HUGE computer problem!!
 

Ok.. so i bought my new pc bits on monday only to find my mobo was fucked, so i returned it and got a new one on tuesday, This seems to work fine until i play some games. I mean this is a 'Great' computer...

AMD Athlon 64 3200
Geforce 6600GT
512mb 3200 RAM
Abit KB8 Pro mobo.

I started half life 2 put all vid settings on high and decided i wanted to flick back to windows to do something only to find my computer to restart. I just though shit wtf just happened. Anyway I started up AmericasArmy again i switched between programs to test it and found it again restarted. So tonight i again started up americas army played to 10 mins and left the game - to find a friend had messaged me.. so i clicked his conversation typed my emoticon reply, sent it and again it restarted.

What the fuck is going on?

Could it be the lack of thermal paste on my cpu? Because i had to seperate my cpu from my heatsink to send back my mobo - i lost alot of thermal paste!

I also found my games to not be performing very well too. I find my old pc to be better (AMD XP 2000, GF4MX 400, 1 gig 1700 RAM)

could be a heat issue. how hot is your gpu and cpu?

http://www.freedownloads.be/html/download.php?ID=353

go to sensor

Needs more ram.


Ram isnt your problem here, but with tat setup you need 1 gig 3200.

that happens to me wit hamericas army, whe ni alt tab the whole thing fucks itself

i agree. you will need more ram. i have the same cpu, but i chose the asus k8v deluxe. i do like abit boards though, they are quality. i would browse the abit forums and post your exact problem, im sure their techies will give you a detailed trouble shooting guide.

[quote="[22nd Elite] Cloud":f9d17]http://www.freedownloads.be/html/download.php?ID=353

go to sensor[/quote:f9d17]

Whats an acceptable temp for my p4 3.0ghz cpu?

...its currently 45 degrees C, m'board is at 42 C...

Those software sensors aren't enitrely accurate. Take those readings with a grain of salt.


Your temps are normal, mr.miyangi.

Best thing to do would be to reseat the cpu and ram. And then in the bios set it to defaults then see if it happens again if not nudge up the settings till it does then you will see what is tipping it over.

I know its a stupid question but u did reinstall windows etc you didnt just wack in your HD as is?

wow my cpu is borderline 55-60 just browsing this forum... Looks like i need some thermal paste. I'll get some today and tell you the results!

Keep in mind m1ck that abit boards tend to overread the tempature. The actual temp is anywhere from 43-50. Still not that great, but under stress, I can imagine the temp. goes beyond what it should be.

Thanks for the advice - i went and got some thermal compound today and my mobo is now saying 36 degrees! Seems to be find at gaming now! happy: So thanks alot!

artic silver > sex oOo:

OMG!!

Although this has lowered my temerature of my cpu - it is still restarting when i switch programs (away from a game) or when I leave a game.

its not my video card - as i have tested my dads 5700 Ultra. Could it be my cpu, being faulty? As i have noticed alot of lag on single player and general mouse movements are sometimes jumpy

K. here are some tests you can do for intermittent reboots.

1. eliminate the power supply as the source. check the voltage output of the power supply. you can do this simple test with a voltmeter. test the hd, and ide molex connectors, you should get 12 volts and 5 volts for the various connections. if you dont have a voltmeter i suggest you go get one, it is a very useful troubleshooting tool. also later you can check to see how much power you are using while the computer is on. you never want to use more than 60 percent of your power. it will reduce the life of the psu and could cause system instability.

2. of course run a current version of antivirus and do a scan (im sure you have done this already)

3. get rid of the unnecessary. a good rule of thumb when troubleshooting. too many devices can cause the system to overtax the psu (like i said in #1) also check the taskbar or ctrl alt del and see how many processes you are running. 25-28 is the normal amount for xp.

4. remove all unnecessary devices and cards (modem, network, sound, printer, scanner etc...) remember you are trouble shooting here, get down to the barebones. less crap, easier to pinpoint problem

5. u said you already reseated the cpu and put more thermal compound on it....make sure to reseat the ram, and double check all connections/connectors

6.check the mobo for damage, shorts , frayed traces (circuits) , bad connections or faulty capacitors. if you see any browning on the board, or elecrtical damage, you could have ESD damage. in that case you need to trash it.

7.go ahead and exchange the ram if you cant find the problem at this point. rma it and get new dimms

8. install a better heatsink/cpu fan than the stock....although i doubt this is what is causing your restarts, it still is a good idea. i recommend anything by thermaltake...a volcano series.


hope that helps, i know it is frustrating, but after becoming A+ certified it is very rewarding to know how to identify, diagnose and solve computer probs. dont get frustrated and stay with it. oh, my biggest peice of advice, ALWAYS USE AN ESD WRIST STRAP. i know its a bit faggy, but it can save you from esd and esd is a killer to computer components.

Thanks alot Jbird - I have done most of these checks apart from test my psu, and cutting it down to barebone!

I'll try these and give the results later on!

Check out this very helpful site. I get alot of questions answered here.

http://www.hardforum.com/

What happens when it restarts? I mean, does the screen just go blank and a second later you see RAM counting or what? Also when it starts up again does it complain about you not shutting windows down properly?

yeah the screen goes black for a second and then see my bios checks display on screen. I dont get anything complaining about windows shutting down.
Thanks for the link arkan i'll take a look on the site now.

that definately sounds like a ram issue. you need to return that ram and get it replaced, and you might have the wrong type of ram in there...what kind are you running? did you check the mobo book to make sure that the ram is compatible. there should be a compatible ram table in the booklet

It wouldn't fit in the slot if it was the wrong type....

I tried my old RAM... it still didnt work properly - but when i tried to stick in my new RAM - im getting error beeps (which were not occuring before). and a 0.4 appears on my mobo, which doesnt exist in my user manual oOo: so fuck knows whats wrong with this now!

It's possible that you fried them when you took them out if you didn't ground yourself and put them an anti-static bag.



Definitely post your problem here: http://www.hardforum.com

Someone probably has had the same problem or at least know what's causing it.

I've already posted my problem at hardforum a couple of hours ago... awaiting response