I'm err, now accepting donations to the "build Ben a new computer" fund. I'm really not sure what happened, but when I turned it on today at lunch the sound it made was horrible. I don't know if this was the problem or what, but two of the fans on the computer (CPU and BIOS fans) stopped working and I think it might have overheated the system. I have another theroy as well, but I can't back it up t all: When I touched the back of the computer my fingers went numb, a lot like when you might touch something that hadn't been properly grounded. However I can't tell if this was because I was gripping the box too tightly and it cut off circulation to my fingers. (For a few seconds?) This would explain two things: 1. Before I turned off the box this morning I looked at voltages and the -5v was actually running at -4.3v it's possible some of the return current was bleeding off into the box itself. Also the noise I heard when I turned the box on this afternoon was like weird feedback through a speaker. (Also slightly like a HD crashing, but louder.) I wonder if it could have been electricity flowing through the PC speaker causing those sounds. Either way (sorry for the tech-talk) I am now down to just my laptop.
It's been a bad day for technology.
~B.
I suppose it could have been a heat issue but that doesn't usually cause a horrible noise. Seems likely that your power supply went haywire and killed the rest of your computer. Although I can't imagine why it would short out to the case.
ReplyDeleteI realize that ti's four years old, but if you want you can have my Geforce 2 Ultra 64MB AGP video card. I have lots of other parts to, although they would only build you a computer that was top of the line four years ago.
Thanks Ian, It's probably not worth shipping them out here to fix it. I don't know for sure how much got fried either. It might be the whole system (PLEASE no) or it might just be the CPU and Motherboard.
ReplyDeleteWe will be coming out to Washington on March 4th, so if there are any parts you want from Ian it's not even really a matter of shipping them.
ReplyDeleteMarch 4th!! What are you doing out here then?
ReplyDelete~B.
You must be here on spring break! Cool. This time I expect to see you guys, unlike when you were home for Christmas...
ReplyDeleteAre you only here for a week, or do you get a longer reprieve? I'll be at a JH retreat that first weekend you're here, but hopefully we can find a time to get together sometime during that week!
We'll be home for like 9 days. We fly out on the 13th but it's a really early flight.
ReplyDeleteWhile home we hope to do all those at-home things we love: picking our noses, scratching our armpits, harrassing our sibilings, whining at parents, kicking the dogs, and hanging out with all you guys.