My PC makes cracking noises and won't start..... Until I do this crazy trick 😂

[Zulu Alpha]

Alright guys, I don't know if I'm posting on the right place or not, but here I go.

 

PC specs:

• CPU: Core i5 2400
• RAM: Samsung 4GB and some random other 4GB (I'll have to look it up in details, I'll edit later). 8GB in total
• GPU: GT 440 (1GB)
• Motherboard: Intel DQ76ow
• Boot drive: Sk hynix 126 GB
• Storage: WD Blue 256GB, Seagate 750GB
• PSU: Seasonic 400W (looks pretty f**kin old)
• Monitor: Lenovo ThinkVision T2224 (via HDMi). (I sometimes use another 17" small monitor via VGA but that's irrelevant I think)
• Case: ThinkStation (https://www.ebay.com/itm/333755671482), it has its own little speakers as well
• Things connected to my motherboard
• Keyboard, mouse, USB headset, USB cable for my monitor (it powers something idk exactly what, monitor has webcam, speaker, mic and 2 usb ports pass throughs)

 

Saga:

 

So my PC doesn't turns on and makes weird noises from motherboard speakers and the case speaker and a small led indicator on the motherboard blinks, which should stay on as long as psu is connected. So these noises are like cracking and/or knocking. It is not hard drive or fan.

So its not from these two. Coil whine is different and rattling is different too. Also, it's not the motherboard beeps.  So it's coming from speakers and the indicator is blinking.very weird and PC won't start, fans won't spin. Pressing power button makes no difference. So I was looking for solutions myself by plugging/unplugging things and switching ram slots and whatnot, when this crazy idea hits me that may be the PC is too cool to boot up? Lol. I don't like in a very cold place (Islamabad, Pakistan) but i was feeling cold so i thought may be ...

So what I did was, i thought to heat it up a little and then try again. Knocking noise still going on. I have this electric hot air blower for room heating, small size that would fit on side of my case when side panel is removed. So I point that to my bare PC ad turned it on. So now im heating up my PC . A couple of minutes, may be a few, passed and that blinking light was still now, and moments after the koncking stopped. I turned off the blower and pressed the power button, lo and behold fans are spinning and my USB headset lit up. Fans were ramping for like 3sec then normal speed, And PC is not booted, everything normal!

 

 

All this happen almost 2 years ago, ever since this is how I turn on my PC, yes....every time. That's the drill. And I can't keep it always on, there is load shedding on daily basis, so yeah everyday this is how start my PC.

expect for summers when its hot and day time when i notice there is no knocking and blinking LED on motherboard, then it starts normally without heating.

 

 

Conclusions:

 

I've been doing same drill for quite a while now and I'm so fed up with this idk what took me so long to come here and ask people about it. Ithought may be its my PSU but i kept on doing same procedure daily instead of investing in new PSU. My bad iguess. 

But still i want to know the actual reason behind this and how does heating solves it? Or what does heating do that it turns on? There is no complain of sudden shutdown or anything, once it's booted up, it's normal.

I won't gladly share any pictures etc to know the issue also could record myself performing the whole ritual too

I do it daily anyways

 

 

 

P.S. this is my first time posting something actual here. Idk if it's the right place or if anyone would respond

 

-Peace

QB

[tJuggernaut29]

Weird question, is your outlet, and intern power supply, properly grounded?

 

What if you try your routine with the heat gun, but not actually heat the pc, just use it as load on your electrical circuit?

[Anghammarad]

Aging PSU, or dying Caps on the motherboard, you can easily see if they bloat...

 

Caps can sometimes be changed, if there is a little knowledge in soldering and a little equip... caps aren't that expensive.

[Zulu Alpha]

15 hours ago, tJuggernaut29 said:

Weird question, is your outlet, and intern power supply, properly grounded?

 

What if you try your routine with the heat gun, but not actually heat the pc, just use it as load on your electrical circuit?

You might be just right. Nothing is grounded. And the heater may be putting a lot of load on the power outlet.....but what happens when there is a lot of load on power outlet? What happends when i ground? I just asking basically how electricity works ....

 

[Zulu Alpha]

15 hours ago, Anghammarad said:

Aging PSU, or dying Caps on the motherboard, you can easily see if they bloat...

 

Caps can sometimes be changed, if there is a little knowledge in soldering and a little equip... caps aren't that expensive.

Caps on motherboard, where are they placed, there are obviously a lof of things on motherboard....can i please be guided to specifics to look at?

[Anghammarad]

I drawed on the picture to show where the Caps are...

 

They are those cylindrical lil Towers... 

[Anghammarad]

here an example of a good and a bad capacitor

 

 

the bad ones are not flat on top but starting to bulge... 

[Zulu Alpha]

1 hour ago, Anghammarad said:

I drawed on the picture to show where the Caps are...

 

They are those cylindrical lil Towers... 

oh i see, so these are the capacitor kinds things, i get it now. 

 

[Zulu Alpha]

1 hour ago, Anghammarad said:

here an example of a good and a bad capacitor

 

 

the bad ones are not flat on top but starting to bulge... 

so now i will check for these, if there are some bulged ones, should i consider replacing? if yes, where can i know that what is one called? like the values and rating etc