Help me please!!! ASAP!

Well, I just can't seem to find out what is wrong here, and I was hoping to get some help.

The scenario: I am building a computer. I just finally recieved the cpu fan, among other things, but the fan is the important part. I installed the fan, and put the temperature monitor in the crack between the fan and cpu, and then turned it on. It turned on, but the temperature monitor was flickering, like the power wasn't consistent or something. There was a burning smell after I turned it off, after about 10 seconds of being on. Then I tried to turn it on again, and it wouldn't turn on. Since then, I can get it to stay on for a half second, then shut off automatically, once every five minutes or so.

Here's the weird part. I don't think I could have burnt out the power supply, because despite the burning smell, there is a constant green LED on the motherboard.

And also, I have an LCD screen that goes in a 5 1/4" bay, that is powered off of a USB port (pretty cool little unit), and it works fine when the power to the computer is off, (I guess you still get your 5V when the power is off through a USB port), but once you turn it on, like the temperature display, it starts flickering. What's up with this? I don't see how it could be the CPU or the RAM or anything, because if it was that, I would think it would at least turn ON. I don't know what to do, and I've already spent so much money on this, and I really don't want to have to buy a new motherboard or something like that. Please help me! Thank you!

 

I'm concerned about exactly where you inserted the temperature monitor. I hope you didn't place it between the CPU and the heat-sink. I know of no temperature sensor that is supposed to go there. I'm not saying I've seen everything and know it all; but, if there is such a correct placement, I will be surprised.

If you actually placed that sensor between the CPU and the heat-sink, you may have fried your CPU.

 

Well, the actual temperature MONITOR goes in a 3 1/2" bay. It has two probes. These probes are paper-thin, so I don't think that would have anything to do with frying the cpu... I really hope not...

Plus, even if I fried the CPU, shouldn't it still power on?

 

Did you put the probe in after the heatsink/fan was mounted? Did you use thermal compound when you mounted the heatsink?
If you placed the probe on top of the chip then mounted the heatsink, chances are you fried the chip. If you mounted the heatsink first (with thermal compund) then slipped in the probe, you may be ok.

Let us know

 

So that I fully understand, are you saying that the sensor is paper-thin and that it fits between the top of the CPU and the bottom of the heat-sink?

If so, my next question would be whether you used any heat-sink grease on both sides of the sensor.

To answer your question, no, if the CPU is fried, you'll get nothing on the screen. I have such a damaged processor here. It stays on long enough to light up the display for about 3 to 5 seconds and then goes blank.

 

I put it in after putting the fan on. But I don't think you're getting what I'm saying. It won't even power on. Like, before I even had my processor, I could still turn the computer on for seconds just to test out some stuff (such as the temperature sensor things). It won't even power on... And if I fried the CPU, would that produce a burning smell???

Thanks for try to help.

 

Frankly, I know of no ATX system that will power up without a CPU. If the CPU is fried, it is possible it is damaged so thoroughly that the board does not sense a CPU presence. Yes, the CPU will stink.

And, no, maybe I don't know what you are writing about. I think there is a miscommunication of tems. The CPU is the Intel, AMD or other brand of processor that plugs into a square socket on the main board. The heat-sink sits on top of the CPU. The CPU cooling fan sits on top of the heat-sink.

You stated earlier that you placed the "monitor" (I assume you mean to say "sensor") between the fan and the CPU. You didn't state where the heat-sink is in relation to the sensor. Hence, some of the confusion.

I don't use fans with temperature sensors so maybe I am not familiar enough with them to understand exactly what you are attempting to convey.