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Good night, sweet Franken-puter

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  • Good night, sweet Franken-puter

    I know computer issues go in the "Tech Help" section of Unsupportable, but I'm not looking for tech advice.

    My computer was a Gateway GT5628. It wasn't the best on the market and mine was already behind the 8-ball as it was the display. But, the price was right and I enjoyed it. The HDD failed after a month, but I got a new one. Fast forward 5 more years of patching, upgrading and cursing. I've done everything I can and still keep it as the same computer.

    Then yesterday, it dies.

    It was on when the fan (which is usually very quiet) gets LOUD then the screen goes out. I give it 30 seconds and try to power it on. No screen and I get 3 slow beeps. It doesn't power off until I hard boot it. I replaced the RAM, checked the connections, cleaned what I could, and powered it on. No joy.

    So, a toast to my brave, often infuriating Franken-puter. Rest in peace.

    Or pieces as I'm cannibalizing your ass for my next computer.
    Last edited by Nurian; 01-05-2013, 01:11 AM.
    I have a...thing. Wanna see it?

  • #2
    I know you're not looking for tech help, but this sounds like the fan on your video card failed and the card burned itself up. It doesn't take long with modern video cards. If you have a good used video card laying around, it might be worth swapping it in Another possibility is its power supply, which is a fairly common failure in PCs. Not terribly expensive, either. Might be worth throwing a couple of bucks, and a spare PSU is always handy to have around. Don't waste money on an uber-cheapie - a decent PSU can usually be found starting in the $45 range. Just a suggestion
    Last edited by ADeMartino; 01-05-2013, 12:54 PM.

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    • #3
      Well, you that car that everyone seems to have? It had a good life but seems like it always has problems then gets that one issue that makes you wonder if it's worth fixing for the umpteenth time? Yeah....
      I have a...thing. Wanna see it?

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      • #4
        I hear ya. My ancient computer finally died a few months back. It won't even boot up now--the motherboard has gone. Over the past 10 years or so, I've replaced just about everything in it--both hard drives, DVD drive, various fans, etc. Other than the drives, all of the other parts were used. I'm not about to spend money on a 10-year-old-plus computer!

        Right now, it's serving as a door stop. The board is shot, and simply not worth replacing. As it is, I'd have to replace everything--chip, RAM, drives (no IDE sockets on new boards now), plus the case is beat to hell. Side panel won't stay on and the front panel had to be removed to reach the stuck power switch. And yes, duct tape and bailing wire is actually used
        Aerodynamics are for people who can't build engines. --Enzo Ferrari

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        • #5
          My old Franken-puter by the end only had the case, motherboard and the disc drive left by the end and had come to me from my sisters partner (who did all of the work on it.) But it evenutally had to end, it stopped talking to the internet (we never could track down why) and then began having a few random issues as well, so I got a new one but I still think of the beast fondly.
          Final Fantasy XIV - Acorna Starfall - Ragnarok (EU Legacy)

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          • #6
            Aw, sorry to hear it. I finally gritted my teeth and got rid of my Mac Blueberry just before my most recent move (took it to an electronic recycling place). I'm still sorry I had to do it, but I had no room in my car for it, and it just wasn't practical to drag it along with me.

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            • #7
              Quoth Nurian View Post
              Well, you that car that everyone seems to have? It had a good life but seems like it always has problems then gets that one issue that makes you wonder if it's worth fixing for the umpteenth time? Yeah....
              Well, you do make a valid point - and of course, it IS your decision to repair or replace.

              The reason I mentioned, it though, is because I've found it handy to have a spare, functional machine on hand. I use my newest, post powerful rig for 3D modeling and occasionally video editing. And while that big rig is chewin' on a render or project, the spare rig makes a dandy DVD/MP3 player, web browser rig, and so on.

              Also, if you have a limited budget (as many of us do), tossing a $45-50 PSU at an older machine (assuming that's the problem) to put it back online buys you more time to put together the new one - and when you're ready to bring the new rig up, that PSU can be swapped from the old to the new, since you're gonna need it anyway, right?

              Yeah, I'm kind of old school with the 'mend and make do' mentality. I absolutely LOATHE scraoping a machine that only needs a minor repair, unless, of course, it's totally, hopelessly obsolete.

              A I said, I was just pointing out a possible alternative.

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              • #8
                Of course, I took your advise anyway, ADe....and you were partially right. The graphics card was to blame but it didn't burn out. It was moved out of place. I fixed it and Franken-puter has revived!

                I still think I'll get a new one, but at least I don't NEED a new one.

                Maybe it's good I didn't go into computer repair -_-.
                I have a...thing. Wanna see it?

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                • #9
                  My mom's vintage (approx 2005) Dell laptop bit the dust last week. I'd been after her to get a new machine for months now, and she finally had no choice. $200 at big yellow price tag for a Toshiba, 4G RAM, 500G HD, and more computing power than she'll ever need. The only downside is I had to take a crash course in Windows 8 to get it set up for her.
                  That is so full of suck Dyson doesn't know how they did it - shankyknitter

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                  • #10
                    Quoth Nurian View Post
                    Of course, I took your advise anyway, ADe....and you were partially right. The graphics card was to blame but it didn't burn out. It was moved out of place. I fixed it and Franken-puter has revived!

                    I still think I'll get a new one, but at least I don't NEED a new one.

                    Maybe it's good I didn't go into computer repair -_-.
                    I'm glad to hear it was such a simple fix, though it never occurred to me the car might shift in its socket. Been out of computer-repair for far too long, it seems.

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                    • #11
                      Quoth Nurian View Post
                      Of course, I took your advise anyway, ADe....and you were partially right. The graphics card was to blame but it didn't burn out. It was moved out of place. I fixed it and Franken-puter has revived!
                      Ah, yes. Rule #1 of computer diagnostics: Check the connections.

                      My card isn't secured properly and ever so rarely gets pulled out of the slot enough to break connection.

                      Although, my last issue was because an exposed power cable (why the hell does that even exist?) was touching the side of my case and shorting the power supply. >_<

                      But, for all that they're annoying, you have to adore the easy fixes.

                      ^-.-^
                      Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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                      • #12
                        Quoth Sonoma View Post
                        My mom's vintage (approx 2005) Dell laptop bit the dust last week. I'd been after her to get a new machine for months now, and she finally had no choice. $200 at big yellow price tag for a Toshiba, 4G RAM, 500G HD, and more computing power than she'll ever need. The only downside is I had to take a crash course in Windows 8 to get it set up for her.
                        Holy cow. I paid roughly 7 times that for my own Toshiba laptop back in '04, and while it wasn't anywhere near top of the line it was still pretty decent. Iv'e since got it up to 1G of RAM and a bigger HD, but heck, for that kinda money it might pay to swap it out.

                        Though not if I have to learn Win 8 for it... I can't even figure out Win 7. Why on earth do they need to change the entire user interface everytime they update the OS? Change for the sake of change doesn't make sense to me. Heck I'm still running XP on this machine, and not only that, but I've got the Classic theme that makes it look like Win98. (What, did they think that people would cut themselves on the sharp corners, so they had to round them off? It's just pixels on a screen for $DEITY's sake.)

                        Oh yeah, another problem. I don't like widescreen. 16:9 great for movies, but I hardly ever watch them, and the old 4:3 aspect ratio is better for actual "work", in my not-so-humble opinion. My current desktop machine is using a 1600x900 LCD, and it bugs me. The laptop is the old 1024x768 (or 1280x1024, I don't remember) and that's the way I like it. Unfortunately the new lappies don't come that way anymore.
                        Last edited by Shalom; 01-09-2013, 04:19 PM. Reason: added paragraph

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                        • #13
                          Quoth Shalom View Post
                          ... Why on earth do they need to change the entire user interface everytime they update the OS?...
                          Marketeering. No SOB worthy of the name can bear to let anything pass without pissing on it.

                          It's been about 10 years since the newest shiniest OS + CPU + hard drive would make a significant difference (+/- 50%) for 90% of the computer users.
                          I am not an a**hole. I am a hemorrhoid. I irritate a**holes!
                          Procrastination: Forward planning to insure there is something to do tomorrow.
                          Derails threads faster than a pocket nuke.

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                          • #14
                            Quoth Shalom View Post
                            Holy cow. I paid roughly 7 times that for my own Toshiba laptop back in '04, the way I like it.
                            Just a year ago I paid $650 for my Toshiba laptop with pretty much the same specs (but I still have Win 7). I do like the widescreen, though.
                            That is so full of suck Dyson doesn't know how they did it - shankyknitter

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                            • #15
                              Quoth dalesys View Post
                              Marketeering. No SOB worthy of the name can bear to let anything pass without pissing on it.
                              In that case, can we arrange for a police car to drive past the marketing department? Should take the SOBs out of circulation long enough to let users accomplish something.

                              From what I've heard, Windows 8 is designed for tablets, forces the tablet analogy on desktop/laptop users. UGH! If you've got a full interface (keyboard and mouse), use the damn things. That's one of the main reasons I don't use CoPilot Truck as my primary GPS application on my laptop - it over-simplifies input because it's a straight "port" of a dedicated GPS (no KB, no rodent) to the PC.
                              Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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