Category: PC Components & Maintenance
Added: 4th of April 2020
Viewed: 1,902 times
My computer powers up for a few seconds then shuts down
A few months back I recently ran in to an issue with a relatives computer. Powering up the PC would result in it shutting down a few seconds later.
I checked the memory and the graphics card to make sure they where seated properly. I also removed the memory first, then the graphics card, powered up the machine and it still shut down. The next component to check was the CPU.
I know from past experience that if your PC shuts down this way, it usually points to an overheating issue. If there was no power at all, that would either be the PSU unit or the actual motherboard itself.
As I was releasing the heatsink from the motherboard, I noticed one of push pins was loose. I cleaned the heatsink and CPU, then applied some new thermal paste and refitted the heatsink making sure all four push pins where securely attached to the motherboard. I powered up the PC and the issue was resolved.
This PC was purchased from a system builder a couple of years ago, I was wondering if the push pin had been like this since the day it was purchased.
Whenever you fix a PC it's always best to work backwards, starting with the most obvious components first, like the memory, graphics and other cards.
