I second the suggestion to replace the fan or to run it at 7v. if running at lower voltage, do make sure the fan will start as many fans will get 'stuck' when you try to run them at below their rated voltage. Once they do start, they should remain running till the PC is shut down again.

I agree, that heatsink is rather nice (I wouldn't use it on a sA though but for a Pentium it's really kinda the best you could get, except for the loud fan that is). Definitely a keeper 😀
I'm not familiar with Starteck myself. This manufacturer started making new HSFs for older standards at some point. I never got any since I'm already well stocked so I have no personal experience with them but thus far I've heard rather good things about them (but really, how difficult could it be to make a decent aluminium Socket 7 heatsink and slap a small fan on top? 😜 ).

It'll be hard to recommend any particular HSF, since most are simply nowhere to be sold anymore. I liked one of the Socket 7 Cooler Master ones since those fans were quite silent and I got a bunch of those HSFs for cheap. I often used these fans to replace loud fans on better heatsinks with great success 🙂
They basically had boxes filled with 'derelict' HSFs back then at a computer fair I regularly visited back in the day (PC Dumpdag).
But anyway, I'd say replace the fan with a quieter one of the same size.

Here in The Netherlands FIC PA-2005 was definitely popular. Iirc these boards could use single sticks of SIMMs which make them great for testing.

I would not sand the RAM sticks!
If you want to clean those contacts, I always use some paper tissue and cleaning alcohol. Some use a pencil erasor but I never tried that as my preferred method always worked for me.

Tetrium wrote on 2022-04-18, 19:42:

I would not sand the RAM sticks!
If you want to clean those contacts, I always use some paper tissue and cleaning alcohol. Some use a pencil erasor but I never tried that as my preferred method always worked for me.

Mybe not outright sand them. Consider, any conductive material is not steel but brass, so rather soft. And so is the gold or tin plating and that's basically a single layer of atoms, so better not remove that.
If any, try some milder form of abrasive cleaning like a kitchen pot sponge or maybe some tooth paste.

Cuttoon wrote on 2022-04-18, 21:15:

Tetrium wrote on 2022-04-18, 19:42:

I would not sand the RAM sticks!
If you want to clean those contacts, I always use some paper tissue and cleaning alcohol. Some use a pencil erasor but I never tried that as my preferred method always worked for me.

Mybe not outright sand them. Consider, any conductive material is not steel but brass, so rather soft. And so is the gold or tin plating and that's basically a single layer of atoms, so better not remove that.
If any, try some milder form of abrasive cleaning like a kitchen pot sponge or maybe some tooth paste.

Tooth paste? Will that actually work?
I just wipe them and think me adding some manual pressure is usually enough to clean the contacts as well as needs to be.

Tetrium wrote on 2022-04-19, 21:30:

Cuttoon wrote on 2022-04-18, 21:15:

Tetrium wrote on 2022-04-18, 19:42:

I would not sand the RAM sticks!
If you want to clean those contacts, I always use some paper tissue and cleaning alcohol. Some use a pencil erasor but I never tried that as my preferred method always worked for me.

Mybe not outright sand them. Consider, any conductive material is not steel but brass, so rather soft. And so is the gold or tin plating and that's basically a single layer of atoms, so better not remove that.
If any, try some milder form of abrasive cleaning like a kitchen pot sponge or maybe some tooth paste.

Tooth paste? Will that actually work?
I just wipe them and think me adding some manual pressure is usually enough to clean the contacts as well as needs to be.

Never tried it on RAM modules, but I don't know the state of his. Just saying, if there's anything about them that calls for sanding, I'd start with something less brutal.
So, toothpaste, it's not about the fluorides or anything, but conventional toothpaste contains chalk or something similar, creating a mild abrasive effect.
But, so have many household cleaners and the most careful form is actually paper ash, to polish silverware.
Could be useful if there really is some kind of corrosion on the contacts. Shouldn't happen with gold plates ones, but tin, possible. I rarely have issues with RAM myself.
Usually, cleaning with some solvent and treating with contact spray should suffice.

Let the PC sit running GoldMemory for a little close to 2 hours. Was fine. Hopefully it doesn't drop out again on me here but it looks like the sanding did the trick.

Probably still gonna switch to another board in the long run, i have a FIC PA-2003 in storage somewhere i think is being called for. Intel Triton. The good stuff. VIA chipset on this one is causing some bottlenecks.

......and after moving some cards around, it won't POST again. Gave the slots another sanding and cleaning. Nothing. A few days ago it crashed when i accidentally bumped into the system and wouldn't post until i re slotted the ram. Now it seems to be really dead. Whenever it worked and i let it sit for an hour or so doing a memory test, it comes out fine. So i don't think its the ram but I don't have any other sticks to test with atm.

I'm completely out of ideas what this board's issue is. Time for another?

FioGermi wrote on 2022-04-23, 04:30:

......and after moving some cards around, it won't POST again. Gave the slots another sanding and cleaning. Nothing. A few days ago it crashed when i accidentally bumped into the system and wouldn't post until i re slotted the ram. Now it seems to be really dead. Whenever it worked and i let it sit for an hour or so doing a memory test, it comes out fine. So i don't think its the ram but I don't have any other sticks to test with atm.

I'm completely out of ideas what this board's issue is. Time for another?

At this point I'd probably just try a different board.
I haven't actually heard of a computer dying because someone bumped into it...well except perhaps when it caused the tower to tip over or fall off of a table or something 😜
It's as if something is loose or something.

And just to be sure, you have checked that all the cabling is still secured and connected, right?

I actually had it happen once that I suddenly couldn't get a board to power on anymore and only after some frustrating minutes later did I find out that the power cord had actually become loose xD