220-802 · Question #479
A technician is replacing a processor in a workstation. After installation, the workstation starts up and immediately shuts down; the technician tries to start the workstation several more times and…
The correct answer is B. The thermal paste was not applied. When a system immediately shuts down after a processor replacement, the most common cause is missing or improperly applied thermal paste, causing the CPU to hit its thermal shutdown threshold within seconds.
Question
A technician is replacing a processor in a workstation. After installation, the workstation starts up and immediately shuts down; the technician tries to start the workstation several more times and gets the same result. Which of the following is the cause of this issue?
Options
- AThe workstation is not plugged in.
- BThe thermal paste was not applied.
- CThe memory was not installed properly.
- DThe L2 cache was not cleared.
How the community answered
(44 responses)- A7% (3)
- B73% (32)
- C16% (7)
- D5% (2)
Why each option
When a system immediately shuts down after a processor replacement, the most common cause is missing or improperly applied thermal paste, causing the CPU to hit its thermal shutdown threshold within seconds.
If the workstation were not plugged in, it would not power on at all - not start up and then immediately shut down.
Modern processors have built-in thermal protection that triggers an immediate shutdown when the die temperature exceeds a safe threshold. Without thermal paste to fill the microscopic gaps between the CPU and heatsink, heat cannot transfer efficiently, causing the CPU to overheat and shut down within seconds of powering on. Applying a thin, even layer of thermal compound restores proper thermal conductivity.
Improperly seated memory typically causes POST failure with beep codes or a no-boot condition, not a rapid thermal shutdown after startup.
The L2 cache is integrated into the processor die and cannot be manually cleared by a technician as part of a CPU replacement procedure.
Concept tested: CPU thermal paste requirement and thermal shutdown
Source: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000005851/processors.html
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