If you don't like messing with the insides, well Dell is a good choice still if you want a windows machine. You can also consider Apple as you can run your two projects still ...
With Dell, if you have the support package you can have them send out people to do work on your system. I had them out to replace a motherboard that failed ... about 2 weeks before the contract ran out ... :)
I can't deny the restorative powers of good ol' CRC (now Power Lube) in some cases but it cannot fix a bearing that is worn to the point of chattering or restore weakened magnets.
Agreed, although my experience is the bearings go completely long before the magnets have lost enough zip to make an appreciable difference for the typical application they're used in. That's not to say you can't get a bad batch of magnets, so you should always check to see if it's turning in the nominal speed range when operating in it's normal environment.
In applications like that, I will spec out an AC fan or take other steps to warn of impending failure.
I cleaned the case, cards, heatsink and fan before I ran the prime95 test. The fan is easily removable, including the fan blade, and was washed. Maybe I'm not as thorough as you but I feel like I did a good job cleaning the inside of the computer.
There may be other projects I can run but I don't want to. I like Einstein and Rosetta and that is it. Cosmology staff failed me so I won't go back there again.
Thanks to everyone for helping me.
No Problemo...
You aren't the only person who gets a little squeamish at the thought of doing invasive surgery on a machine they paid a couple grand for (even if it was 'back in the day' at this point), especially if it's the only one you have and it's performing it's primary function adequately.
One thing about Dells is the user documentation is very good with respect to disassembly and reassembly. At least it was for mine, which are contemporaries of yours.
I cleaned the case, cards, heatsink and fan before I ran the prime95 test. The fan is easily removable, including the fan blade, and was washed. Maybe I'm not as thorough as you but I feel like I did a good job cleaning the inside of the computer.
You didn't mention the shroud around the fan so it sounds like it's missing. It ducts the hot air off the heatsink directly to the case exterior. I've never seen a Dell without one. It's usually green plastic and you can't miss it. If it isn't there then your Dell is likely overheating which could be the cause of your problem.
Quote:
That is one reason I was hoping Speedfan would allow me to increase the fan speed slightly after I started doing Boinc full time, but I have never gotten that to work.
It doesn't work because it can't work that way. Speedfan can't make the fan run any faster than the maximum allowed by the voltage it is hooked to and a 100% duty cycle from the PWM circuit. In other words, your fan will hit its max speed even without Speedfan. The most Speedfan can do is make the fan kick up to high speed at a lower temperature than it does now, if it can communicate with the fan control circuit, but going to high speed sooner can never compensate for an inadequate cooling system that just doesn't have the watts due to a worn out fan, an undersized heatsink, too much dirt/dust, missing shroud, etc.
Quote:
I know you guys are capable, but don't ask me to start ripping out pieces parts and replacing things and redoing thermal paste etc 'cause I ain't that mechanical and don't like touching anything I don't understand. I wouldn't know how to identify these sensor "jumpers" to which you refer. When I was cleaning one time a jumper fell off from what I think was the CMOS or password thingy and I had no clue where this jumper came from. There were several places I could have reinstalled the jumper and I was darn lucky to have picked the right one. I was waiting for the computer to go up in smoke when I powered it up.
Yes, you were lucky. Ya can't leave computer maintenance up to luck. Use skill and knowledge instead. Before you do much inside a computer you need to get a block diagram or schematic for the mobo and mark down the location and configuration of all the jumpers and DIP switches. If I buy a new computer I buy components that I assemble and tweak. I don't buy components unless they have quality docs, schematics and user manuals that show all the settings either in the box or available for download. And I guard those docs like the family jewels by organizing and cataloguing them because they are absolutely indispensible. If you buy computer components or pre-built systems without all the docs required to understand its operation and fix the things that normally go wrong then it owns you rather than you owning it. I refuse to be owned by machines I've paid for.
I can't deny the restorative powers of good ol' CRC (now Power Lube) in some cases but it cannot fix a bearing that is worn to the point of chattering or restore weakened magnets.
Agreed, although my experience is the bearings go completely long before the magnets have lost enough zip to make an appreciable difference for the typical application they're used in. That's not to say you can't get a bad batch of magnets, so you should always check to see if it's turning in the nominal speed range when operating in it's normal environment.
Agreed. You have to know what the fan's nominal speed is and whether or not it's achieving that in situ. Otherwise you can never know if a shot of CRC has fixed it or whether you need to replace the fan. Without the right data you're just shooting in the dark or else spending money replacing stuff you don't really need to replace. But sometimes that's the only way or else it's just the easier way.
Agreed. You have to know what the fan's nominal speed is and whether or not it's achieving that in situ. Otherwise you can never know if a shot of CRC has fixed it or whether you need to replace the fan. Without the right data you're just shooting in the dark or else spending money replacing stuff you don't really need to replace. But sometimes that's the only way or else it's just the easier way.
Yep. Google can be your friend a lot of times in this regard. Find the manufacturer of the PC's part number and then do a search for that. You may have to drill in a ways, and/or tweak the search some, but you can usually cross-reference it to a vendor part number and the manufacturers data sheet or at least get some basic specs for the fan. Sometime you can get the part manufacturer's number off of the component if the machine is down and apart. Unfortunately, big OEMs have been known to remove information like that.
OEM User groups are another good place to ask about things like that too.
It's interesting this conversation came up when it did. I just got done making a Newegg order, primarily to restock on my supply of replacement fans. During the winter maintenance cycle I discovered a few in my machines which were well on their way to the grave, and depleted my supplies of a few sizes. :-)
In any event, new fans are a whole bunch cheaper than a CPU, PSU, or MB burnout. Especially for your vintage rigs! :-D
The thought just occurred to me that the Dell CPU cooling arrangement is a reverse flow one. Therefore, the inlet to the fan is pulling heated air rather than ambient like it would in most standard heatsink arrangements. This could result in the fan running at appreciably higher temperatures than it would in other applications.
Given the quality of the permanent magnets used, that might make difference in how long they retain their strength.
The thought just occurred to me that the Dell CPU cooling arrangement is a reverse flow one. Therefore, the inlet to the fan is pulling heated air rather than ambient like it would in most standard heatsink arrangements.
Alinator
I was going to mention that in an earlier post but removed it because I thought it was probably of no consequence.
@Dagorath: When I cleaned the fan it included the shroud. It all comes out as a unit.
@Alinator: You mentioned earlier about using a Q-tip to clean the cooling fins on the heat sink. The spacing between fins on my heatsink is like 1/16 inch, no q-tip will fit between and I can't think of anything that will other than air. I don't have any compressed air gadget; maybe I should look.
I did a quick perusal of Dell's website and didn't see anything to impress me, but maybe that's because I don't know how to find it. I'd want nothing less than a C2Q. If I take Alinator's advice it would be an octo-something with flashing neon lights! Also, I have a wife to consider who would definitely aim a knee to the groin if I messed with her windows OS or spent too much loot. Dagorath may have Honey for a wife but mine is more like lime juice.
I did a quick perusal of Dell's website and didn't see anything to impress me, but maybe that's because I don't know how to find it. I'd want nothing less than a C2Q. If I take Alinator's advice it would be an octo-something with flashing neon lights! Also, I have a wife to consider who would definitely aim a knee to the groin if I messed with her windows OS or spent too much loot. Dagorath may have Honey for a wife but mine is more like lime juice.
They are Precision 670s ... I forget how old, at least 3 years, maybe 4 ...
You can find them, or the class like them, in the small business section. The current equivalent would be something along the lines of a Precision 7400 workstation... but you could get it with dual quad cores which would beat the pants of my dual HTs ...
Oops, I did not check if the processors had HT or were just straight cores.... if they are simple cores then with dual processors you would have 8 CPUs, with HT that doubles to 16 ...
The thought just occurred to me that the Dell CPU cooling arrangement is a reverse flow one. Therefore, the inlet to the fan is pulling heated air rather than ambient like it would in most standard heatsink arrangements.
Alinator
I was going to mention that in an earlier post but removed it because I thought it was probably of no consequence.
@Dagorath: When I cleaned the fan it included the shroud. It all comes out as a unit.
@Alinator: You mentioned earlier about using a Q-tip to clean the cooling fins on the heat sink. The spacing between fins on my heatsink is like 1/16 inch, no q-tip will fit between and I can't think of anything that will other than air. I don't have any compressed air gadget; maybe I should look.
LOL...
Yep, no way a Q-Tip will fit between the heatsink fins. :-)
That was an old fashioned pipe cleaner for the fins. In a pinch you can roll up a strip of paper towel and run it through them.
The Q-tip is for the fan blades and the duct in it's housing. A paper towel or a cloth is good for the shroud.
'Canned Air' sure comes in handy for drying and light duty dust removal in tight places. ;-)
If you don't like messing
)
If you don't like messing with the insides, well Dell is a good choice still if you want a windows machine. You can also consider Apple as you can run your two projects still ...
With Dell, if you have the support package you can have them send out people to do work on your system. I had them out to replace a motherboard that failed ... about 2 weeks before the contract ran out ... :)
I have two Dells and have no complaints...
RE: I can't deny the
)
Agreed, although my experience is the bearings go completely long before the magnets have lost enough zip to make an appreciable difference for the typical application they're used in. That's not to say you can't get a bad batch of magnets, so you should always check to see if it's turning in the nominal speed range when operating in it's normal environment.
In applications like that, I will spec out an AC fan or take other steps to warn of impending failure.
Alinator
RE: I cleaned the case,
)
No Problemo...
You aren't the only person who gets a little squeamish at the thought of doing invasive surgery on a machine they paid a couple grand for (even if it was 'back in the day' at this point), especially if it's the only one you have and it's performing it's primary function adequately.
One thing about Dells is the user documentation is very good with respect to disassembly and reassembly. At least it was for mine, which are contemporaries of yours.
Alinator
RE: I cleaned the case,
)
You didn't mention the shroud around the fan so it sounds like it's missing. It ducts the hot air off the heatsink directly to the case exterior. I've never seen a Dell without one. It's usually green plastic and you can't miss it. If it isn't there then your Dell is likely overheating which could be the cause of your problem.
It doesn't work because it can't work that way. Speedfan can't make the fan run any faster than the maximum allowed by the voltage it is hooked to and a 100% duty cycle from the PWM circuit. In other words, your fan will hit its max speed even without Speedfan. The most Speedfan can do is make the fan kick up to high speed at a lower temperature than it does now, if it can communicate with the fan control circuit, but going to high speed sooner can never compensate for an inadequate cooling system that just doesn't have the watts due to a worn out fan, an undersized heatsink, too much dirt/dust, missing shroud, etc.
Yes, you were lucky. Ya can't leave computer maintenance up to luck. Use skill and knowledge instead. Before you do much inside a computer you need to get a block diagram or schematic for the mobo and mark down the location and configuration of all the jumpers and DIP switches. If I buy a new computer I buy components that I assemble and tweak. I don't buy components unless they have quality docs, schematics and user manuals that show all the settings either in the box or available for download. And I guard those docs like the family jewels by organizing and cataloguing them because they are absolutely indispensible. If you buy computer components or pre-built systems without all the docs required to understand its operation and fix the things that normally go wrong then it owns you rather than you owning it. I refuse to be owned by machines I've paid for.
BOINC FAQ Service
Official BOINC wiki
Installing BOINC on Linux
RE: RE: I can't deny the
)
Agreed. You have to know what the fan's nominal speed is and whether or not it's achieving that in situ. Otherwise you can never know if a shot of CRC has fixed it or whether you need to replace the fan. Without the right data you're just shooting in the dark or else spending money replacing stuff you don't really need to replace. But sometimes that's the only way or else it's just the easier way.
BOINC FAQ Service
Official BOINC wiki
Installing BOINC on Linux
RE: Agreed. You have to
)
Yep. Google can be your friend a lot of times in this regard. Find the manufacturer of the PC's part number and then do a search for that. You may have to drill in a ways, and/or tweak the search some, but you can usually cross-reference it to a vendor part number and the manufacturers data sheet or at least get some basic specs for the fan. Sometime you can get the part manufacturer's number off of the component if the machine is down and apart. Unfortunately, big OEMs have been known to remove information like that.
OEM User groups are another good place to ask about things like that too.
It's interesting this conversation came up when it did. I just got done making a Newegg order, primarily to restock on my supply of replacement fans. During the winter maintenance cycle I discovered a few in my machines which were well on their way to the grave, and depleted my supplies of a few sizes. :-)
In any event, new fans are a whole bunch cheaper than a CPU, PSU, or MB burnout. Especially for your vintage rigs! :-D
The thought just occurred to me that the Dell CPU cooling arrangement is a reverse flow one. Therefore, the inlet to the fan is pulling heated air rather than ambient like it would in most standard heatsink arrangements. This could result in the fan running at appreciably higher temperatures than it would in other applications.
Given the quality of the permanent magnets used, that might make difference in how long they retain their strength.
Alinator
RE: The thought just
)
I was going to mention that in an earlier post but removed it because I thought it was probably of no consequence.
@Dagorath: When I cleaned the fan it included the shroud. It all comes out as a unit.
@Alinator: You mentioned earlier about using a Q-tip to clean the cooling fins on the heat sink. The spacing between fins on my heatsink is like 1/16 inch, no q-tip will fit between and I can't think of anything that will other than air. I don't have any compressed air gadget; maybe I should look.
RE: I have two Dells and
)
Paul: What kind of dells?
I did a quick perusal of Dell's website and didn't see anything to impress me, but maybe that's because I don't know how to find it. I'd want nothing less than a C2Q. If I take Alinator's advice it would be an octo-something with flashing neon lights! Also, I have a wife to consider who would definitely aim a knee to the groin if I messed with her windows OS or spent too much loot. Dagorath may have Honey for a wife but mine is more like lime juice.
RE: RE: I have two Dells
)
They are Precision 670s ... I forget how old, at least 3 years, maybe 4 ...
You can find them, or the class like them, in the small business section. The current equivalent would be something along the lines of a Precision 7400 workstation... but you could get it with dual quad cores which would beat the pants of my dual HTs ...
Oops, I did not check if the processors had HT or were just straight cores.... if they are simple cores then with dual processors you would have 8 CPUs, with HT that doubles to 16 ...
RE: RE: The thought just
)
LOL...
Yep, no way a Q-Tip will fit between the heatsink fins. :-)
That was an old fashioned pipe cleaner for the fins. In a pinch you can roll up a strip of paper towel and run it through them.
The Q-tip is for the fan blades and the duct in it's housing. A paper towel or a cloth is good for the shroud.
'Canned Air' sure comes in handy for drying and light duty dust removal in tight places. ;-)
Alinator