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I have not used my PC in 4 months.What should i do to make sure everything is fine?

DRAG0NSLAYER

Hi all, i have not used my brand new  PC for 4 months because of COVID-19 Lockdown. I need to know what should i test before using it rigorously. It is working fine  and i was able to play games on it, but i was curious should i change my thermal paste which is pre-applied in stock cooler for AMD.Any other  suggestions for testing my PC  will be appreciated. Thanks in advance .

 

PC Specs-

CPU-R5 3600

GPU- zotac RTX 2060 twin fan

RAM- corsair 8gb 3000mhz

motherboard- aorus pro wifi 

PSU-750W

 

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Computers store really well. It'll be fine. Power up and enjoy.

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6 minutes ago, DRAG0NSLAYER said:

I need to know what should i test before using it rigorously

Nothing. It doesn't just magically break, if it's not used.

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One thing to check on a PC before a power up after storage is the Cmos battery voltage.

Doesn't hurt to clear cmos also, to avoid any left over overclocks that may had been saved and forgotten about. 

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How long it takes for the paste to dry out and is stock cooler goof enough for 3600 or i need a AIO

 

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4 months is nothing, I’ve dug laptops out of drawers which went  several years without use, they booted fine. Just needed an SSD to work better.

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Really? I fired up computers 15 or even 20 years up after sweeping the dust out of them. As long as you dont put off the cooler or the cpu no need of renew the paste.

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30 minutes ago, OIIOOIOI said:

As long as you dont put off the cooler or the cpu no need of renew the paste.

This is not great advise, Sure the system fires up but the temps will be horrendous.

35 minutes ago, DRAG0NSLAYER said:

How long it takes for the paste to dry out and is stock cooler goof enough for 3600 or i need a AIO

 

That being said 4 months is a short time and there is no need to swap paste.

I will recommend an NHu12s (or an NHd15 (maybe)) for your PC build. Quote or @ me @Prodigy_Smit for me to see your replies.

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You can just use it normally. A computer doesn't really need any service other than cleaning dust every few months. Replacing your thermal paste is only neccesary if you see your temps are very high and your CPU is thermal throttling, which only becomes a problem after several years.

If someone did not use reason to reach their conclusion in the first place, you cannot use reason to convince them otherwise.

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The seal between the heatsink and the cpu is not perfect, so thermal paste will slowly dry out, but the process is not that fast, any thermal paste should last for at least a year or more without use.

No, you probably don't need to replace the thermal paste. 

 

If you don't overclock the processor and you're not bothered by the fan noise, the stock cooler is decent and you don't have to get a better one. 

 

If the computer was fully unplugged from mains, then one possible concern would the battery on the motherboard which holds the settings. It should be good enough to hold the settings for at least a year if the pc is not plugged in - when the pc is plugged in even shut down, the stand by power from the power supply takes over and maintains those bios settings so the battery is not discharged. 

 

If the pc was in storage somewhere colder than room temperature, open the case and give the pc a few hours to get back to regular temperature, otherwise there may be condensation as the pc heats up all of the sudden and that's not good.  Mechanical drives also don't like to start from very cold temperatures and can develop problems... so if you have such drive and let's say it's less than around 20 degrees Celsius, wait a bit to warm up to around 20-25c 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, DRAG0NSLAYER said:

Hi all, i have not used my brand new  PC for 4 months because of COVID-19 Lockdown. I need to know what should i test before using it rigorously. It is working fine  and i was able to play games on it, but i was curious should i change my thermal paste which is pre-applied in stock cooler for AMD.Any other  suggestions for testing my PC  will be appreciated. Thanks in advance .

 

PC Specs-

CPU-R5 3600

GPU- zotac RTX 2060 twin fan

RAM- corsair 8gb 3000mhz

motherboard- aorus pro wifi 

PSU-750W

 

Nothing, only power on and that's it. 

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8 minutes ago, PWforPower said:

Nothing, only power on and that's it. 

First wouldnt you make sure there is no CD or DVD in the drive, or USB stick in the back or front?

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Only thing is dust from any top opening. If you think of it, prebuilds and laptops spend months in warehouses and storage from assembly to first start. Nothing happens during that time. Why would your powered-off machine suddenly break when not in use? Like does you other mechanical or digital stuff break while in storage?

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3 minutes ago, LogicalDrm said:

Only thing is dust from any top opening. If you think of it, prebuilds and laptops spend months in warehouses and storage from assembly to first start. Nothing happens during that time. Why would your powered-off machine suddenly break when not in use? Like does you other mechanical or digital stuff break while in storage?

A computer is not like a car with an internal combustion engine (AKA a gasoline car) where you have fluids and mechanical parts that can act up after sitting for a long time. Also tires can become out of round as they will develop a flat spot from sitting on the pavement for a LONG time. 

 

In short, your computer is not a car and wont break because it sat for 4 months. Some occasional dust build up will occur as its a normal part of life unless you are in a clean room at a semiconductor fabrication plant. 

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1 minute ago, CommanderAlex said:

A computer is not like a car with an internal combustion engine (AKA a gasoline car) where you have fluids and mechanical parts that can act up after sitting for a long time. Also tires can become out of round as they will develop a flat spot from sitting on the pavement for a LONG time. 

 

In short, your computer is not a car and wont break because it sat for 4 months. Some occasional dust build up will occur as its a normal part of life unless you are in a clean room at a semiconductor fabrication plant. 

I didn't use car as example, now did I? What about you basic alarm clock? TV?

 

Anything with liquid can have things happening if its in contact with air. Same goes to anything with bio-origins. Oxidation of bear metal surfaces is a thing if climate is suitable. But this is still same as with any mechanical or digital thing, computers aren't that different.

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Do nothing beyond dust it off maybe.

 

Computers work after years in a closet.  My Core 2 Duo e4300 machine spent 6 years in the closet and turned on just fine.  Probably replace the PSU tho, it's now 12 years old I think.

 

Anyway, you're overthinking.

"Do what makes the experience better" - in regards to PCs and Life itself.

 

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2 minutes ago, LogicalDrm said:

I didn't use car as example, now did I? What about you basic alarm clock? TV?

 

Anything with liquid can have things happening if its in contact with air. Same goes to anything with bio-origins. Oxidation of bear metal surfaces is a thing if climate is suitable. But this is still same as with any mechanical or digital thing, computers aren't that different.

I was using a car as an example to prove my point that the computer is not going to have wear and tear by sitting there. Yes, there are a whole slew of computers in modern cars today that run the engine, transmission, ABS, body control module, and even the radio. Some of those computers will start failing due to age, but that won't be for at least over a decade and you won't really see that happen in a desktop computer that is inside your home that you would use for 5-9 years max unless there is a mechanical hard drive. If you take care of your things and don't physically damage them, all will be good. 

 

Still, a computer is not going to "break" because it sat for 4 months...unless you store it out doors. I do agree with you on the oxidation of bare metal surfaces due to oxidation-reduction reactions between the air in addition to any moisture that will accelerate this chemical reaction and any transition metals. Most computer cases are painted with an exterior paint to prevent rust (mainly OEMs as they lack paint on the inside) as well as the inside. 

 

 My post was not going against yours, in fact, it was supporting your post on the question OP asked. If I had offended you, then I apologize.  

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CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X ||  CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 Air Cooler ||  RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB(4x8GB) DDR4-3600 CL18  ||  Mobo: ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero X570  ||  SSD: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB M.2-2280 Boot Drive/Some Games)  ||  HDD: 2X Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB(Game Drive)  ||  GPU: ASUS TUF Gaming RX 6900XT  ||  PSU: EVGA P2 1600W  ||  Case: Corsair 5000D Airflow  ||  Mouse: Logitech G502 Hero SE RGB  ||  Keyboard: Logitech G513 Carbon RGB with GX Blue Clicky Switches  ||  Mouse Pad: MAINGEAR ASSIST XL ||  Monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming VG34VQL1B 34" 

 

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1 minute ago, CommanderAlex said:

 My post was not going against yours, in fact, it was supporting your post on the question OP asked. If I had offended you, then I apologize.  

Sorry, it started like you were arguing against me saying PC is like any other mechanical item.

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Just kick the tires.

BabyBlu (Primary): 

  • CPU: Intel Core i9 9900K @ up to 5.3GHz, 5.0GHz all-core, delidded
  • Motherboard: Asus Maximus XI Hero
  • RAM: G.Skill Trident Z RGB 4x8GB DDR4-3200 @ 4000MHz 16-18-18-34
  • GPU: MSI RTX 2080 Sea Hawk EK X, 2070MHz core, 8000MHz mem
  • Case: Phanteks Evolv X
  • Storage: XPG SX8200 Pro 2TB, 3x ADATASU800 1TB (RAID 0), Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB
  • PSU: Corsair HX1000i
  • Display: MSI MPG341CQR 34" 3440x1440 144Hz Freesync, Dell S2417DG 24" 2560x1440 165Hz Gsync
  • Cooling: Custom water loop (CPU & GPU), Radiators: 1x140mm(Back), 1x280mm(Top), 1x420mm(Front)
  • Keyboard: Corsair Strafe RGB (Cherry MX Brown)
  • Mouse: MasterMouse MM710
  • Headset: Corsair Void Pro RGB
  • OS: Windows 10 Pro

Roxanne (Wife Build):

  • CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K @ up to 5.0GHz, 4.8Ghz all-core, relidded w/ LM
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  • RAM: G.Skill Sniper 4x8GB DDR3-2400 @ 10-12-12-24
  • GPU: EVGA GTX 1080 FTW2 w/ LM
  • Case: Corsair Vengeance C70, w/ Custom Side-Panel Window
  • Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB, Samsung 860 EVO 1TB, Silicon Power A80 2TB NVME
  • PSU: Corsair AX760
  • Display: Samsung C27JG56 27" 2560x1440 144Hz Freesync
  • Cooling: Corsair H115i RGB
  • Keyboard: GMMK TKL(Kailh Box White)
  • Mouse: Glorious Model O-
  • Headset: SteelSeries Arctis 7
  • OS: Windows 10 Pro

BigBox (HTPC):

  • CPU: Ryzen 5800X3D
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte B550i Aorus Pro AX
  • RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB DDR4-3600 @ 3600MHz 14-14-14-28
  • GPU: MSI RTX 3080 Ventus 3X Plus OC, de-shrouded, LM TIM, replaced mem therm pads
  • Case: Fractal Design Node 202
  • Storage: SP A80 1TB, WD Black SN770 2TB
  • PSU: Corsair SF600 Gold w/ NF-A9x14
  • Display: Samsung QN90A 65" (QLED, 4K, 120Hz, HDR, VRR)
  • Cooling: Thermalright AXP-100 Copper w/ NF-A12x15
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  • GPU: Intel HD Graphics 530
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  • SSD: Inland Premium 512GB NVME, Sabrent 1TB NVME
  • Optical: BDXL WH14NS40 flashed to WH16NS60
  • PSU: Corsair CX450
  • Display: None
  • Cooling: Noctua NH-U14S
  • Keyboard/Mouse: None
  • OS: Windows 10 Pro

NAS:

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17 minutes ago, LogicalDrm said:

Sorry, it started like you were arguing against me saying PC is like any other mechanical item.

No worries!!! I was just pointing out that a computer is not a mechanical item such as a car and it will be totally fine after sitting for 4 months. 

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Main System Specifications: 

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X ||  CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15 Air Cooler ||  RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB(4x8GB) DDR4-3600 CL18  ||  Mobo: ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero X570  ||  SSD: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB M.2-2280 Boot Drive/Some Games)  ||  HDD: 2X Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB(Game Drive)  ||  GPU: ASUS TUF Gaming RX 6900XT  ||  PSU: EVGA P2 1600W  ||  Case: Corsair 5000D Airflow  ||  Mouse: Logitech G502 Hero SE RGB  ||  Keyboard: Logitech G513 Carbon RGB with GX Blue Clicky Switches  ||  Mouse Pad: MAINGEAR ASSIST XL ||  Monitor: ASUS TUF Gaming VG34VQL1B 34" 

 

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You should not have to do anything but just maybe catch up on windows updates.

I've let my desktop sit for way longer then that in times past with no problems.

I wouldn't worry about the cmos battery. It is made to last for years.

I've had the same one in one old desktop I've had for 13 years. 😄

That's one of the nice things about electronics, if they have a history of working good they will usually keep well.

😁

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I came back to my PC after a year living overseas.

 

I think I blew some canned air over the components, particularly the fans & filters.

But yeah, it was & still is fine another year later.

 

I actually replaced the thermal paste on my AIO with some Thermal Grizzly last month, anticipating the paste was dried out, but it was actually fine. I have the feeling my 5-year-old AIO may have suffered from a little evaporation & it's running a bit warmer than it used to, but zero problems with the thermal paste. I wouldn't worry after only 4 months unless you live in a desert or something.

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It's a PC not a glass of milk... 

 

Clean out dust filters if you want and maybe run a stress test or two to check everything's stable if you've OCed.

Dirty Windows Peasants :P ?

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