Vibration-Induced Lockups!!!

[vicwang]

I'm having a pretty strange problem here. If I bump my system, move it around a little bit, open the case, etc. while it is running, probably around 20% of the time it hangs due to the physical vibration. The total impact is not very great when this happens--I might just be gently sliding it out to plug in my headphones, and the next thing I know it's hung up. It's not like I'm subjecting it to major shock or throwing around my PC or anything.

Also, when it hangs, everything just becomes frozen instantaneously, and I can't do anything. No blue screen or error messages. It doesn't even respond to holding in the power button to shutoff, and I have to flip the switch on the PSU. And when I power back up, it often takes several tries before it POSTs properly (or it POSTs only after I leave it off for a while).

My impression is it MUST be motherboard related... probably a near-short somewhere, where the metal is ALMOST touching a circuit, and the movement is just enough to cause a short. But I can't find anything like that.

Another more farfetched theory is that it's HDD related. I'm using an IBM Deskstar (yes, the one IBM is getting sued over) that I've been using intensively for the past two years, and I've been noticing more frequent disk errors recently. I wonder if the vibration is just enough to cause the HDD head to bang against the platter.

Here's my setup:

Enlight 7237 case
ECS K7S5A motherboard
Enermax Whispersys 350W PSU
Athlon XP 1600+
1 stick of Crucial PC133 SDRAM
IBM 40 gig Deskstar 75GXP
Geforce 2 GTS
Onboard sound
Onboard LAN

The system is very well cooled with case temps in the low 30's and CPU temps in the low 40's, but when the room gets really warm, I have encountered lockups just like the "vibration-induced" ones. I wonder if the additional heat is causing expansion of the metal, which is also closing the short circuit?

Also, I'm not using any kind of standoffs since I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to with this particular case. I have built two other systems using this case (different motherboards) and never had any of these kinds of problems.

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[WarCon]

What do you mean by no standoff's? The 7237 comes with those clip in standoffs and some additional screwin type in the little white box that comes with it.

I have used these cases for a long time and they always have standoff's. Unless something has changed in the last couple weeks.

As far as your vibrations causing lockups, it could be a loose clip causing a momentary loss of contact with the heatsink (causing an immediate heat buildup and the associated lockup that comes with it). If this is the case, I would expect your core to be chipped some when you remove your heatsink.

If this isn't the case then I would guess you have a loose card slot or are shorting out somewhere.

JMTC

 

[vicwang]

Hmmm... now that you mention it, you're right; the case did originally come with standoffs, so I'll have to dig those up. Maybe that will help. But one thing that makes me think standoffs are not needed is that everything appears to be perfectly flush when standoffs are NOT used (this has been true for all three systems I have built using this case). Wouldn't the use of standoffs elevate the motherboard too much and cause everything to no longer fit together?

As for the heatsink overheating, that's an interesting theory but I don't THINK that is happening... the AX-7 clip is on there pretty tight and this problem also occured when I was using my Vantec 6035D. But I'll double check the core for chips just in case.

One question: would it be worthwhile to try completely insulating the motherboard from the case by using electrical tape?

Thanks.

 

[amdskip]

Dang dude, not using standoffs at all? That could be a big fire hazard there. That case has to have standoffs, how do you pci and video cards fit if you are not using standoffs?

 

[vicwang]

Heh... no, no standoffs, but from the way you guys are talking it sounds like I need to start using them! But how could be a fire hazard? My other two no-standoff machines have been running great for a long time with no problems (same case).

As for how everything fits, I'm thinking maybe they don't fit as well as I previously thought. If they're hanging too "loose" because of the lack of standoffs, maybe the grapics card is just barely connected, and the bump is barely enough to break the connection between the card and the AGP slot. That would definitely help explain the problems. But then again, it seems like my other two systems would be "hanging loose" also.

Anyway, I'll definitely try those standoffs tonight to see if they help. Anything else I could try while I'm at it?

 

[amdskip]

Could be a fire hazard because the computer could short out and start a fire=not good!

 

[corkyg]

Here's a couple of general rules that apply.

1. Never put the case or cover on a system when it is running. There are too many instances of static electricity grounding etc., that can cause a hang up.

2. Always use common sense.

 

[mee987]

a few weeks ago i knocked over my full-tower case while it was on and the system locked up... what the f*ck is up with that?

 

[Rhi]

ROFL @ mee987.

No Standoffs?! lmao. That's your problem., almost guaranteed. Even though you don't have a problem with the other PC's, I'd reinstall the mobo's with the standoffs there as well. That's a great case and I've built many systems with it...gotta use the standoffs. That's a RULE dude! Hehe.

-Rhi

 

[vicwang]

OK, my bad, and problem solved . It turns out I was using standoffs, but I didn't remember using them since they had come preinstalled in the case. So I looked at where they were lining up with the motherboard, and all of them lined up with the screw holes except for one. After removing that one (and adding some more where the MB could have used more support) the problem appears to be solved!

 

[WarCon]

Ahh, the "extra" standoff ploy.......

Glad its fixed..........

 

[vicwang]

Heh... so am I. Guess I've just gotten lucky with those other two systems. Thanks for the help.