I just replaced my PSU, with a 600 watt coolmax.

When I turned on my PC the first time it just ran the fans but no video output or anything. The second time it started up fine, but later in the day it froze while a song was playing, the song skipped annoyingly and no user input did anything. Now when I turn on my PC, the fan runs or about a second before shutting off. It attempts this over and over, with different results in time every time, until I tell it to STFU.

What can I do?

Overheating, possibly cooked your graphics card.

What? How?

Today must be special, because when removing the new PSU, the CPU fan wire got caught on it and yanked out my whole heatsing/cpu fan unit. And those wonderful pushpins that Intel heatsinks use will not go back in.

I have another video card I can try out to isolate the problem, after I get the fan back on.

BTW: The heatsink came with a grey material in a pattern on the contact to the CPU itself. I put thermal grease on anyway, but now that I have it off again, I see that the grey material is removable and it looks strange. (almost bubbly) Did I fuck up there?

Did I fuck up there?

Yes, your problem sounds like a hardware issue regarding something not being plugged in correctly. Make sure your Ram and CPU are both situated correctly when you get your new stuff back. Then go back and see if the video card is on the correct rail.

I was talking about the thermal transfer material stuff but thanks man. I just have to get that fucking fansink back in.

You might want to google a video on how to install an intel heatsink. It's not hard, but you can render one useless if you break off a half of one of the pegs.

If you're going to add more thermal compound, clean the old thermal compound off. If you don't you're going to have too much, and you won't get the best heat transfer from the CPU to the heatsink. It can also cause thermal compound to run off over the edges, when you seat the heatsink, which could result in the stuff getting in places where it shouldn't be (it is conductive). You want to put thermal compound on either the base of the heatsink or on the CPU, but not both. Google a video on how to apply thermal compound, to get a better idea of how and how much of the stuff to use.

Got the fansink in, it was just being a bitch. I think my PCI-E slot is burnt out or physically broken. Any card is really lose in it, as in it won't stay completely upright on its own. I've done a TON of experimenting with this thing, even put the old PSU in. I'm taking it in to get free diagnostics at Micro Center.