Fried GPU or MB?

[wargigas]

Not sure if this would be the right forum to post this in but guess it's close enough.

I recently tried to install a Geforce http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeForce GTX 260. I had some major driver issues with it, and I'm actually not sure if it's a dud or there's a problem w/ my MB. I am currently using the MB in question, an old A-bit GD8 Pro, and it's working fine on my Geforce 8600 geforce 8600 GT. However, every time I installed the GTX 260's drivers and restarted I'd get stuck in a BSOD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Screen_of_Death loop when booting. Windows advised me that it was an infinite loop hang from the gfx driver so I suppose it is quite possibly just a bad card.

But at the same time I also started getting memory read/write errors (haven't gotten one in awhile though) and Windows was no longer able to recognize my IDE controller http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Host_adapter . My BIOS detects the DVDRW and my 2nd HDD but once booted Windows doesn't register them. I've tried replaceing the IDE cable, setting the jumpers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumpers to master and cable select, tried the two drives separately, even tried an old CDRW I had. Windows can't detect any of them. I tried to update the DVDRW drivers but they're installed using a flash utility the won't work because it can't detect the DVDRW either.

Without all these other problems, specifically Windows' inability to detect my drives, I'd assume the GTX 260 was shot (I did get it to work for like an hour before I green squares of death and it froze, leading to the updated drivers and subsuquent BSOD loops) but the MB seems to be the least common denominator w/ everything included.

Any suggestions appreciated

 

[runswindows95]

Post your entire specs please, especially your PSU. I'm starting to think it's your PSU because it's running fine with the 8600GT, which doesn't require a beefy PSU.

 

[wargigas]

Abit GD8 Pro
Intel P4 560j 3.6Ghz 800Mhz FSB 1M Cache
Kingston 2x1Gb DDR2 533Mhz
Thermaltake PurePower 500W PSU (bought w/ the GTX 260)
eVGA Geforce 8600 GT (upgraded to the GTX 260)

I know it's a fairly old and ancient system but even so it play Crysis at Medium/High Settings so I figured the best single item to upgrade was the GPU. Across 8 gaming FPS tests the GTX 260 had an avg FPS of 61 and my 8600 GT had an avg of 13...lol

For the short time the GTX 260 was working it played Crysis beautifully in the lower intensity zones at very/high settings. I thought it may have overheated or shorted when it got the green glitches but it does work to a point.

When I put it in, Windows detects but after the hardware wizard installs the drivers or I install from the driver .exe and reboot it gets stuck a BSOD loop again. Before installing the drivers though, it's functional. I'm using nvidia's new drivers from 10/15/08.

 

[wargigas]

Another thing I'll note is that the PSU only has 1 6pin connector, and while the XFX GTX 260 says it does not support 2x4pin to 6pin adapters, it came with one. Perhaps a problem. I do plan on RMA'ing the TT PSU for a PC P&C Silencer.

 

[vochtige]

As a pentium 4 owner, that gtx 260 is overkill for that cpu! if it run, will you please send me some benchmarks?

 

[wargigas]

As a pentium 4 owner, that gtx 260 is overkill for that cpu! if it run, will you please send me some benchmarks?

Yea, my system is pretty old, but since it can still run games like Crysis at overall medium settings w/ a couple key visual ones at high-very high I didn't feel it was necessary for a full upgrade. The GPU upgrade would enough and I read at one point a 3.0Ghz+ CPU would be enough to utilize a higher end card. When the GTX was running, for that brief hour or so, it did very well. Did not do any benchmarks though and haven't gotten it to work since