Testing a PC w/o a CPU?
candreasen
Minneapolis, MN
I recently obtained an HP Pavilion a6700f in non-working order from a friend. This friend being less than savvy with technology had a: dropped the PC about 16 inches onto a hard surface, and b: tried to fix the problem by opening the computer and taking everything he could out. When this didn't work he tried to put it all back but had bent and broken several pins on the CPU. Now I have it and believe to have found the source of the issue to be the PSU, but without a socket am2 processor to test it I have no way of knowing if I fixed it. I would buy one but then I would have just wasted money if it turns out I didn't fix it. Does anyone know how I could test it without buying a CPU? Also, is it or is it not possible to put an am3 cpu in if i have a bios update, I have heard differing opinions on this everywhere I look so it'd be great if someone could clear it up for me.
Thanks,
candreasen
Thanks,
candreasen
0
Comments
You'll know if the BIOS update enables AM3, because it usually tells you in the release notes.
Lessee-- first, that socket looks damaged to me, and there should be a lever assembly or a hold-down bracket attached to that socket IF it is even the CPU socket. Is the CPU recent? Can you give us a picture of that quality of the CPU top?
That could be a socket other than the CPU socket, which would explain why a large part of the assembly is missing.
It almost looks to me like a whole layer of the top of the socket has been pulled off. See how in my picture, it's a white top, with a black bottom underneath? it looks like what you have is just the bottom layer, which may explain why it looked like something different to @Straight_Man (it'd also be why there isn't a lever for raising and lowering, you can see where it would go in your picture, but the top part that would hold it in place is gone).
If this is true (again, i'm not a hardware guy usually), I have no idea if it's fixable or not.
The random blacker areas in the middle more of the CPU look like someone tried to spread the gripper contacts-- they will not contact right, EVER. The ones that are brighter look to me like there was someone who pried the grippers too tight- they are likely to damage CPU pins if a CPU is inserted.
The more I look at pictures of AM2 Sockets, the more I think the top layer is missing. Look at the corners of the picture you posted above (the three open holes in an L shape) and compare it to the corners of
It would make sense to me that the open hole Ls would be receptacles for whatever connector holds the top layer to the black bottom layer.
If contact is intermittent(only happens sometimes), the CPU can be easily destroyed. This socket is useless, IMHO. I would judge the whole motherboard non-economical to repair absent whole new part and a wave-soldering setup to solder the socket in place. Motherboard AND CPU probably will be needed to repair the computer.
those are the other pieces (heatsink w/ clamp, and the plastic piece that holds it elevated from the socket).
Static discharges on conducting part of electronics cause damage if they are large enough in volume (Current is total volume of electrons, think of river flowing more ounces of water potentially because it is bigger than a mere stream. Technically, current is Voltage X Amps for math reasons I cannot fully process in plain English, but quite basically purer sense of Current is total electron flow or TOTAL VOLUME OF ELECTRONS FLOWING into or out of a given wire or trace with DC current considered.)
That is how a retired Electronics Engineer with lots of experience and a master's degree in Electronics Engineering taught me how to understand Current, over a decade ago. The course I was in was not even at Associate's degree level, and taught electronics at the level a Comptia A+ Certification required. So the teaching level was such that I could handle it because it was 85% Algebra only. I still have the NIDA books that were used in subset only for this mini-course.
Honestly, I am trying to stay stubborn about staying gentle here, and do not know what people know and do not know until they tell me they know that or it helped. I do not rant truely, just understand a lot about systems and how complex and easy to destroy they can be for a newer person to computer building and fixing. I have ruined two sockets like you showed in parts, and figured out how they worked the hard way. I got to pay my boss for two motherboards and two CPUs-- I did not know those little tricks the easy way. I am retired and like to talk tech and teach tech. I will shut up now, for you.