighEnd PCs and game consoles. The Liquid MetalPad can be used with all on the cooling market commercially available materials, for instance aluminum or copper! It doesn´t age and doesn´t have to exchange regular. The Coollaboratory Liquid MetalPad is certainly RoHS conformable and absolute nontoxic.


Should be easy to apply and is always evenly. Has anyone experience with this?
Thanks.

---

Greetings from TJ

Regular paste can't beat liquid metal for heat conductivity. Just be careful to clean the interfaces properly before applying (otherwise it will not wet the surface properly, rubbing with Aceton is enough to remove any organic surface contamination) and beware of drops floating anywhere in your PC. Happened to me once, but that was while applying the stuff directly to an insufficiently cleaned surface, not with a pad. Luckily, in the same way it did not wet my heat sink it didn't wet the mainboard either, so it formed a bubble on my mainboard and I could just turn the PC upside down to get it out again... shoudln't happen with a pad :D

And the older mixtures have the drawback of forming an alloy with the heat sink base, i.e. if you want to remove it you have to rub the heat sink base seriously with metal polish to get a flat surface again. But I heard that's not a problem any more.

Anyway, before turning to such rather extreme measures I'd make sure the low-hanging fruit are already harvested: good cooler, sufficient case cooling, adjusting voltage etc.

MrS

---

Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

Thanks for the input ETA.
I am not planning to use it soon, but I thought about the move with the glass plate and the paste. Where we could see that it is not so easy to get a very thin and smooth surface and then I came across these liquid metal pads per accident browsing a web shop for computer parts. I will think about it.

---

Greetings from TJ

Another question from me.
One PC a Dell xps480 is running 24/7 for 5 years now. Last week when I look at it, the log on screen was visible, so it had booted itself. I logged in and a few hours later the same. After a new log in it worked for 6 days, overnight it booted itself again and when I logged in. after about 15 minutes a sharp bang and power off in my attic. Seems two fuses went of, the ground fault circuit breaker as well. The PC is a bit smelly to burn, especially in the area of the PSU.
I checked Who Crashed and Event Explorer but no indication of any sort.

How can I see or test that the PSU is faulty? If some parts are black or burned than it is obvious.
Does this bang with power cut have done damage to other hardware in the PC?
I will mount the PSU of off course and open it to see if I can recognize anything.

One other thing when I started the other PC again, doing a GPUGRID SR, more than 50% finished, was starting from zero again. After a power cut, this does noet happen after a re-boot without suspending the WU first.

---

Greetings from TJ

I got the PSU out and opened it. It smells a bit and most parts feel still a bit warmish after approx. 2 hours, but no black blathering that looks like burn.

The rest of the components look okay to me. I bring this PSU to an electric shop, to test it for me.

---

Greetings from TJ

One PC a Dell xps480 is running 24/7 for 5 years now. Last week when I look at it, the log on screen was visible, so it had booted itself. I logged in and a few hours later the same. After a new log in it worked for 6 days, overnight it booted itself again...

These are the typical symptoms of a faulty PSU. (or an overheating CPU/MB)

...and when I logged in. after about 15 minutes a sharp bang and power off in my attic. Seems two fuses went of, the ground fault circuit breaker as well.

The final sharp bang is a quite confirmation of that the PSU have failed.

The PC is a bit smelly to burn, especially in the area of the PSU.

The smell of burn was caused by the high current going through a failing semiconductor (typically the switching FET, or the rectifier, or both). This PSU won't work until it's taken apart, and repaired. Even trying to switch it on again could be dangerous.

I checked Who Crashed and Event Explorer but no indication of any sort.

How can I see or test that the PSU is faulty? If some parts are black or burned than it is obvious.

It's more easy to smell than see. The semiconductors are smoke powered: when this magic smoke comes out of a semiconductor (you can tell it by it's smell), it won't work anymore.

Does this bang with power cut have done damage to other hardware in the PC?

It could, but it's not typical. The OCP (Over Current Protection) feature of the PSU should prevent such damage. However if you try to turn on the failed PSU again, there is a greater risk of burning more parts in it, or in the PC.

I will mount the PSU of off course and open it to see if I can recognize anything.

Sometimes you can see brown burning marks around the parts mounted to the PCB, but the rectifiers and the FETs are mounted to a heatsink, and usually you won't see anything suspicious on them, but sometimes their casing could be cracked, or a crater shaped part could be missing.
 

I got the PSU out and opened it. It smells a bit and most parts feel still a bit warmish after approx. 2 hours, but no black blathering that looks like burn.

The smell is the sign of the burn. It could be smelt after days.

The rest of the components look okay to me. I bring this PSU to an electric shop, to test it for me.

They should test it strictly with a dummy load. But it's wise to test it only after all of the high current semiconductors are checked, and the failed ones have been replaced. But this process could cost more than a new PSU.

One other thing when I started the other PC again, doing a GPUGRID SR, more than 50% finished, was starting from zero again. After a power cut, this does noet happen after a re-boot without suspending the WU first.

It's typical when the files containing the checkpoint aren't written to the disk correctly (because of a power failure)

Thanks Zoltan,

I will bring it to a shop tomorrow, to ask. I can not see anything, but the smell is obvious. I didn't see smoke or any damage to components. I will look again tomorrow with the sun light.

The GTX550Ti was in a PCI 16 slot with 75Watt, that is what is printed on the MOBO. Could that be the cause of the problem? That the GPU uses more that the 75 Watt?

---

Greetings from TJ

I can not see anything, but the smell is obvious. I didn't see smoke or any damage to components. I will look again tomorrow with the sun light.

Sometimes it's much easier to see the damage on macro photographs (but usually you have to take the parts out of the PSU to take these photos).

The GTX550Ti was in a PCI 16 slot with 75Watt, that is what is printed on the MOBO. Could that be the cause of the problem? That the GPU uses more that the 75 Watt?

No. The GTX550Ti has a PCIe power connector, and this can supply the additional power.
It's as simple as your PSU has reached the end of its lifetime.

Good advice from Zoltan. Sounds like a failed PSU to me too. If it smells burnt, you should replace it. I would not even consider attempting to repair a PSU. Anything else is fair game, but not the PSU. If it's under warranty and worth the bother, RTM it, otherwise bin it. It's really not worth the time, money or risk to repair a failed PSU yourself. The PSU might have a lot of unseen damage that could surface later on, cause problems and take out more hardware - when a PSU fails it can cause other hardware failures (Motherboard, anything in a PCIE slot, RAM, disk drive). The best PSU's just blow a fuse (but come with a spare), the worst are fire-crackers that make everything attached flare up.

BTW. Even testing damaged hardware is risky; a failed GPU, motherboard, drive, RAM module... can cause other hardware failures. If you DIY, test components on an old board with a good but not too expensive PSU, or leave it to an experienced tester. If it's not worth the risk, don't risk it!

---

FAQ's

HOW TO:
- Opt out of Beta Tests
- Ask for Help

I mostly agree with Zoltan and SK here - except for the part of throwing the broken PSU in the bin. It belongs into the electronic bin! Well, at least that's what we have in Germany.. ;)

MrS

---

Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

I mostly agree with Zoltan and SK here - except for the part of throwing the broken PSU in the bin. It belongs into the electronic bin! Well, at least that's what we have in Germany.. ;)

MrS

Same here in California, in fact, they charge us a disposal fee when we buy certain computer components and we don't have a land fill in Tuolumne County. Our refuse is trucked to Nevada that doesn't charge fees for computer component disposal, it's a racket (especially if you don't save your original receipt).

As for your power supply, they can be very dangerous if those large capacitors have a charge, they can even kill, so be very carful. I have a newer digital PSU tester I picked up for $20.00 US, not a bad idea if your going to have several machines crunching. Here's one at Amazon, it's more expensive and I don't know why it's twice the price it goes for at Newegg.

http://www.amazon.com/Silver-APEVIA-Supply-Tester-Aluminum/dp/B009D514I0/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380488686&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Apevia+Power+Supply+Tester+PST+03

Anyway, just to give you an idea what they look like and how they work, I use mine on a monthly basis.

Thanks for all the information guys.

I will not try to repair a PSU myself, I do know a bit about electronics, but that is beyond my capabilities. Secondly I do not want to have this one repaired. It has worked 5 years 24/7. And I will not bring power to it any more as it has switched of two fuses in the electricity meter cupboard (is it called that way in English?), when it broke. Checking if it is really faulty will cost me 25 euro, and with what you all told me, I am convinced it is broken so I order a new one right a way.

And finally I will not trow it in the bin. We have a depot where we can bring all sorts of potentially environmental hazardous stuff. I have a special box for it and when it´s full I bring it.
When we buy something electric, even batteries, there is a small surcharge for disposing it later. This means that where I buy a new PSU, I can give them the old one and they deal with it. There is already payed for. We have this surcharge also for motor car oil and tires.
Personally I try to harm the environment as little as possible. However with 24/7 crunching I am using more power then I need to, so the power plant has to work extra with extra exhaust. But it is for a very good cause!

---

Greetings from TJ

One question flashawk, testing a PSU with that devise, would that involve to bring power to the PSU?

---

Greetings from TJ

And I will not bring power to it any more as it has switched of two fuses in the electricity meter cupboard (is it called that way in English?), when it broke.

Here in the states we call those breaker boxes or circuit breaker boxes, they have digital meters that put out a wireless signal for the meter readers, they don't even get out of their cars.

To test the power supply with one of those testers, yes, you would need to plug it in. I remember that Dell computers had their own proprietary PSU's and an industry standard PSU would plug in to the Dell motherboard and fry them. Those were of the old 20 pin type if I remember right.

I remember that Dell computers had their own proprietary PSU's and an industry standard PSU would plug in to the Dell motherboard and fry them. Those were of the old 20 pin type if I remember right.

That would not be nice :(
Indeed Dell has everything others, the plugs for the fans are very flat as well so a "normal" would not fit.
This Dell has a 24 pin. W´ll see, I get a PSU today and will build it in let know how it works. Thansk for the warning!

---

Greetings from TJ

Well as promised I would let know how it went.
It was indeed the PSU that gave the sharp bang. Another good suggestion from Zoltan, as always.
The new PSU is a Cooler Master 600 Bronze, not my first pick but the size must fit in the space and this does. This PC will not much longer run 24/7, so no problem.
However it consumes about 50 Watt less when crunching two Rosetta on the quad CPU and one Einstein on the 550Ti (to slow for here anymore).
System runs fine and cooler as well, CPU is 3-4°C lower, I guess due to the new thermal paste, as I needed to get the heat sink out for proper fan cleaning and inspection and PSU cabling.
This PSU feels cooler at the back (exhaust) as well then the old one did, but it is 200Watt more so a larger overhead.
And luckily the motherboard isn't frying (yet).
Thanks again for all the help and advises.

---

Greetings from TJ

50 W less? Wow, that old PSU must have been really old and / or really crappy! The new one should pay for itself quickly, depending on how long the machine still runs 24/7 :)

BTW: Einstein likes 2 WUs per GPU for increased GPU utilization and throughput.

MrS

---

Scanning for our furry friends since Jan 2002

Hello, another question from me.
Yesterday one of my rigs for GPUGRID, suddenly powered off. I reboot today and checked WhoCrashed but that didn't and windows7 started normal no mention that it was closed unexpectedly.
Does anyone know where I can find a log in windows to see what could have been the cause?

And could it be a BOINC thing as I had GPUGRID on the first 660 and Einstein on the second 660? As there was no work and Einstein is set to 1% as resources.

Finally could it be that a 600W PSU is not sufficient for two 660's?

Thanks for the input.

---

Greetings from TJ

It depends on the other components in your system too, not just the GPUs.

Google for "psu calculator", you'll get several hits. At one of those sites, enter your system's hardware specs and it will tell you how big your power supply unit (PSU) should be. Some people say some of those sites don't provide accurate calculations but if you try three different sites and they're all fairly close then you probably have a good idea of what you need.

Could it be the machine shutdown due to a power outage? I have my systems on UPS (uninterruptable power supply) now. I wish I had starting UPS years ago because now I get far fewer problems, OS corruptions, lost work and general hassles. Yes, one should have backups and I do but I'd rather just enjoy my computers than be restoring stuff.

---

BOINC <<--- credit whores, pedants, alien hunters

Your GTX660's each have a 140W TDP, and your AMD FX(tm)-8350 has a TDP of 125W.
That's 405W. The motherboard might be using ~60W, RAM around 10W, Drives around 10W and case fans around 10W. So you might be using up to 500W.

Some high end PSU's (Platinum) are comfortable continuously supplying 80% of their maximum power specification, but mid-range PSU's are not (Bronze PSU's).

What is the PSU's make and model?

---

FAQ's

HOW TO:
- Opt out of Beta Tests
- Ask for Help