# Advice on el cheapo gaming system **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 17, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986 "2011-03-17T00:59:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/61 "2011-04-07T14:28:41Z")
At this stage, in order to eliminate every possibility, I suppose you should unseat the CPU and check it out for excess grease, obvious damage, and whatnot. Eliminate the CPU as a suspect, and you’re down to the motherboard. I used a twofold approach with mine: first, I cleaned the pre-installed thermal grease off the stock heat sink, because I wanted to use my own grease. Some alcohol, some rubbing, and it was nice and clean. I then pre-treated the heat sink by putting a tiny amount of grease on it and spreading it with a stiff card, just to force grease into the scratches and surface faults; any excess was cleaned off. This is more or less like grouting tile: get it into the crevices, none left on the surface. Then, the “grain of rice” method: put a blob of grease the size of a grain of rice on the center of the CPU and press down the heat sink to spread it, locking it into place. I had to kajigger the sink around a bit to get it locked, more than I would have liked, but it came out fine. The CPU has kept around ambient temperature ever since, usually about 21C. The grease I’d paid extra for, by the way, was the much-lauded [Arctic Silver 5](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007&cm_re=arctic_silver-_-35-100-007-_-Product). Gotta be careful not to spread it, because it contains tiny metal particles and thus can conduct electricity. Oh, and once again, I don’t mean to insult you, but: you say you were down to one stick of RAM. You did double-check that you installed the right kind, and in the right configuration and slots, right? Some motherboards are really finicky about where the first stick of RAM should go. At least, unseat and reseat it, just to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/62 "2011-04-07T14:48:46Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > At this stage, in order to eliminate every possibility, I suppose you should unseat the CPU and check it out for excess grease, obvious damage, and whatnot. Eliminate the CPU as a suspect, and you’re down to the motherboard. I’ll check that tonight, and likely get on tech support with NewEgg at that point. > [@](#): > > I used a twofold approach with mine: first, I cleaned the pre-installed thermal grease off the stock heat sink, because I wanted to use my own grease. Some alcohol, some rubbing, and it was nice and clean. I then pre-treated the heat sink by putting a tiny amount of grease on it and spreading it with a stiff card, just to force grease into the scratches and surface faults; any excess was cleaned off. This is more or less like grouting tile: get it into the crevices, none left on the surface. > > Then, the “grain of rice” method: put a blob of grease the size of a grain of rice on the center of the CPU and press down the heat sink to spread it, locking it into place. I had to kajigger the sink around a bit to get it locked, more than I would have liked, but it came out fine. The CPU has kept around ambient temperature ever since, usually about 21C. Sounds good. It’s possible there’s too much grease, but I doubt it. Still it’ll be good to check. > [@](#): > > Oh, and once again, I don’t mean to insult you, but: you say you were down to one stick of RAM. You did double-check that you installed the right kind, and in the right configuration and slots, right? Some motherboards are really finicky about where the first stick of RAM should go. At least, unseat and reseat it, just to be sure. My brother initially said to try it with no RAM, which I did, and no post. So I put 1 stick in. I’m virtually certain it’s the right kind (I think I checked) but I can double check that. I couldn’t find anywhere in the mobo manual saying which slot to put a single stick in, but I can try switching it to the other slot. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/63 "2011-04-07T17:36:23Z")
If you got that modular PSU, I would also double-check that all those connections are securely plugged in, or maybe even try switching the sockets when possible. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/64 "2011-04-07T20:49:00Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > No, the retail version of windows is almost twice the price. > > And as for it being tied to your mobo, that’s sort of true. You’ll need to call microsoft if you upgrade your motherboard in the future in order to re-register your OEM copy. But I have done this twice now and have had no problems whatsoever. You just give them the info on the screen and let them know you onl have this copy installed on one PC. They’ll let you do it many more times than that; I’ve had my copy of XP for something like 9 years now, across 3 motherboards, and probably 5-6 installations of Windows. All I have to do is call them up and give them that code, and they give me an activation code or whatever it’s called. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/65 "2011-04-08T01:02:06Z")
Woot? Progress? I took the CPU out, and sure enough there was some excess grease–a tiny hairlike tendril reached down to touch the green of the CPU. I carefully cleaned it off, and now when I power it up, I get continuous long beeps. The manual says that’s a sign that the graphics card is not inserted correctly, but it makes those beeps whether or not the graphics card is in place at all. Hmm, to continue work… ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/66 "2011-04-08T01:18:10Z")
Did you pull the CMOS battery? That board should boot without a video card. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/67 "2011-04-08T01:21:34Z")
Yep–pulled it and left it out for about 10 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/68 "2011-04-08T01:23:10Z")
Super weird. I honestly got nothin’ here. Same error code with the 5770 installed, right? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/69 "2011-04-08T01:43:39Z")
For real this time, WOOT! I’m installing Windows. Turns out that the manual is full of shit: continuous long beeps doesn’t mean there’s a video card problem, it means, “Put the RAM back in, you moron!” Once I did that, it booted up fine. YAY! ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/70 "2011-04-08T01:45:03Z")
Woot! Congrats! Glad everything turned out ok. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/71 "2011-04-08T02:03:07Z")
Thanks–and folks, seriously thanks for your help. I owe you a debt of gratitude for this–I know I would have made a lot more mistakes, and had a lot harder time fixing the ones I did make, without y’all. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/72 "2011-04-08T04:30:10Z")
Most excellent! Although I have to be honest, I was looking forward to seeing pics of the new rig… ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/73 "2011-04-09T01:11:48Z")
Aaaand posting on the Dope from my new computer. Whoopee! ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/74 "2011-04-09T07:35:09Z")
Pics or it didn’t happen! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/75 "2011-04-09T13:55:12Z")
Dude, my post is my cite. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986/76 "2011-04-10T17:18:47Z")
Whatever you say. 🙂 Congrats on the rig! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advice-on-el-cheapo-gaming-system/574986.md?page=3)