Today is one of the worst days of my life. A few hours ago, my computer might have gone an died after days of tweaking, moving, and everything else to make it work.
- CPU: Advanced Micro Devices Athlon processor - Thunderbird model running at 1.1GHz (I planned to make it run at the 133MHz FSB instead of the original 100MHz).
- CPU cooling: I'm using a Global Win FOP38 heatsink/fan, slathered with Arctic Silver like it's butter on toast.
- Memory: 256MB of memory made by Crucial Technology, made in good ol' Idaho.
- Hard disk interface: A Tekram DC390-U3W controller provides the SCSI interface for everything I use.
- Storage: One IBM Ultrastar 9LZX hard drive, one Pioneer 303S DVD-ROM drive (I made this one region-free!).
- Graphics card: ATI Radeon with 32MB Double Data Rate memory.
- Case: I'm using the Cyclone 5000 from CoolerGuys (http://www.coolerguys.com). Lots of fans all over the case, that's for sure.
I've gone through lots of bugs in the computer since I've assembled the computer. One was the motherboard's ability to lose its CMOS settings. The SCSI controller starts scanning all of the devices twice followed by a dead stop. This morning, I went to clear the CMOS settings again, and the computer can't power up. I can trace this problem to the motherboard or the power supply.
Right after work, I'm going to send the computer off to a computer shop to diagnose the problem. Is it the board? Is it the CPU, is it both? No one knows.