Question about smell from old computer
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Posted by AbeAbe on February 9, 2007, 10:35 pm
Please log in for more thread options Hey, this is probably a kind of unusual question, but bear with me. I have a 6ish year-old Athlon Thunderbird desktop which seems to be in the process of dying(?). When I turn it on, it makes a low-ish pitched grinding/grumbling noise until maybe 5 or so minutes after it was powered up (it used to be even noisier before I replaced the power supply 1/2 year ago). I think the noise must be from a fan about to die (tho probably not the power supply), or maybe the HD. Anyways, along with this noise there is a smell, kind of difficult to describe, but it's somewhat "sweet", maybe a little ozone-ish. I wouldn't describe it as bitter or acrid. Any ideas what this smell might be? And my main concern: is it potentially toxic fumes that I shouldn't be breathing? I.e., could it be burning/melting solder with lead in the fumes, etc.? Thanks, AbeAbe -- AbeAbe ------------------------------------------------------------------------ AbeAbe's Profile: http://www.futurehardware.in/member.php?userid=798 View this thread: http://www.futurehardware.in/showthread.php?t=571009 Future Hardware - http://www.futurehardware.in | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by You Know Who ~ on February 9, 2007, 11:19 pm
Please log in for more thread options I doubt the smell will do you harm, but your hard drive may soon crash. -- ykw ---------------------------------------------------- Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't. Erica Jong | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by philo on February 10, 2007, 6:10 am
Please log in for more thread options
>
> Hey, this is probably a kind of unusual question, but bear with me. > > I have a 6ish year-old Athlon Thunderbird desktop which seems to be in > the process of dying(?). > > When I turn it on, it makes a low-ish pitched grinding/grumbling noise > until maybe 5 or so minutes after it was powered up (it used to be even > noisier before I replaced the power supply 1/2 year ago). I think the > noise must be from a fan about to die (tho probably not the power > supply), or maybe the HD. Anyways, along with this noise there is a > smell, kind of difficult to describe, but it's somewhat "sweet", maybe > a little ozone-ish. I wouldn't describe it as bitter or acrid. <snip>
I'm quite sure it's a fan... probably on the cpu or maybe in the powersupply. I'd not fool around with it...I'd simply replace it with a new one | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by kony on February 10, 2007, 8:23 am
Please log in for more thread options On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 09:05:21 +0530, AbeAbe
>
>Hey, this is probably a kind of unusual question, but bear with me. > >I have a 6ish year-old Athlon Thunderbird desktop which seems to be in >the process of dying(?). Then why are you running it like that? It certainly won't heal itself if you leave it on. >
>Any ideas what this smell might be? A) Your neighbor laying asphalt B) The cat farted C) An overheating computer D) Smoke pouring out of your ears while you think on whether it'd be a good idea to turn off and leave off an electrical device making funny noises and smells. >And my main concern: is it
>potentially toxic fumes that I shouldn't be breathing? If you can get the system a little hotter, it might produce enough smoke that you can get a good sample in the air and send it off to a lab. Hold your breathe until the results come back. >I.e., could it
>be burning/melting solder with lead in the fumes, etc.? > Maybe if you dumped some kind of accelerant into the system to get it a wee bit hotter. Otherwise, no. That doesn't rule out the possiblity of smoke from a PC being harmful in great enough quantity, but there is a pretty easy solution that I've more than hinted at already... Your main problem is you aren't turning off the system and leaving it off. Next, decide to throw it away, fix it, or give it to someone else to fix. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Posted by bgd on February 10, 2007, 2:37 pm
Please log in for more thread options Sweet smell could be anything getting too warm...
grumbling noise would coincide with bad fan to create extra heat, to create the smell. the coating on mb's is kinda sweet smelling as it gets too hot.maybe heatsink compound reaching temps it never has.. or maybe even deionization of something the used to ionize... >
> Hey, this is probably a kind of unusual question, but bear with me. > > I have a 6ish year-old Athlon Thunderbird desktop which seems to be in > the process of dying(?). > > When I turn it on, it makes a low-ish pitched grinding/grumbling noise > until maybe 5 or so minutes after it was powered up (it used to be even > noisier before I replaced the power supply 1/2 year ago). I think the > noise must be from a fan about to die (tho probably not the power > supply), or maybe the HD. Anyways, along with this noise there is a > smell, kind of difficult to describe, but it's somewhat "sweet", maybe > a little ozone-ish. I wouldn't describe it as bitter or acrid. > > Any ideas what this smell might be? And my main concern: is it > potentially toxic fumes that I shouldn't be breathing? I.e., could it > be burning/melting solder with lead in the fumes, etc.? > > Thanks, > AbeAbe > > > -- > AbeAbe > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > AbeAbe's Profile: http://www.futurehardware.in/member.php?userid=798 > View this thread: http://www.futurehardware.in/showthread.php?t=571009 > > Future Hardware - http://www.futurehardware.in > | |||||||||||||||||||
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> Hey, this is probably a kind of unusual question, but bear with me.
>
> I have a 6ish year-old Athlon Thunderbird desktop which seems to be in
> the process of dying(?).
>
> When I turn it on, it makes a low-ish pitched grinding/grumbling noise
> until maybe 5 or so minutes after it was powered up (it used to be even
> noisier before I replaced the power supply 1/2 year ago). I think the
> noise must be from a fan about to die (tho probably not the power
> supply), or maybe the HD. Anyways, along with this noise there is a
> smell, kind of difficult to describe, but it's somewhat "sweet", maybe
> a little ozone-ish. I wouldn't describe it as bitter or acrid.
>
> Any ideas what this smell might be? And my main concern: is it
> potentially toxic fumes that I shouldn't be breathing? I.e., could it
> be burning/melting solder with lead in the fumes, etc.?
>
> Thanks,
> AbeAbe
>
>
> --
> AbeAbe
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> AbeAbe's Profile: http://www.futurehardware.in/member.php?userid=798
> View this thread: http://www.futurehardware.in/showthread.php?t=571009
>
> Future Hardware - http://www.futurehardware.in
>