Newly built computer restarting intermittently

[MrYonkers]

So, this is my first time building a computer from scratch. I must admit, I was very nervous. Well, I got everything hooked up properly (I think?), but I seem to be suffering from random restarts with no rhyme or reason. It has restarted while trying to install Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit (various points during the process, never getting past the "Expanding Files..." step), and also just while messing around in the BIOS. No errors or anything, just restarts as if someone pressed the RESET button.

I was able to get further (relatively speaking) into the Windows install by upping the voltage to the memory to 2.0 V (was set at 1.8V), but it hasn't solved my problem. This is really the only setting I have messed with, as I noticed on other threads this was suggested as a probable cause for system restarts (my memory is rated at 2.0-2.1V).

Here are the specs of my PC.

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P
AMD Phenom 9950 HD995ZXAGHBOX
EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ700SXS 700W
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 F2-8500CL5D-4GBPK (I have two of these kits, so 8GB total)
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS
Antec 900 case
Sony Optiarc DVD Burner AD-7240S-0B
D-Link WDA-1320

ANY help on this matter would be greatly appreciated, as I'm kinda at a loss here.

 

[n3f0ur]

Go to BIOS, load failsafe default, save & exit, go back to bios, set these:

Advanced BIOS Features, Away Mode = disabled
Integrated Peripherals, OnChip SATA Type = AHCI
Power Management Setup, ACPI Suspend Type = S3
PC Health Status, CPU Smart FAN Control = disabled

On a working pc, get this on a disk, boot it up on the new rig for 8+ passes (overnight):

http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

 

[batuchka]

Since u mentioned this being your 1st DIY adventure : best double check if the 2 x 6pin PCIe connectors are secure on the GPU?

 

[MrYonkers]

Just wanted to give an update. I did what was suggested in the first post. It has been testing for about 5 and a half hours and it now on its third Pass with no errors detected (yet). This is also the longest it has been on without restarting itself (yay?)

I also double checked the 2x6pin PCIe connector (I assume you mean from the PSU?) and it is solidly in place.

 

[n3f0ur]

Did you set up bios like I asked? If so, boot up Windows.

 

[MrYonkers]

I let the memtest run for a total of 14 passes. No errors found.

I indeed had the BIOS set up exactly as you suggested. I then attempted to boot from the Windows disc. It went through the process of loading Windows and got to the install screen. Here, it suddenly felt like I was trying to install Vista on a x286 processor with 8 megs of memory. It was going soooooooooo slow. Five minutes for the first dialog box to pop up. Then another five after I clicked next. I got to a "Please Wait" screen and it just seemed to sit there forever. (My friends were in a hurry to go to the movies, so I wasn't able to hang around longer waiting on it. Sometimes people just don't understand. Ugh)

The only good thing seemed to be it wasn't restarting anymore. The longest it had been on before without restarting had been about 5-7 minutes. This was a good 10-15 minutes.

I know on the previous attempts at installing Windows, it did NOT go that slow. I was able to click through the dialog boxes and the next options popped up immediately. From the time the installer was loader to the time I was entering the product key took about 2 minutes. On this last attempt after adjusting the BIOS settings and testing the memory, I was still waiting on the installer to GET to the Product Key box after 10 minutes.

Any idea on what the problem could be? I have no idea what those settings were that I changed, or if my restarting problem is fixed yet. Much appreciated for all the help given so far though.

 

[n3f0ur]

By restart, do you mean windows restarting out of the blue or normally through the welcome screen?

Is your bios up to date? If not, update with USB drive. Floppy = not as safe. Windows = possible bricking. Details are in the manual.

I can't help you further. Repost all your postings at:

http://forums.tweaktown.com/f69/