Help, my computer smells like shi*

[BloodTotal]

This started about last year, around november it started smelling like crap, at the time these were my computer specs

CPU: AMD Athelon 64 3200+
Motherboard: ASUS A8N-VM CSM
Graphics Card: XFX Nvidia GeForce 7600 GT Extreme Edition
Case: Canada Computers Stock Case
Power Supply Unit: OCZ StealthXStream 500 W
Hard Drive Disk: Seagste Barracuda 500 GB
Speakers: some crappy old speakers, without a subwoofer
Mouse: Logitech mx 510
Keyboard: a very crappy old keyboard

It started to smell like crap, my room was also not ventilated very well because so had a basement room, and the window was very small near the ceiling. I moved into a room that was very well ventilated, and I forgot about the smell altogether. So for November it smelled, and for December - September it did not. Now I am in another room, and it smells like SHI*, and I mean it reeks.

I didn't know what it was. Now I thought that it was my 8800 GT that I. When I sold my 8800 GT on eBay, the guy that I sold it too said that the fan was broken (there is where the smell come into play, graphic card running on no cooling hmm.). I gave that guy the money to buy a new dan for the card, and that was that. Well the smell is still here, so it couldn't be that. It is coming from my computer because it only appears after I use my computer for more than an hour (I have to air the place out with cold Canadian grizzly air all the time). I have recently found out about OCZ's power supplies' ripple issues. I am thinking that my PSU screwed up my hardware because of it's shi**y ripple. I opened my case and smelled around, and to me it seem that the smell is coming from my CPU.

Has anyone had this happen, or know any information that could help me with this?

What should I do? Should I call up OCZ or AMD and ask them WTF is going on?

Thank for your help!

 

[spearman914]

Could be cpu. Try booting with another one.

 

[lollerskater69]

I took a crap in your case.

GG

 

[mikek75]

Are you sure something ain't crawled in there and died, lol? If it was you're CPU I reckon it would have blown for sure by now, sensitive flowers they be...

 

[Polarman]

Do you have any pets in the house (cat/dog) ?

 

[BloodTotal]

I don't have another CPU.

I have no dogs or cats since about May, but before May I had a dog (the kind that loses a lot of hair).

 

[lemonadesoda]

The CPU is not going to smell! LOL.

Something is in there though. Perhaps crawled into the PSU and died.

Either that, or it's not the PC, it's you!

 

[russianboy]

Open up your case and clean it out. Probably the fur.

 

[BloodTotal]

No fur, case is clean, I thought my hardware was overheating, so I bought an antec 900, and cleaned everything out to place it into the antec

 

[Asylum]

Check all your fans...One may be burning up...Had a buddy that had the same problem...It was his PSU fan...He just replaced it and that was it!!

 

[mc-dexter]

just out of curiosity, whats the temps for everything, ie: cpu, hdd, southbridge, etc

also you mentioned you think it could be your psu, do you have another you could try, or even borrow one to try? for like half a day or something.

 

[kysg]

Dang PSU might be jacking up, also check the mobo, for any busted capacitors also check temps on all components, then at the last resort check the CPU.

but I got a gut feeling PSU may need to be RMA'd damn, can't believe it and I thought OCZ's were halfway decent PSU's, geez they also have PC power cooling so you'd figured they would be decent.

 

[mc-dexter]

Dang PSU might be jacking up, also check the mobo, for any busted capacitors also check temps on all components, then at the last resort check the CPU.

if it was a capcitor... i can't imagen the mobo would be working.... even more so after the year or so its been used.

 

[oli_ramsay]

Could it be thermal paste? Maybe try re-applying it here and there.

 

[p3n1x420]

it was me, i farted....constantly

 

[BloodTotal]

I wish I could stream video to you guys, I am going to run it for a little bit, then turn it off and smell every component, I just smelled my CPU heat sink, and it smell the worst of all the components

I've never applied thermal paste before, (I didnt literally build ky first comp, so thr person that did might have) maybe that the thing

Temps of core and all the stuff in a program called speedfan are 20 Celcius stable, I don't know about other temps

I don have amy spare components

 

[BloodTotal]

It is very hard to smell where it's coming from, goddamn it could b anything, that's what makes me uneasy

 

[erocker]

Buy some thermal paste. MX-2 is good. Take off the heatsink, clean the heatsink and processor with alcohol (rubbing alcohol works), and blow things off with compressed air (or make sure there is no lint or dust on either surface as you can). Apply a small (bb sized) amount in the center of the processor. Reinstall the heatsink.

Just take the computer apart to find the smell. Usually all you need is a screwdriver.

 

[mc-dexter]

set up your system on a work top or something stable and safe, so all the components are exposed to the open air, and easy for you to 'smell' better.

i dare say you have some thermal paste on your cpu/hsf if those are true temps, i take it its also an aftermarket fan... not standard/come with the cpu in a box

 

[BloodTotal]

Im going to run my comp for a while, then open quickly and smell, of IRS the CPU then I will thermal paste.

Antec 900 has good cooling, plus I bought a really good side fan, as for what I know, I'm not sure I'd tree I thermal paste right now, and ok not sure I'd it's the stock hearsink or not

 

[BloodTotal]

No matte how hard I try, I can't tell what smells. Sigh.

 

[mc-dexter]

if you open it quickly you wont be able to tell where the smell is comming from it will just be like a gust of that smell,, like i say... just take everything out, and lay it out on a desk and run it for an hour or so, so you can smell clearly what part is obviously the problem, i do allso agree with erocker... a good clean and new thermal paste, it can't do no harm.... obviously only do it if you feel alright doing it, but you've always got the guys here for any help you may want.

 

[mikek75]

Only other thing I can think to try is to make a tube of paper about 1 inch diameter, then systematically hover over all sections of the rig. This might isolate the source and help eliminate any odour shift due to airflow or convection. (WOW, hows that for a scientific approach, LOL!)

BTW mc-dexter, love the av. I'll never listen to Wish You Were Here without that poor rodents little eyes haunting me again...)

 

[BloodTotal]

I'll put this stuff up for sale tomorrow, and anyone who wants to buys any of these things for a server, they can get a sweet deal

 

[CDdude55]

Thats strange make sure its nothing else around it, something could have died in a vent or something leading to that room and it is pushing the smell in.

If you are sure it is coming from the PC, all you can really do it clean the innards i have never heard of a computer's hardware smelling like @ss.