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Help, my computer smells like shi*

ShadowFold

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mc-dexter

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The Caps in the PS ain't that big, they don't hold enough charge to do serious damage. Although they can give you a nasty shock if they're fully charged. So it's probably not advisable, or just check the caps with an electrical screwdriver. oh yea, also keep small children, pets and anyone with a pacemaker away too :)

In physics lab we used to get the biggest caps, fully charge them and shock other classmates. Man that was almost as fun as throwing liquid nitrogen around the lab and watching people freak.


It was our lab instructor in 1st year physics that demonstrated these things to us in the 1st place. I don't know what he was thinking showing a bunch of 19yr olds how to play practical jokes with dangerous equipment.
 

Mark_Hardware

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Well, I have smelled stinky electronics before, and its almost always something burnig. Like, say, the transformer for my CCFLs that took a dump on me last night....
I would try running it all out the case, just to try and keep it cooler. You say it doesnt really start until you've been using it for awhile, which is further indicative of a heat related issue. Are you using a UPS? When batteries start going bad, they don't smell like potpurri, I assure you.
The other thing is the animals. It is definately possible one of them sprayed your puter, and some of it got on a part that gets hot. That actually makes a lot of sense. Anyone who has animals knows how permeable and permanent their urine is. I wonder if they didnt spray somewhere where there is a fan, which would blow the smell throughout the room.
 

mc-dexter

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..............The other thing is the animals. It is definately possible one of them sprayed your puter, and some of it got on a part that gets hot. That actually makes a lot of sense. Anyone who has animals knows how permeable and permanent their urine is. I wonder if they didnt spray somewhere where there is a fan, which would blow the smell throughout the room.

i kinda agree, but dont you think after the year or so its been like it has, the smell would die off bit by bit wouldnt it?
 
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DaMulta

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Guys, I cleaned the whole thing out a week ago with compressed air.

I have also read a lot of articles, and it appears that the Thermal Paste on the CPU has worn out, and I need to put some new thermal paste on.

Air is not as good as water;)
 
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Guys, I cleaned the whole thing out a week ago with compressed air.

I have also read a lot of articles, and it appears that the Thermal Paste on the CPU has worn out, and I need to put some new thermal paste on

heh, I use Arctic Silver Ceramique because users of Arctic Silver 3 and 5 have to replace their application every 6 months or else it breaks down and starts to loose its ability to transfer heat. lol.
Soon as I slap the HSF on, with ASC its good to go for life. ;-)
w00t for ASC!
*coming from a rookie chemist and a chemist from teh UK*

Fly
 

mc-dexter

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i'll remember that one Fly :toast:
 
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Once I forgot to connect the cpu fan to the motherboard and my cpu reached 100C, I think the thermal paste began to burn and it smelled quite bad. Maybe that?
 

mc-dexter

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Once I forgot to connect the cpu fan to the motherboard ...........................

i did that once... and then gave the pc back to my brother... 20 minutes later he comes back to me, "i can smell something burning and its comming from the pc" so i went to check what it was, went in the room and he'd still got the pc turned on after all that time!!! :wtf:
 
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