What does a CPU Do When It Goes Bad? | AMD & Intel | Symptoms of Failure
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Central Processing Unit (CPU) Failure 101
This lens will describe the ways a processor fails inside of a computer or any device. How to determine if it is the processor with some unique scenarios. Hope you enjoy, and as always, please leave a comment at the bottom of the page if this lens helped you in any way, I always enjoy knowing my knowledge has been helpful in assisting others.
Processors
Keeping it simple
CPU Failures happen
CPU's only fail one way, they burn out. Now figuring out if the problem is the CPU is another story to tell. Here is a list of symptoms that say a CPU could be failing.
CPU Failure Symptoms:
* System isn't posting, no beeps.
* System turns on, fans all run very high, but system isn't loading.
* System powers on briefly, but then turns off.
* In Windows, system freezes after being on for a few minutes.
* System halt errors (blue screen of death) that directly call the processor.
Narrowing it down:
The fun part is figuring out which is the problem. Since there are many different components in a computer, of which some can throw the same problems as above to confuse the repair tech. to no living end, narrowing down the problem can be tricky.
Things to check for before assuming CPU is dead:
* Check motherboard for any bulging or leaking capacitors.
* Is the power supply working properly (Will need a volt meter or preferably a power supply tester to do this.)
* Is the video card (card or integrated) known to be working.
If all the above checks out then you likely have a processor failure, especially if fans and lights turn on at maximum speed with nothing loading on the screen and no system beeps.
Note: If system is giving beeps, then your problem could be something else. Consult your motherboard manufacturer for beeps codes.
Biggest Culprit of CPU Failure:
HEAT!!!!!
Heat is a computer's nightmare. If a CPU isn't cooling properly, then it will eventually fry. Most CPU's range from 30 to 50 degrees Celsius depending on environment and operating conditions. If your CPU is going above 70C then it would be a good idea to check the thermal compound between the CPU and heat-sink. It should be about 1 mil thick and gooey, not hard. I recommend using Arctic Silver for this application if applying new compound.
System temperature can be viewed by entering into your system's BIOS (setup) and looking under system health or temperatures.
A CPU heat-sink should be free of dust and other particles at all times. The dirtier a system is, the shorter the lifespan.
CPU Failure Symptoms:
* System isn't posting, no beeps.
* System turns on, fans all run very high, but system isn't loading.
* System powers on briefly, but then turns off.
* In Windows, system freezes after being on for a few minutes.
* System halt errors (blue screen of death) that directly call the processor.
Narrowing it down:
The fun part is figuring out which is the problem. Since there are many different components in a computer, of which some can throw the same problems as above to confuse the repair tech. to no living end, narrowing down the problem can be tricky.
Things to check for before assuming CPU is dead:
* Check motherboard for any bulging or leaking capacitors.
* Is the power supply working properly (Will need a volt meter or preferably a power supply tester to do this.)
* Is the video card (card or integrated) known to be working.
If all the above checks out then you likely have a processor failure, especially if fans and lights turn on at maximum speed with nothing loading on the screen and no system beeps.
Note: If system is giving beeps, then your problem could be something else. Consult your motherboard manufacturer for beeps codes.
Biggest Culprit of CPU Failure:
HEAT!!!!!
Heat is a computer's nightmare. If a CPU isn't cooling properly, then it will eventually fry. Most CPU's range from 30 to 50 degrees Celsius depending on environment and operating conditions. If your CPU is going above 70C then it would be a good idea to check the thermal compound between the CPU and heat-sink. It should be about 1 mil thick and gooey, not hard. I recommend using Arctic Silver for this application if applying new compound.
System temperature can be viewed by entering into your system's BIOS (setup) and looking under system health or temperatures.
A CPU heat-sink should be free of dust and other particles at all times. The dirtier a system is, the shorter the lifespan.
Artic Silver & Power Supply Testers
Heat Sinks
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