I have a Gateway Profile 5.5 all-in-one PC. A few months ago the computer shut down with a fan failure message. I opened up the PC and cleaned out the microprocessor heat sink which was clogged up with lint/dust. The PC ran great for a while and then started shutting down after a random amount of time. Now I can't power it up. About 5 or 10 seconds after pressing the power button, it shuts down. I'm going to try and monitor the power supply voltage when I turn it on to see if the supply is working (it looks OK when I unplug the PC and measure the output voltage). Any other ideas? Has anyone had a microprocessor die from overheating? Are there any common failures with the Profile 5.5?
Personally I'd try applying some more thermal paste to the top of the processor.
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The computer doesn't run long enough now for the processor to heat up. I'm suspecting the power supply, but I haven't ruled out the possibility that the microprocessor is dead. Hopefully the system shut down (due to heat) before anything was damaged.
I just hate to shell out over $50 to see if I guessed right about the power supply.
The computer doesn't run long enough now for the processor to heat up. I'm suspecting the power supply, but I haven't ruled out the possibility that the microprocessor is dead. Hopefully the system shut down (due to heat) before anything was damaged.
I just hate to shell out over $50 to see if I guessed right about the power supply.
I found the source of the problem, so I'll post it here in case anyone else has experienced the same thing. I moved the computer to test the power supply, but then it worked fine for hours. I moved it back and it wouldn't turn on. I wiggled the power cable where it plugs into the PC and saw the power cut in and out. After closer examination, I saw the the pins on the power supply cable (the end that plugs into the PC) didn't look clean and shiny and the end of the cable was warm. I work for an electronics company, so I brought the power supply to work and examined the connector under a microscope and then I broke the connector apart. The connector had failed due to overheating. Plastic was melted onto some of the pins and parts of the connector shell were extremely brittle. I can't be 100% sure of the cause, but they injected a potting (plastic) material into the strain relief for the connector and some of the material made its way into the pins and may have affected the quality of the connection. I was able to put a new connector on the cable and the computer is working like new. Unfortunately, few people have access to the parts and tool required to crimp the connector pins, so the solution will be to buy a new power supply.
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