Possible factors for PC cutting out?

[Cascara]

Hi..some of you may have seen my thread about a faulty PSU, I have just discovered that in fact, it was NOT a faulty PSU.

However, this means that there is another problem with something in the computer. Here's the problem:


I turn on the computer and it boots up fine, but at some random point it cuts out, the computer just stops...When I say random, I mean totally random, I was able to play Red Faction for an hour and a half before it died on me, on the other hand i've booted up and it switches off before reaching the XP welcome screen...

When this happens, the mobo LED stays lit. DryFire told me why this is, something to do with the capacitors I think, but I have no idea why the comp is cutting out.


Can you all try and list any possible factors to do with mobo installation, PCI card installation etc?

Here's my full spec with all hardware:

Mobo: Asus A7N8X-E
CPU: AMD Athlon Barton 3200+ (jumpers set to 400FSB)
RAM: Corsair Value Select 512MB
G card: Asus GeForce 5700FX 128 MB
S card: Creative SB Audigy2
PSU: Antec TruePower 430w (appears to be working fine)
HD: IBM 80GB

Plus a floppy and a CD-rw/DVD player, and a 17" CRT monitor.

Case is a Coolermaster Centurion 2.

I'd really like to get this sorted so I can get broadband and get on with using it!

Thanks for your help!

Sorry, I'm posting this all over the place, in different forums looking for some help. When I came to Toms Hardware forum I wasn't sure which area to post it in, but I know people get pissed off when you just post it in all of them, so if this is in the wrong place, feel free to move it! Thanks a lot!

 

[endyen]

You might want to look at these <A HREF="http://www.badcaps.com/ident/" target="_new">http://www.badcaps.com/ident/</A> to comare with the caps on your board. What revision is your mobo? Is your ram pc3200/DDR400?
Aside from bad caps, it could be bad ram, north bridge problems, bad memory timings, or just plain heat.
Download mbm5 to keep track of temps.

 

[Crashman]

Probably a bad power supply. Could also be an intermittant short caused by a standoff under the board that shouldn't be there and is not touching only by a very small fraction of an inch. Does your PC shut off if you bump it?

It could also be a heat issue.

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[Zeekfu]

wow that kt7 is the board I am using in this comp now, lol. it is the raid version but I suppose it is probably still the "bad cap prone" board pictured with the raid controller chip added.

kg7 raid is the one that "blew up" but I suppose that was due to generic power supply not the board. I had alot of those random reboots etc. before I noticed the burned plug. Summer heat/hot apartment/leaving computer on for long periods was a contibuting factor to the intial problem though I believe.

Cool link--if I am not careful I might learn something around here.

I was having random reboots, simular problems as you with that kg7 raid system.


Going by crash's ideas above... how do you know it is not the ps? if this is a new ps did the old one blow up or something? or did you test this one on another set up?
How long have you been using the set up and how long ago did you begin to have problems? If it is a brand new build and you have had the problem from the start check to see you don't have one of the brass stand-outs behind the mobo in a place where it shouldn't be as crash suggested above.

Has the ambient temp (in the room where the computer is) risen dramatically since you have been having the problems?
Noticed any burning smells?<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Zeekfu on 06/15/04 02:39 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Cascara]

First of all, I should point out that all these parts are completely new! It's a new PC, I built it on Saturday (not very well, evidently). I know it's not the PSU because I tried the PSU from this computer on my new comp, and got the same problem.

As for temperature, my heatsink appears to be very effective. I've been able to use the PC for extended periods of time occassionally, but it's unreliable. I ran a gaming benchmark that my friend gave me called '3D-Mark' I think and I got right to the end of that, checked my CPU temp and it was only 45 degrees! So I think my heatsink is excellent (it's a Zalman, with copper/aluminium heatsink and 92mm fan).

I also want to point out that this problem occurred before I had even installed windows (and continues to) so it's definitely a hardware problem.

However, I noticed when I was fitting the mobo, that I had to push and pull a bit to get it in, so i'm about to completely dismantle it again and refit the mobo, making sure that the brass standoffs are all on perfectly!

Incidentally, the case is ATX, so I was thinking that there could possibly be a problem with the soft switch in the case? Ie, power is still coming through because of the mobo LED staying lit, but maybe the soft switch is faulty? That possible?

Anyway, i'll let you know how I get on after re-assembling! Thanks guys.

Oh, forgot, RAM is PC3200/DDR 400.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Cascara on 06/15/04 08:55 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[jammydodger]

Download and run a program called memtest86.

<font color=blue>P4c 2.6@3.25
512Mb PC4000
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Waterchill KT12-L30
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