Ed Engelking Dot Com: Computer on the Fritz

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September 15, 2006

Computer on the Fritz

So I go to use my desktop machine the other day and noticed that it was off. Since I run Linux, I keep my computer running at all times. Finding the machine turned off was something that I wasn't expecting. I hit the power button, but nothing happened. I've had this issue occur before just a few months prior .... the result of a dead PSU.

I pulled out my tester and plugged my PSU into the unit. I plugged the PSU up to a power source ... and sure enough, it was dead. I was concerned that I had lost another power supply after such a short period of time. I began to investigate the motherboard, looking for any weird things that might explain for this continued issue.

I discovered, much to my displeasure, that the capacitors on the board had begun to go bad. Capacitors, when they're working properly, should be flat on top and straight up and down from the board. The ones on my motherboard, I discovered, were leaning heavily and one was in a significant state of disarray. When these things start to go, you can experience all kinds of different problems.

Well, this motherboard is pretty old by today's standards. I purchased it several years back. It has a Socket A processor ... ancient by today's standards, so getting a replacement board is just a bit of a hassle. I'm looking to just upgrade the board and processor together and purchasing a new power supply as well. Of course, if I purchase a new board, odds are that I'm going to have to purchase a new stick of RAM as well. This sucks because I just purchased the current stick about 6 months ago.

I gues I could just eBay the darn thing and get back some cash off of it ...

I've also been contemplating replacing the whole computer as well. Instead of spending a small fortune on the components mentioned above, maybe buying a new computer would make more sense. I've been wanting an Intel-based Mac Mini for a while now. I've been wanting a computer with OS X on it for ages ... and it would give me my third operating system here at home (Windows and Linux being the other two). Or perhaps I can just get another Wintel-based box for my gaming needs?

I'm very indecisive at this point in time. Maybe by the end of the weekend I will have thought about it some more and will have a clear vision of what I want to do.

~out...

Posted by ed at September 15, 2006 08:44 PM

Comments

Instead of getting just a Mac Mini, why not go for an iMac? That way you get a great OSX machine for dev and you can dual boot into Windows for your gaming needs. I don't think parallels would be adequate for gaming.

Then again, you could always get one of these
http://www.apple.com/macpro/
3 GHz Quad core goodiness. Amanda would throw you out of the house, but that's a small price to pay. Heh.

Posted by: Hash at September 17, 2006 03:58 PM

The problem with getting an iMac is the price. I couldn't have the 17" monitor ... it would drive me nuts. So, the next best option is the 20", which costs about $1500.00. That's about 3 times the amount that I would pay for the Mac Mini.

Now if money was no object ...

Posted by: eengelking at September 17, 2006 06:34 PM

You should call Computer Troubleshooters! They can get you a discount and will even deliver and set up the unit for you! Just e-mail me or give me a call (www.ct-lou.com).

Posted by: erik eckel at September 19, 2006 10:05 PM

Erik,

I hate to slam someone I don't know, so forgive me if you made that last comment in jest. But Ed Engelking calling someone to "set up" a PC is akin to NASA calling a local firecracker company to build a rocket. I dare say Engelking has forgotten more about computers in the last 6 months than I have learned in my lifetime.

Then again maybe he would like that discount.
:-p

Posted by: Hash at September 22, 2006 10:47 AM

I didn't mean to suggest Ed needed me to set his computer up. No, he's as capable as anyone out there. I was only offering to pass him a discount (and since he's a good guy) deliver it and unpack it for him to save him the trouble.

Posted by: erik eckel at September 25, 2006 08:32 PM

Hey guys ... believe it or not, I was actually able to get the machine fixed. I took a chance and bought a high quality Antec 500W PSU ... the kind where you can attach the kind of power adapters that you want to use. I found it on sale at CompUSA for something like $40.00, which was cheaper than that off-brand 300W units that were available. I took it home, plugged it in and sure enough, the board still works. Now, I know that I still need to replace the board sometime in the future because of those capacitors, but at least this is a step in the right direction.

BTW ... Erik, thanks for the offer. Can you get discounts on Macs? LOL

Hash, thanks for stickin' up for me. :) Erik and I go way back. He used to be my boss when I was at Tech Republic back at the turn of the century ... which seems like another lifetime these days.

Posted by: eengelking at September 26, 2006 10:45 AM

September 15, 2006

Computer on the Fritz

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