GORT Report

[the_gneech]

This morning, GORT is up and running and looking at me like, "Whut?" ¬.¬ My guess is that something in there is overheating, but the vents are all clear. Trying to decide now if I want to keep it as a backup server, or pass it on to somebody who won't keep actually trying to use the graphics card. ;P

In any case, it looks like I should be able to keep up with the comics this week as long as I can find the discipline to not start up LotRO. But since LotRO seems to be one of the culprits for burning up the video card, that should be fairly easy. ;)

Finally, via rigelkitty, have the NOMNOM SONG.

Watch on YouTube

-The Gneech

Comments

[the-mcp.livejournal.com]

The vents are only part of the story. It could easily be a fan that's going bad, or the heat sinks on top of the chips could have dust clogging the fins. The latter can be fixed with a good shot of compressed air; the former may require a bit of surgery depending on how the fan is mounted.

[exatron.livejournal.com]

Metroplex, my desktop, developed the same problem when I moved into my current apartment. I'm still not quite sure how or why it started.

[radbaron.livejournal.com]

Simple solution..not enough power. If it's a newer video card, it probably requires a 350 power supply, or higher. Since GORT is a few years old (yes/no) and made by an assembly line manufacturer, he most likely has a standard 250. This is causing all the power to go to the video card, especially when Balrogs and Hobbits collide, and literally starving the rest of the computer. Which then goes "augh" and dies.

Had this happen to my old computer. As soon as I installed the 350 watt power supply all my troubles disappeared. Then I bought a new computer :D

My 2c anyways.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

To expand upon the power supply issue:

When I upgraded from a 500-watt to a 600-watt power supply, my CPU operating temperature DROPPED -- I guess becausethe new supply was more efficient, or didn't have to work as hard.

I have a case with a temp readout on the front, and whenever it gets over 105F, I notice an overall performance impact. Every 6-8 weeks, I crack the box open and dust it out with compressed air.

[the-mcp.livejournal.com]

It's both, actually -- higher-wattage supplies are both more efficient, and don't necessarily have to work as hard (or, more accurately, the components aren't being made to run as close to their maximum operating limits on a continuous basis) if the PSU is over-rated for the system it's connected to.

I always advise people to get the highest-wattage power supply they can afford -- it doesn't necessarily mean the supply will actually use that much power, just that it has the capacity to if the rest of the system requires it. The advantage is that the more over-rated the supply is, the less likely it is to be stressed by "peak" loads such as hard-drive startup currents, CD/DVD-R burning, or graphics cards going into overdrive when you load up 3-D games. :)