1GHz G4 upgrade destroyed my computer?

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1GHz G4 upgrade destroyed my computer?

So just last night the Sonnet 1GHz G4 ("U") arrived. I have a beige G3 desktop (to be transplanted into an ATX case as soon as the case arrives in the post). Prior to installation, the specs were as follows:

Rev C logic board
768MB RAM
XLR8 G4 366MHz
Stock 230w PSU
PC 64MB ATI Radeon 7000 PCI (re-flashed)
Orange Micro USB/FireWire PCI card
IDE1: 12GB Maxtor HD (master), 60GB IBM DeskStar (slave)
IDE2: Stock 24x CD-ROM drive

I do not have a Royal VRM (I checked last year when I got the XLR8 G4).

So, first I uninstalled the Powerlogix cache enabler via Terminal. Next I ran the Sonnet installer that came with the drive. Then I restarted; got a kernel panic during bootup (most likely because of the extensions that the Sonnet software installed). I then put in the 1GHz G4, following Sonnet's instructions to the letter. The only discrepancy is that there was a sticker that says that the fans must be removed from the heatsink prior to installation on a beige G3 desktop, but in the actual instruction manual there was no mention of this, so I deferred to the instruction manual.

Once the chip was installed, I turned on the computer and everything was working beautifully. So I unplugged everything to take the computer back to my room to put it in its normal spot. I hooked everything up, started up the machine, and I heard a sound like a cable in the way of a fan, and I got a kernel panic on startup. I turned the machine off, and turned it back on. I got the sound again, so I tried opening the case and pulling the drive/PSU tray up a little bit, and the sound went away and the computer started up normally. So with the case panel off, I propped the case on its side, so that the drive/PSU tray would not press down on the CPU and make that noise again.

The computer was running for about 20-30 minutes, then locked hard. No kernel panic, just completely frozen. I turned the computer off, then tried turning it back on, and nothing. No startup chime, no video (in either the Radeon or the onboard); the only thing that happens when I hit the power button is the fans on the CPU and the fans in the PSU start spinning, and there's a brief flash of the LEDs on the keyboard and monitor (they turn on and off, only once per startup attempt as soon as the power button is pressed, very briefly). The hard drives make no noise at all. Earlier that day, I had used Disk Utility to repair permissions, and S.M.A.R.T. reported the drives as "Verified", so it is doubtful that it's hard drive failure. Also, the RAM is fine, and has been running fine for a year (with both the original G3 CPU, the XLR8 G4 CPU, and always running OS X, from 10.0 to 10.2 to 10.3; all clean installs.). I have also tried resetting PRAM, but to no avail.

The only thing I've found on Sonnet's support site that matches the behaviour I'm getting is this one:

http://www.sonnettech.com/support/techtips/eziftt01.html

But again, I don't have the Royal VRM, so I'm back to square one, as it were.

I have two ideas of what it could be: either the CPU overheated and died, or else the 230w PSU is not powerful enough to power everything with that chip installed.

Is this a good guess? Should I be worried about anything? Any ideas of what to do?

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Have you tried the G4/366 tha

Have you tried the G4/366 that you had in there before? If not, give that a shot, it might help you trouble-shoot the source of the problem.

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Try

Beige G3s are temperamental systems.

First try a CUDA reset. To do that press the switch near the back left corner (left of the PCI slots) for at least 30 seconds. If its like mine that will fix it

If that fails pull all the components out and give them a good cleaning before reinstalling.

If its not working then trouble shoot the parts by starting with a basic system and systematically reinstalling everything. If somethings shot thats the easiest way to find out what died.

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Just one thing, I don't know

Just one thing, I don't know if it matters in your case or not, but did you make sure that the heatsink holddown clip was put on the correct orientation?

If the clip is installed on backwards, it will cause the heatsink to be mounted a tiny bit at an angle which will then kill a high heat cpu in a very short time.

The part of the clip that is bent (touches the heatsink itself) needs to be centered over the actual cpu chip on the board.

Doublecheck.

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Heatsink clip

Actually, for the Sonnet Encore/ZIF, the (monstrously huge) heatsink is attached to the card in the factory. I don't know if you even *can* detach it without damaging it.

The old clip is currently sitting in the box with the old CPU.

Just leaving work now. I'll post more after I get home and get to play with it a little more.

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I'm putting my money on the p

I'm putting my money on the powersupply being over-taxed. That puney 250w powersupply doesn't even sound like it could handle what you had in there before the upgrade. I think that it just can't handle the load. Try disconnecting one of the hard drives, cdrom, and pull all the pci cards exept the video. Also remove the fan atop the heat sink like it told you to do in the first place (sometimes manufatures put in sheets with changes if it's too expencive to re-wite the manual, and I would always go with that sheet if there are any conflicts). See if that works, if not, your powersupply it totaly fryed.

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Re: I'm putting my money on the p

I'm putting my money on the powersupply being over-taxed. That puney 250w powersupply doesn't even sound like it could handle what you had in there before the upgrade. I think that it just can't handle the load. Try disconnecting one of the hard drives, cdrom, and pull all the pci cards exept the video. Also remove the fan atop the heat sink like it told you to do in the first place (sometimes manufatures put in sheets with changes if it's too expencive to re-wite the manual, and I would always go with that sheet if there are any conflicts). See if that works, if not, your powersupply it totaly fryed.

Keep in mind that the stock board only eats about 40 watts. I doubt RAM would eat up too much more. The DT model uses a 150 watt PSU and both of mine mine can handle a Radeon 7000, 2 optical drives (one burner), two hard drives, a Firewire/USB combo card, personality card and an ethernet card with no problem. I'm using the stock processors in each but if he has a 250 watt PSU he shouldn't have any problems

'corse it doesn't take much time to put a multimeter to the 5 and 12 volt lines...

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not the psu

I really doubt it's the PSU. I've run much more stuff than he's talking about on my old G3 d.t. and it didn't bother it at all. Like the previous post said, nothing there draws that much power. I think the cuda reset switch suggestion is the best bet, but if that doesn't work, start replacing things beginning with the processor itself.

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Video RAM

I tried upgrading the processor in my Beige G3, and when I did, it had the same problem. The way that I fixed it was to pull the video ram card out. (I would also pull your Radion 7000.) Then start up your computer. If that works, then put your extra video ram back in. It worked for me, but I don't have a radion 7000. (BTW, Beige G3's are VERY tempermental systems!)

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That doesn't make sense. The

That doesn't make sense. The newer chip actually draws less power than the older chip because of better fabrication.

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Hmm...

I'll go ahead and give it a shot. I'm not too worried about it at the moment, since I bought a G4 iMac, but I would really like to have not just wasted the money on the upgrade, you know? I'll let everybody know what happens.

I had to push back my beige project, since I couldn't really afford to keep pouring money into it, since I'm saving to get into film school. I will get this working, though, dammit. Smile

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