Red herrings, red herrings everywhere (4th Gen Intel Build, No POST) - LFC

[@Adamant_IT]

Brief FAQ because this video's doing numbers: Q: You didn't test the other RAM slots. A: Yea that was a cock-up, dead slots are actually very uncommon, but I should checked another slot when I dropped down to a single module. I think the fact that I was getting absolutely no response from changing the RAM config was why I moved away from that, if there'd been _any_ change of behaviour (power cycling, etc) I'd have been more thorough. Q: You should've known it was memory issues, you should've looked up the POST Code right away. A: I think you missed the part where it was nothing to do with memory, and the entire message of the video is to watch out for misleading symptoms. Q: This board has BIOS flashback. You didn't need a programmer. A: This was my bad - despite talking about flashback in the video, I didn't actually check. But hey, it was still a chance to show of other techniques that exist. Q: It's dirty! A: Yes. This is pretty normal for most PCs. Very few people clean their PCs. It usually won't stop anything from working, unless a fan is completely blocked. I inspect before cleaning because if something breaks during the cleaning process, I'll know it was me, and not a fault the PC came in with.

[@animalm4st3r]

Dead Memory slot is highly unlikely cause atleast since 4th gen and for AMD with Ryzen the memory controller is inside the CPU so unless you have a physically damaged slot memory issues come from the CPU

[@sobolanul96]

@@animalm4st3r Had that issue on an AMD processor. I thought the motherboard had a burned out channel. It turned out that the processor was faulty. When it is a processor issue two slots will fail at once, while a motherboard issue will usually give you one unusable slot.

[@mrtuk4282]

How much did you charge for the total repair ? Was the charge a fixed charge or dependant on CMOS Battery, BIOS flash, etc ?

[@diaman_d]

carbide 300R . did not try the other memory slots, it works just the same even if the mobo suggests to do otherwise. Still not a rossman you...keep learning. You jumped hoops , the bios flashback was good next step. The empty battery makes the dead/corrupted bios very much possible. Asus has the bios flashback function , bios onto a usb stick , much easier. You wanna learn about bios and cap files , check fernando's win-raid webforums. plenty more to learn there about all things bios, management engines, microcodes... About bios flashback, it can be picky about the usb memstick used. I myself have such a case with a p8z77-m i7-3770 fully updated customized bios... had to do it myself since Asus dropped all support . And it's still running strong, though i just upgraded to a i7-11700k system.

[@captaincrash12]

Yea even though he removed the dust bunny from the ram slot, the camera picked up more general dust towards other end a couple of inches long.

[@oscarmetal]

Best stock intel cpu cooler explanation ever.

[@Chris-yy7qc]

Conclusion: Buy a decent one and throw the stock cooler in the bin

[@Ferrari255GTO]

@@Chris-yy7qc i swear, whoever designed it was quite smart because it's a simple and effective system that doesn't require screws and that goes easy on the motherboard, but whoever decided that instructions just didnt matter needs to get to live in prison for the rest of his life. I know how it works and i still managed to break mine, the worst part is that i cant afford a proper heatsink so im gonna get one off of AliExpress wich had a good review on KZbin, wish me luck because i don't have much hope for thoose 20 bucks

[@Chris-yy7qc]

@@Ferrari255GTO The Aliexpress tower coolers are quite good for the money. Most of the time its the fan they cheaped out on. But it can be easily replaced in most cases.

[@Ferrari255GTO]

@@Chris-yy7qc good to know. It just doesn't feel right spending 20 bucks on a cooler when most similar ones are around 80 or 90 without a fan.

[@lovekush9103]

Antec A 30 cooler is best

[@GadgetUK164]

Great job! The benefit of ignoring the obvious (the error code) - you covered lots of other important stuff that was worth investigating regardless of the fault. eg. Say a BIOS reset (via that button) had fixed the problem, you wouldnt have seen the dirt in the memory socket, nor the unseated heatsink, and the connector issues. My view with any fault is rule out all the low hanging fruit (as you described it) first, regardless of how obvious the POST code might be - you will be surprised at what you discover and the end result will be a far more reliable machine. My other "goto" there would be to measure voltages and perhaps scope them.

[@sorukowolf3222]

I like that you actually fixed it by reflashing the bios instead of just replacing the motherboard as so many other "tech" or "repair" channels would have done. A ch314a with a clamp is only like $15 after all.

[@catriona_drummond]

New version: "it's never the CPU, even when you think it is."

[@steveclem7873]

Rom bios flash core ram programming no do

[@adampyro834]

Another to go with that... "Its always the bios even when it says its memory" lol

[@Chris-yy7qc]

@@adampyro834 Bad guy bios blaming others

[@agdgdgwngo]

More likely to be aliens than the CPU in my experience.

[@mrmc55]

I hope I will finish all the videos slowly 😅😊

[@felixlersha]

33:22 "confirmation bias" was perhaps what you were reaching for? Like many other viewers here I can't get enough of desktop troubleshooting videos - they never get old. I often learn something or at least sympathise with your frustration. So please keep em coming in '22.

[@yankees2000]

I've a old MAXIMUS V GENE with a 3770k which I thought some years ago was broken (did light up but nothing else) I kept it hoping one day I can fix it (I went onto 6700k/8700k and now got 12700k still got all 3) watched your video and you said power supply, I dug the board out and put the power supply from my 8700k and bingo it worked lol, thank you

[@raven4k998]

kid gets the computer back and it runs 50% faster due to being assembled correctly for the first time in it's entire life🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@lucymc0191]

im just an avid watcher with no electronics experience ...im just interested in watching how things work and how they are repaired.. but one thing i must say is how you put your skills over is easy on the eye and very proffessional .. you are very knowledgeable sir ..

[@Pochaco2007]

I love this kind of videos, It's like one of those police series where you have to find out who the killer is. Keep them coming please.

[@raven4k998]

16 gigs of ram I got 80 I win!

[@robcompton6099]

All that dust inside the PC, and not a single fingerprint! Think the killer got away with it this time!

[@kvn864]

CPU needs no cooling, so bizarre, it lived years "semi-cooled" and survived! to tell us about it, amazing

[@GGigabiteM]

Intel has had remarkable thermal throttle protection since the late Pentium 3, something AMD didn't do until the Athlon 64 era. I remember many a Athlon/Duron/Sempron suffering basically instant thermal death if the heatsink wasn't installed properly. If you left the CPU without a heatsink, it'd quickly shoot up to 700F or so and either burn or explode. I still remember a kid back in High School turning on his personal Athlon build without a heatsink and unfortunately for him, the CPU detonated and sent pieces of itself flying up into the ceiling. Thankfully the case was on its side and contained any shrapnel from hitting other people in the room, but there were gold pins and bits of ceramic embedded in the ceiling for the rest of the year.

[@bestage9429]

@@GGigabiteM Reminds me of that old Tom's Hardware video where they did a heatsink removal test on a Pentium 4, Pentium 3, then two Athlons while running a game. I once came across a video on KZbin where someone pulled the heatsink off a Duron while it was running, and the chip literally flew out of the socket off the motherboard, a few seconds later. Many people in the comments thought it was bullshit, maybe it was rigged with dynamite under the CPU or something, I too thought this was unbelievable and had to be fake. But now after hearing your buddy's experience I really wonder what can cause these CPUs to explode if heated up to extreme temps rapidly. Whether one of the materials the package is made of has violent explosive properties at high temperatures (like TNT), or there's a pocket of air or something inside the CPU can cause it to explode like that.

[@GGigabiteM]

@@bestage9429 >I really wonder what can cause these CPUs to explode if heated up to extreme temps rapidly. Really no need to wonder if you look into thermodynamics of materials. Bridges have expansion joints so they don't blow themselves apart. Tiny temperature changes can cause thousands of tons of force. This is the same thing that causes BGA failure on ICs with ROHS solder, the thermal cycling causes movement in a material with no ductility, so it cracks and fails. In early Socket 462 Athlons, the package was a hard ceramic. If the core rapidly heated to 700F and the surrounding ceramic substrate didn't follow, it could create enough force to blow the package apart. I'd imagine it'd be much more likely to happen on a new chip rather than an old chip, since the ceramic package probably had micro fractures in it from thousands of heat cycles that could allow some give to expansion. In all three scenarios, you're dealing with hundreds or thousands of pounds of force. It'd be like putting a ceramic block in a hydraulic press and having a pikachu face when it exploded from the pressure.

[@1pcfred]

My i5-4670 CPU runs cooler than a cucumber. I only have a Hyper T2 fan on it too. Was a whopping $10 when I bought it. Does the job though. It is a bit cool in the shop today but the hottest core temp is +24.0°C One core is +19.0°C It's really chilling.

[@CotyRiddle]

@@GGigabiteM the pentium 4 and pentium 3 had horrible thermal management. the pentium 4 would try to lower clock speed "if it was equipped with speed step which mostly was on the mobile chips"

[@jimo2983]

Watched beginning to end. Easy to follow and systematic repair. loved it!

[@Those_Weirdos]

Systematic? No. 22 minutes in, he's FINALLY using the diagnostic code the board is presenting him with. Sure, there might be other work to do, but he decided "looking up a diagnostic code" is harder than "randomly guessing" until he got to the CMOS battery. Come on, that's nonsense.

[@benn87]

@@Those_Weirdos The video can still be very helpful for many people. 1. many motherboards do not have a diagnostic display at all. 2. these displays can be inaccurate/misleading for someone who is not so familiar with the matter.

[@viky1354]

@@Those_Weirdos i think the same at first. but on 2nd thought, if you are trying to fix so many PCs those "randomly" guesses cost less effort than using our head to think.

[@hastingb]

Fortnight is so poetic but one would think it metric given the accent. Seeing that you've spilled the beans on it being two weeks I will be asking my boss for a fortnight of vacation time and see what happens.

[@lostinspace2009]

As a former repair tech for apple i found this video similar to a lot of RMA computers i dealt with, units that had weird symptoms and often misleading clues, determination and patience is the key to be a good tech..well done my dude !

[@itts]

The fact that apple sells new and doesnt repair anything determined that was a lie.

[@abjectt5440]

I like a man who can admit his mistakes. You could have edited that out but didn't. Good on you.

[@1pcfred]

So anything he did before he discovered the error was a mistake in your estimation? I'd call it troubleshooting myself.

[@Vonklieve]

How that PC worked 7 years without blowing up....I am amazed.

[@CXensation]

For the average daily user it wont show up as a failure. The CPU will simply throttle down and run on a much slower clock speed, thus producing much less heat. It will most likely appear as a random slow reacting PC during the active session.

[@Silentjackll]

@@CXensation This is one of the real differences that separated Intel from AMD for the longest time. You simply could not run an AMD without a cooler or it would burn. You could with an Intel as it would simply throttle down to accommodate.

[@stubypop]

In all my years of building and repairing PC's it never ceases to amaze me what a modern CPU can survive.

[@everope]

I once discovered, after using it for a decade, I had omitted to remove the plastic peel off the CPU cooler. It was a Core 2 Duo. Never had problems lol.

[@1pcfred]

We don't know how much of it happened after the PC was experiencing problems. Typically someone will try to fix something themselves before seeking expert help. The BIOS corruption was just out of their depth. I'd wager they did built the PC themselves though. So I'd further bet they went all through it unplugging and plugging everything back in before they took it for servicing. The last time around they likely didn't do that great a job of it either.

[@karolkrasinski8947]

As a computer technician I am amazed how you can extend simple diagnostics in to this sort of video. I've just been watching for 20 min and so far you just checked the connectors, thermal compound, few other details but the whole thing is not boring at all... I was trying to do videos too but I just can not do that. I do not know how to turn activities which seem so simple to me in to interesting content. You know how to do it. Well done.

[@Adamant_IT]

Waffle. Or informative commentary, to flatter myself ;) A few people are like "wah wah wah, it took you a 50min video to flash the BIOS" but the thing is, when you're saying and explaining every thought that comes to mind while you work, it'll take you ten times longer to do it. However, that's how you get informative content, and not just a demonstration.

[@karolkrasinski8947]

@@Adamant_IT Yes, exactly. I was thinking of starting my own yt channel to boost the marketing of my computer repairs business. I even got the cameras all set up around my desk. But after I hit record I just can not do what you are doing so easily - talk. To me, there's nothing especially fascinating in taking a laptop apart and I can not really see anything worth additional explanation in this activity. But when I am watching you... you can talk about old intel heatsink for 5min and somehow it is entertaining even for someone like me who knows the stuff.

[@DavidWilliams-ic1nn]

@@karolkrasinski8947 he would be / is a great teacher. i have been in my current (unrelated) career for 15 years and it is very easy for me to forget to explain the basic things to laymen. i will skip right over and realize my errors later. good teachers do not do this.

[@jonathanmaybury5698]

Graham, you definitely earned your money on this one, it looks to me that the customer had tried to fix it himself, but the loose cooler was definitely puzzling, if I was you I would ask him what he had done to the cooler, just for my own peace of mind.

[@raven4k998]

that computer looks like your system dude it's that dirty

[@jonathanmaybury5698]

@@raven4k998 Hi Troll, How are you today?

[@raven4k998]

@@jonathanmaybury5698 it's ok if your a troll have fun troll boy

[@jonathanmaybury5698]

@@raven4k998 How old are you? Six?

[@raven4k998]

@@jonathanmaybury5698 six older then you kiddo

[@lucaciprian8923]

Mate, this video is pure gold! The calm and clear explanation, the follow-through process and the effort to consider all the possibilities before jumping to the obvious conclusions is what make everybody understand the beauty of an IT repair job! Thanks!

[@freemansfreedom8595]

Intel thermal throttling is nothing short of amazing for managing to last this well in torture conditions. And that beta version is the specter/meltdown patch IIRC. That model (Maximus VII Ranger) is the same I have, and from what I remember, that BIOS appeared around that time.

[@miff227]

look like the BIOS on my Maximus IV Extreme

[@freemansfreedom8595]

@@miff227 I doubt Asus made them look any different for the same ROG branding. You can see it is the Ranger around the 5:00-5:10 mark, both in the VRM heatsink as well as the board printing.

[@bestage9429]

@@freemansfreedom8595 2019 ROG motherboards also have the same skin as the one in the video.

[@miff227]

@@freemansfreedom8595 sorry, I thought you were suggesting that BIOS look came into being around the time of 4th gen Core CPUs?

[@freemansfreedom8595]

@@miff227 no, I meant that it is my current mobo, and that beta patch is for patching the meltdown/specter vulnerability

[@ronmimnaugh7674]

nice job. the fact that you got this machine back up and running without being overly critical of the user may get you thanks and a customer for a good long time.

[@oznewton867]

Woohoo! I have been waiting for the Graham to post. Happy New Year and welcome back.

[@I_Am_Sy]

Who is the great Adam?

[@HuntersMoon78]

His name is Graham

[@oznewton867]

I did this from my phone and had to be autocorrect. Oops.

[@mrpoki9]

Always happy to see an Adamant IT video about a desktop pc! The montage of the building at the end was very beautiful.

[@jrose-xp6tf]

Good episode this was, so many possible variables it boggles the mind, a rare bird.

[@arithium]

I've been watching your videos since 5k subs. Crazy to see how far you've come. It always fascinates me how you diagnose issues.

[@DutchKingCobra]

if i remember correctly .cap is kinda like a capsule, it was an added layer of security to prevent bios modding maybe it contained a checksum of the bios, but when the .bin file was extracted you could still flash the .bin.

[@rossgee2950]

Another brilliant diagnosis. This was a great watch, from Canada. Your professionalism is admirable.

[@Myth_62]

@Adamant IT you need to start making some merch with your slogans. "Never the CPU, except when it is"

[@Dreadnought33]

I just came across this video and I've loved it from star to finish. You were so thorough with all the steps you took while diagnosing the PC. And I even got the chance to watch how a BIOS programming tool is used. So you just earned a new subscriber to your channel

[@twojay]

That ending cleanup montage was super satisfying, especially because you were able to address so many other issues along the way. I imagine some other technicians may have just avoided those issues as a "not my problem" mindset so I appreciate your attention to detail. Nice work sir!

[@OhioLiving]

Good stuff man. Keep up the great work!

[@johngoard8272]

Well that was very educational especially how the machine was put together in the first place it was just amazing how the thing worked at all from day one and is a lesson for all prospective builders.

[@wladewig]

Hi Graham, I like the wording "bit rot" :) ... A good culprit - cause for "bit rot" is low voltage, aka CMOS battery. It would be so nice if motherboard manufacturers including a circuit to monitor CMOS battery with all the other voltage monitoring.. Anyways, enjoyed the red herring tour de force, because you did find many other build problems, and resolved them as well - NICE work!

[@jaro6985]

@@badjonatan The CMOS battery powers the RTC which contains some SRAM to store volatile settings, nothing to do with the BIOS Flash memory IC. This RTC may be integrated into the chipset or APU in some cases.

[@ruudb72]

A very good video going through and explaining all the steps to diagnose all the components and getting to the root cause. Also I like the way you take care of the computer by cleaning and getting it back in prestine shape. It show proudness in what you do. Nice!

[@combossss]

There is a litte trick for getting rid of code 26 on Asus boards. Remove all Ram modules and power up the computer. Wait 10 seconds and power off the system. Do this one more time and then plug back the modules. Works like a charm.

[@birdsoup777]

Awesome channel dude. That is happiness and makes me happy to see somebody doing a profession they love.

[@Gottfried.Leibniz]

One of the more interesting things that causes bit-flips are cosmic rays and more specifically - the lower energy particles they produce as they hit the upper atmosphere. These particles can then hit individual transistors and flip their state.

[@kgerakopoulos]

Another professional repair. BRAVO

[@tony359]

How to build a PC 1. Buy components 2. Throw components in the case 3. Close the case and shake well 4. Turn it on and enjoy Amazing that PC had been working for so many years! Re. Beta BIOS, my feeling is that on very old motherboards they MAY release a newer BIOS to implement critical fixes and/or features (see intel vulnerabilities for example) but the companies don't want to invest R&D or testing on those old boards so the BIOS is in a permament state of Beta. My AMD A320 seems to be in that state now: it's got support for latest Ryzen, Windows 11 but it's permanently in BETA. Nice video!

[@Nico_335i_DCT]

Thanks for sharing. Have a great 2022 Graham. Dutch regards, Nico.

[@dandel351]

Great video. Always good to learn that those post code readouts are not a be all end all solution to a problem. I wonder how many MB's end up as E-waste due to these bios chip failures.

[@Gassit]

Great fix Graham. Incidentally that mobo does have Bios flashback. I have the exact same board with a 4790K here from my old PC that has a 00 code boot loop. I've tried everything that I was able too to diagnose it including a bios flashback with no luck. The only things I haven't tried is a different mobo or CPU as I don't have either to try. All the interwebs research I've done on it points to a dead board, shame as it was a good system back when it worked. Fortunately it wasn't my gaming PC and I only used it for more basic stuff. I had to rebuild it with an ASUS P5Q3 and Q9650 which was my old old system (I never throw old part away) , not a great match for the 780Ti that's in it but it works OK for what I use it for.

[@The-elephant-In-the-room76]

Just like to say I enjoy watching your videos You're much more information than most of the other guys that make videos for KZbin. You have given me inspiration and enough knowledge to build or rebuild my current PC which I have now started. It just comes down to the finances to get the parts I need. Thanks for the information you have provided.

[@j1e1r1r1o1]

great vid, fully clear and structured walkthrough...well done, great job! :)

[@frankmjr6571]

Great video. I loved your reaction the CPU cooler being loose. I bought a custom built PC in October 2021 and had CPU heating issues with an AIO liquid cooler. After a few weeks of research, I tried replacing the stock paste that came with the Kraken X63. Found out the paste was dry as a bone and replaced it with Arctic MX-5 and my CPU stopped thermal throttling and running at 90C playing games. Now i see 75C tops running Cinebench with PBO enabled on my 5800X. Rerouting all the cables was I nice a touch.

[@goattw3lve12]

This was a good one. Purists may nitpick, but I see the logical path you took. A good example of garden path navigation to a good conclusion.

[@alanhowson2270]

Brilliant. Your depth of knowledge is really outstanding.

[@sig3ldunc4nI]

You do such a phenomenal job Adam. Love the down to earth content that you provide. Your one of a kind my friend. Never change and thank you for all that you do.

[@tech_jims]

Great video the dust and bad cable management was messing with my ocd 🙂

[@tedmcleod-morris]

So, as of two days ago, I have a no post computer. Your explanations and troubleshooting steps are a great help in confirming my eventual diagnosis of a motherboard failure. I have a new motherboard and CPU on order, and I hope that I will be back to playing soon. I feel much better about spending this money as I am now sure that I eliminated most of the other problems. By the way, the bios on this motherboard is soldered onto the board. As much as I want to 'play' with chip programming, I am content to upgrade my machine. Thanks much.

[@dierkrieger]

Everything you did was EXCELLENT, this is how you know for sure what works and what doesn't, I diagnose the same way.

[@ozanpress]

I had a bearbone PC placed under the table back in 2004, running on Pentium 4. One day I decided to clean the CPU fan but forgot to plug the fan's cable after I had done with the cleaning. The PC lived for another 6 months and finally gave up. IT was my first computer.

[@danarepouille1381]

Graham, you returned from holiday with an excellent video! I have missed these. Thanks so much.

[@eyeh8liberals]

I can't understand how you can have so little subscribers. You explain things so clearly and in so much detail. Really enjoy watching your content. Keep it up.

[@miff227]

I just subscribed, but I'm 5 foot 11

[@eyeh8liberals]

@@miff227 Nice one lol

[@nicwilson89]

The data stored in that flash memory IC is stored in a transistor with a floating gate that electrons can be trapped with, and that is insulated with a dielectric. Over time the charge stored in the storage transistor's gate. Over time the electrons may escape and the charge leaks from the gate and therefore leads to data becoming corrupt. An effect with a similar outcome was possible on magnetic media such as mechanical hard disks and floppies, though with a different method of action. Very simplified overview of bit rot, but just in case anyone wasn't familiar with the term

[@vanfly6731]

I really appreciate these kind of troubleshootings videos You did a great job Thank you for the video I'm amazed that the processor still works-well after everything it's been through.

[@helthuismartin]

The most learnfull video i have ever seen.Thanks for showing us.Ii have never learn so much in one day about computers.

[@stevewebb1941]

Very good video well done for proceeding to find the fault and then the way you cleaned it all up and put it back 👍🇨🇻

[@worroSfOretsevraH]

Glad I've found you. Clear inteligible audio, mostly logical troubleshooting approches, nice editing, good content. Subscribed.

[@stubypop]

Just found this Chanel randomly through the KZbin algorithm.... I think I'm in love 🥰

[@sergiobarros6102]

Commenting to help with the algorithm. Great job as always. I wish you an awesome 2022, Graham!

[@kshipperX]

My guess> the customer was trying everything they could try to get it working (once it stopped posting). Removing PSU connectors and loosening the CPU cooler. Of course they had zero knowledge how to put the stock cooler back on, or renew paste or even how to put those PSU connectors on properly. I think that is reason the CPU was 'OK' it never really did any work after it was loosened. I am curious where this BIOS programming software comes from. I too snagged a BIOS programmer but it did not come with any software. Thanks for the great videos =)

[@johnwilliams2646]

Another great video, loved your frustration, "I'm Tired", well done.

[@antoniobaric5798]

Incredibly informative and fluently presented. Thank you!

[@satorudo]

While the BIOS being corrupted is possible its kind of unlikely. Whats mroe likely is that 1) the user was seeing really bad CPU temps (obviously) 2) user trid to flash the bios to fix it 3) user used wrong BIOS version (mobo manufacturers are increasingly annoying in keeping model numbers but having different versions of boards you need to know about ) 4) use uploads BIOS, nukes system

[@Mog780]

Wow, what a great video, loved that you went into such detail on the machine coding side of things, great work here Graham!

[@JonasWhatley]

I bought a "dead" Z97 sabertooth board and was able to successfully get it working again using the bios flashback button. The BETA bios doesn't really do much for these asus Z97 boards. I believe it's mainly a fix for the meltdown stuff that was happening. While Asus does lots of things wrong, they certainly made the right decision when it comes to BIOS flashback.

[@weedthepeople2795]

Ive never seen a mobo where you can just remove the bios chip and reprogram it....and i been tinkering in computers for 20 years now.....in another vid he had a mobo that had 2 (yes 2 wtf) bios chips and one had malfunctioned....so he switched to the other bios, flashed the faulty chip and its back

[@JonasWhatley]

@@weedthepeople2795 yeah most mobos nowadays from name brands like gigabyte, asus, msi, etc have a socketed bios chip. But you don’t have to remove it to flash the bios. A lot of higher end boards have a bios flashback feature. It’s really nice if you build a system and the cpu isn’t compatible out of the box or even if your bios just gets corrupted for whatever reason.

[@johno9163]

This was a great adventure in diagnostic work! Thanks for another top shelf video.

[@razvan.iulian.1990]

You the most talented guy I ever see I here, on KZbin, I like you !! And the way you explain the things!! Top man💪💪💪💪

[@TheMhannah100]

I laugh when I see people post things about building a PC is just putting parts together. Yea, there you go. You saved that board from the landfill. Good job!

[@bikerchrisukk]

Nice vid, built PC with step daughter for christmas, she enjoyed it. It didn't post and I grabbed spare GPU's thinking it was that. In the end, reseated RAM & CPU and it worked. I watched her install them and didn't see anything wrong.

[@Adamant_IT]

There's a lot of mileage in just reseating things. Often I see new builders being _too_ gentle on stuff, so it's gone into the slot, but the contacts haven't really "dug in" and are just kinda resting against each other without having a good connection between them.

[@deelkar]

38:50 any socketet chip that is suspect probably just needs reseating. the contacts of these sockets are notorious for degrading so a simple reseat often helps.

[@jedijoe1089]

Happy new year to you adamant IT a CPU with an anti gravity cooler very interesting loved your episode from start to finish all it was the bios had to be reprogrammed and updated.all the best for 2022.

[@tongravity5668]

Very nice and thorough repair,thank you!

[@bigrikstube]

I do enjoy watching your repair videos. I even managed to save a 10 year old pc without adding any new parts; so THANK YOU!! Hey, it was save the damn thing or spend 1200 bucks on a new video card ;). Oh, it was the bios of course. :) I like how simply CLEANING the damn computer and a bit of cable management make the whole tower look like a new computer.

[@thomasnguyen1150]

Loved watching this video very informative going through many possible problems

[@chrislee6377]

great job you are a patient proffesional guy who knows his stuff once again great job

[@binarybox.binarybox]

Another interesting video, Adam. Working through several issues was better than just fixing one thing and it works as some people do as other problems needed addressing.

[@cosminmilitaru9920]

I got an adjustable leaf-blower so that I can dust-off these PC cases before working on them. Because that much dust bothers me from focusing on other things to do, and I've used so many canned compressed-air sprays... Thank you very much for the good and informative video! :D

[@erickvond6825]

You don't have to leave the battery out if you tap the power button a few times with the mains disconnected. It saps the capicitors right the way down and expedites your workflow.

[@sokoloft3]

Oh man. I have an i5-6400 PC that has that stock intel cooler. Changed the paste on it once and had a hell of a time getting it back on. Thanks for the explanation!

[@ijjorama]

Well, that's done it. I've joined the channel on the basis of this video. A thank-you for the wealth of experience you are sharing with us.

[@texasrickg]

I really do enjoy your videos... this one struck a chord as I frequently find myself chasing down 'rabbit holes'... your fault isolation technique was quite thorough! Eliminate what the problem is NOT and you will left with what the problem IS.. well done! 'Bit rot'... been quite a while since I heard that term 😁.. back in days of the 8086, chasing down faulty ram chips... dating myself a bit.

[@phillee2814]

Just like me when I admit to reporting a bug to DEC on one of the library functions of the C compiler shipped as part of VAX VMS, and the wonders of beestings in ethernet replacing long serial cables to a variety of mini or mainframe computers.

[@Marcel1984nl]

It's great that you figured out the bug in the BIOS chip, without an onboard BIOS flashback option I wouldn't have gone that far to fix this. Time to buy such a ROM programmer I think. Thanks for the info btw and I look forward to your next video.

[@greenmonalisa]

I dig the build montage. Very informative. Thanks!

[@jamesryan1716]

For future reference, since atleast 1st gen "Core i" Series (and possibly before) it's been standard for motherboard manufacturers to have TJmax set at ~100°C and thermal throttle the CPU, most at ~90°C, to prevent damage and shut down the system if temps climb above 100°C after thermal throttling. In other words, it's perfectly safe to build and test computers WITHOUT a heatsink at all. I've done it for dozens of builds/repairs without any problems. In fact, usually you can run the system for over a minute without a heatsink before it starts getting close to 90°C and thermal throttling. Of course this is on newer systems that are more power efficient. Though, even on older systems, say Gen 2 "Core i" Series it should take atleast 30 seconds to reach 90°C. Especially since all you're doing is a POST test. I understand your reluctance in doing this on camera though. I can just see the comments pouring in now, everyone shitting their pants thinking you're gonna cook the CPU.

[@ultraviolettp3446]

You are one of my favorite computer tech channels. You do what is needed and explain what you are doing. You don't attack other channels or commenters. Keep up the great work. You are the anti-Carey-Hozerman channel.

[@hughluttrell6350]

Glad to see you back on youtube,really missed your vidoes.

[@Eaglesky1]

m2 : )

[@reuben-rt]

'Disappointed, not surprised' 36:43 - This is a truly underrated comment and happens all the time.

[@dp9550]

Great job Graham . I wonder if having such low volts on the cmos battery for so long would cause the bios corruption.. possible I guess

[@JeffDeWitt]

@@clevermusicbox3630 Hmm... a while back I built this computer to let me cut the cable. When I ran the MS tool to see if it would run Windows 11 (I didn't really think it would), the tool told me this computer was over ten years old. I wonder how the battery is. Of course I use the computer pretty much every day but still...

[@JeffDeWitt]

@@clevermusicbox3630 Yeah... one of these days I'll pull the thing apart, give it a good cleaning and change the battery.

[@vgamesx1]

47:10 Manufacturers have mostly been using more or less the same UFEI since launch over a decade ago now, at least every ASUS bios I've looked at and I've owned a similar 4th gen PC with an MSI board, I was quite surprised to find that my new MSI B450 Ryzen board has a near identical UFEI just with different options.

[@Luke357]

Yeah, my ASRock H97 board has a very similar BIOS to my ASRock Z590 board minus a few newer features and a color change.

[@sleepwalker6825]

Welcome Back Graham .... Great to See the Contact Rolling ... Happy New Year Sir ...

[@spacecy]

I used to own that exact mobo. I wish now that i hadn't sold it for scrap when i had boot issues with it. After a lot of testing, I concluded that it had to do something with the cpu socket, but i am convinced now that it was the bios. The boot behavior was different (it was power cycling). Thanks for the useful video mate.

[@zwerker]

Great video. I've built about ten machines during the last year. Tried to use the stock Intel cooler on a pair of occaseions, but have always chucked it after about an hour of testing.

[@Adamant_IT]

Yea... stock blower is fine for an office PC that's always Race To Idle, but any kind of long loads and it's easily overwhelmed.

[@koford]

Nice, not many repair shop would go as far like you did and ended up with a working computer. That what we like to see :-)

[@henkkalter3892]

Good video and good diagnosis, well done! The method and sequence you use as every time... saved you. (read customer) Happy New Year to everyone.

[@raekan2006]

Very thorough troubleshooting. Well done. 👍

[@facelessvaper]

Even with a stock cooler, my 3rd gen I7 is treated like a king. Kudos for the 4000d overview, it makes my old kit look shinny and new!

[@DrMuFFinMan]

Great job on the fix, not sure why but I really enjoy these videos.

[@jamesvozar1]

One of your best uploads to date mate, thank you. 😊

[@JeredtheShy]

Ultimately the thing that's satisfying about this, as a potential repair customer, is that combination of not needing new parts but also the fix required some professional equipment and knowledge I wouldn't have had, so the repair fee would still feel like a good investment, anyway. Finding out a cable just needed pushed down a bit would have killed me.