You can buy a new Dell system for around $300 - $400 now with the rebates they have on desktops. No point in building if you're needing entry-level stuff.
OK, I cracked open my system and checked all wires but everything was well connected. I did find a TREMENDOUS amount of dirt and dust which I removed, there was so much that it block the vents on my power supply and my PCI port fan. Could that have been my problem?
if you are concerned that your CPU is overheating cause of the dust...hopefully you blew out the CPU fan and heatsink while you had the case opened.
Well I was asking if that could cause my problem? I blew out the heatsink and CPU fan as well, though they were not as dirty as my case, PCI, and power fans. That's why I mentioned them.
Heat won't cause your computer to just flat out power off, but dust can cause other problems. It's possible that dust is/was your problem, but it's definitely uncertain. Make certain you really blow out your power supply, because that's likely where your problem lies, and dust can definitely cause the power supply to short out and do weird stuff. But, I'd bank on that your power supply is going bad, and you'll need a new one. I can loan you one to try out if you'd like. Actually, I have one I can give you too, but I wouldn't expect much out of it, as I dumped it b/c it was acting up. See how it works after the cleaning though. Perhaps it will solve your problem.
I ordered this combo: Motherboard & CPU Combo w/ Athlon XP 2600 (333 FSB) ASUS Asrock K7VT4A+ (5 PCI - 6 USB 2.0 - ATA133 - 2 DDR) Fan/Heatsink (40mm) 1 Year Warranty I'm probably still going to need a video card (don't know about the mobo), RAM (from Crucial), and they want a DVD drive and floppy. Question, with all this tuff what would be a good power supply, 200, 300, 400 watts?
You've already got a case? It's probably a bit more than what you want to spend, but: http://www.directron.com/sf350stainless.html is a GREAT value. Super Flower makes power supplies that arguably rival PC Power and Cooling. I have three and they are all AWESOME. Plus this one is basically completely silent. 300+ watts should be plenty for you. For video cards, one you might be interested in is: http://www.axiontech.com/prdt.php?item=15953 It's also a bit more than you're likely wanting to spend, but it does REALLY nice 2D, and it's got both dual monitor and DVI support. I just bought five for the yearbook and school newspaper machines. They have DVI monitors and I'm really impressed. You can do better for 3D support, but the 2D is really good, and DVI is fantastic! BTW, check out this deal: http://www.slickdeals.net/#p5341
One more, if I have a system running Windows that is password protected and somebody forgets the passoword, is there anyway to override it to access the computer?
I believe you were correct. My computer started doing the same thing and now it won't even power on at all, the LED light, the fans, nothing comes on. I think I should by a new power supply and try that. What do you think?
