Building new system plz help if possible

zpwalton · 10-01-2008, 05:39 PM

Hello Everyone

This is my first post on this site, I've been reading the posts for awhile now and I decided to try building my own computer but I've run into quite a few problems along the way.

The basic problem I run into is that when I install xp pro the computer
does a variety of things
a)restarts randomly after a short amount of time
b)xp freezes right after it finishes loading and I can see desktop
c)when I try to install something from cd xp reboots
d)when trying to install I get to 52-53% copying filiesand computer restarts

Here are my system specs:

Motherboard: EVGA NVIDA NFORCE 680i SLI its the A1 edition
Case: coolermaster RS 550
Power supply: 550W power supply bundle with case
Processor: Intel core 2 duo 3.16Ghz
CD Drive: OEM SATA LG Super multi dvd rewriter
CPU cooler: AC Freezer 7 pro w/ arctic silver
system boots at 37 deg C
--------
Here are items that i've swapped trying to get it working:

Ram: standard 512 Ram,
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
Kensington 2g KHX6400D2LLK2/2GN *recomended

Harddrive: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Western Digital (WD) WD800JB SE 80GB 7200RPM Special Edition IDE Hard Drive, 8MB Cache

Video Card: Cheap $25 for testing evga 8400 gs
PNY NVIDA GeForce 8800GT XLR8 *has worked every time

OS:Windows XP pro w/ SP2 32bit
Ubuntu (newest) 32bit

I have tried various setups and have used the memory tester with Ubuntu to test the ram both the Kensington and standard have been fine

This really has me stumped I have managed to install xp and all updates but then everything starts freezing or rebooting, now I have tried a new harddrive the 80gig and reconfigured bios but now I cannot get past copying files from the cd to install xp 53% is highest before reboot and Ubuntu freezes during install.

Any help would be appreciated I'll keep checking back for any questions
Thanks
-ZW

**wrench97** · 10-01-2008, 05:52 PM

What voltages are you seeing in the bios?
Are you getting blue screen reboots or it just shuts down?

zpwalton · 10-02-2008, 08:34 AM

Hi Thanks for looking at my post, here's what I have:

I have all of the voltages set to automatic so the current value displays are:
CPU Core 1.12V
CPU FSB 1.2V
Memory 1.8V
nForce SPP 1.2V
nForce MCP 1.5V
HT nForce SPP <-> MCP 1.2V

Currently I have the 80g IDE harddrive with the kinsington ram and the 8800GT graphics card. With these settings while trying to install xp the "copying files" slows down and then stops at 53% then it just reboots, no blue screen and within a few seconds I'm presented with Press Any Key To Boot From CD:....

Tumbleweed36 · 10-02-2008, 08:51 AM

Here are some things to check or consider:

> Did you load the Sata drivers at the F6 prompt when you try to install the Operating System?

> Did you enable the Sata options in the bios setup menu?

> Do you have the Sata set to IDE mode?

> Did you load all the chipset drivers from your motherboard disk?

I might suggest that you unplug any IDE hard drives when trying to install the OS on the Sata drive....sometimes that helps.

Post back with questions/concerns.

Special Note: If you choose to keep the IDE hard drive in there when loading the OS on the Sata drive, you need to do this in the bios setup menu:

Boot Order

CdRom - 1st
Floppy - 2nd
Hard Drive - 1st

Hard Drive Priority

Sata drive must be listed FIRST

*** Don't forget to save before you exit if you change anything.

zpwalton · 10-02-2008, 10:21 AM

Currently I am just using the IDE hard drive and do not have the SATA drive connected, also I have no floppy discs or drives to be using so it is disabled in the bios. Once I actually get everything working decently I will try using the SATA drive to store media files.

**wrench97** · 10-02-2008, 12:20 PM

For voltages look on the PC health page of the Bios we are looking for values of the 12v, 3.3 & 5v

zpwalton · 10-02-2008, 02:44 PM

Thank you for clarifying, Under the System Monitor section of the Bios i found these voltages:

cpu core---1.1V
cpu fsp---1.19V
memory---1.82V
+3.3---3.26V
+3.3 dual---3.26V
+12---12.19V
+5---4.93V
+Vbat---2.98V

**wrench97** · 10-02-2008, 03:34 PM

They look ok but you are under powered for a 8800 card so until you get the system stable I suggest leaving the 8400 in.
Next thing I'd like to see are the temps listed on the Pc Health page especially the cpu.
after it has been on for awhile or as soon as it boots after a shut down.

zpwalton · 10-02-2008, 04:05 PM

I'll let you know as soon as I get back to it, I currently have it doing a slow format of the 640g SATA hard drive. When I had xp loaded finally I managed to install the drivers for the card and it ran beautifully(before restarting) but as for a new power supply what would you suggest in terms of wattage a 650 or a 750. I see that newegg has a thermaltake 750W on sale for around $100 after mail in rebate with free 3 day shipping.

**wrench97** · 10-02-2008, 04:17 PM

For a 8800gt a 650w quality unit would work fine but if you think you might move up to 9800gtx or gtx2xx you might as well spend a little more now and get a 750w.
If that Thermaltake is a Toughpower model it will work fine.

Seasonic - any model
Corsair - any model
Thermaltake - "Toughpower" series only
Coolermaster - "Real Power Pro" series only
PC Power & Cooling - any model
Silverstone - any model

zpwalton · 10-02-2008, 07:40 PM

After letting the hard drive format again and leaving it on for few hours the CPU temperature was fluctuating around 43-44 deg C, the highest I have ever seen it was 53 but that was before I started using arctic silver.

Other temperatures include:
CPU: 44 deg C
Board: 28-29 deg C
MCP: 39-40 deg C

CPU Fan Speed 958 RPM (highest while watching)
nForce Fan Speed 4494 RPM (highest while watching)

*just a note, after the next post I may update my original post to include the information we have discussed so people do not need to scroll to read everything.

zpwalton · 10-06-2008, 06:26 PM

update for now, I have an 750W corsair power supply on its way so once it gets here we'll go from there

10-01-2008, 05:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
zpwalton Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 7 OS: xp	Building new system plz help if possible Hello Everyone This is my first post on this site, I've been reading the posts for awhile now and I decided to try building my own computer but I've run into quite a few problems along the way. The basic problem I run into is that when I install xp pro the computer does a variety of things a)restarts randomly after a short amount of time b)xp freezes right after it finishes loading and I can see desktop c)when I try to install something from cd xp reboots d)when trying to install I get to 52-53% copying filiesand computer restarts Here are my system specs: Motherboard: EVGA NVIDA NFORCE 680i SLI its the A1 edition Case: coolermaster RS 550 Power supply: 550W power supply bundle with case Processor: Intel core 2 duo 3.16Ghz CD Drive: OEM SATA LG Super multi dvd rewriter CPU cooler: AC Freezer 7 pro w/ arctic silver system boots at 37 deg C -------- Here are items that i've swapped trying to get it working: Ram: standard 512 Ram, CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Kensington 2g KHX6400D2LLK2/2GN recomended Harddrive: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive Western Digital (WD) WD800JB SE 80GB 7200RPM Special Edition IDE Hard Drive, 8MB Cache Video Card: Cheap $25 for testing evga 8400 gs PNY NVIDA GeForce 8800GT XLR8 has worked every time OS:Windows XP pro w/ SP2 32bit Ubuntu (newest) 32bit I have tried various setups and have used the memory tester with Ubuntu to test the ram both the Kensington and standard have been fine This really has me stumped I have managed to install xp and all updates but then everything starts freezing or rebooting, now I have tried a new harddrive the 80gig and reconfigured bios but now I cannot get past copying files from the cd to install xp 53% is highest before reboot and Ubuntu freezes during install. Any help would be appreciated I'll keep checking back for any questions Thanks -ZW Last edited by zpwalton; 10-01-2008 at 05:43 PM. Reason: make easier to read

10-01-2008, 05:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,621 OS: Win7	Re: Building new system plz help if possible What voltages are you seeing in the bios? Are you getting blue screen reboots or it just shuts down? __________________ Power Supply and Selection

10-02-2008, 08:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
zpwalton Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 7 OS: xp	Re: Building new system plz help if possible Hi Thanks for looking at my post, here's what I have: I have all of the voltages set to automatic so the current value displays are: CPU Core 1.12V CPU FSB 1.2V Memory 1.8V nForce SPP 1.2V nForce MCP 1.5V HT nForce SPP <-> MCP 1.2V Currently I have the 80g IDE harddrive with the kinsington ram and the 8800GT graphics card. With these settings while trying to install xp the "copying files" slows down and then stops at 53% then it just reboots, no blue screen and within a few seconds I'm presented with Press Any Key To Boot From CD:....

10-02-2008, 08:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,662 OS: XP Professional	Re: Building new system plz help if possible Here are some things to check or consider: > Did you load the Sata drivers at the F6 prompt when you try to install the Operating System? > Did you enable the Sata options in the bios setup menu? > Do you have the Sata set to IDE mode? > Did you load all the chipset drivers from your motherboard disk? I might suggest that you unplug any IDE hard drives when trying to install the OS on the Sata drive....sometimes that helps. Post back with questions/concerns. Special Note: If you choose to keep the IDE hard drive in there when loading the OS on the Sata drive, you need to do this in the bios setup menu: Boot Order CdRom - 1st Floppy - 2nd Hard Drive - 1st Hard Drive Priority Sata drive must be listed FIRST *** Don't forget to save before you exit if you change anything. __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread. Last edited by Tumbleweed36; 10-02-2008 at 08:57 AM.

10-02-2008, 10:21 AM	#5 (permalink)
zpwalton Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 7 OS: xp	Re: Building new system plz help if possible Currently I am just using the IDE hard drive and do not have the SATA drive connected, also I have no floppy discs or drives to be using so it is disabled in the bios. Once I actually get everything working decently I will try using the SATA drive to store media files.

10-02-2008, 12:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,621 OS: Win7	Re: Building new system plz help if possible For voltages look on the PC health page of the Bios we are looking for values of the 12v, 3.3 & 5v __________________ Power Supply and Selection

10-02-2008, 02:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
zpwalton Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 7 OS: xp	Re: Building new system plz help if possible Thank you for clarifying, Under the System Monitor section of the Bios i found these voltages: cpu core---1.1V cpu fsp---1.19V memory---1.82V +3.3---3.26V +3.3 dual---3.26V +12---12.19V +5---4.93V +Vbat---2.98V

10-02-2008, 03:34 PM	#8 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,621 OS: Win7	Re: Building new system plz help if possible They look ok but you are under powered for a 8800 card so until you get the system stable I suggest leaving the 8400 in. Next thing I'd like to see are the temps listed on the Pc Health page especially the cpu. after it has been on for awhile or as soon as it boots after a shut down. __________________ Power Supply and Selection

10-02-2008, 04:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
zpwalton Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 7 OS: xp	Re: Building new system plz help if possible I'll let you know as soon as I get back to it, I currently have it doing a slow format of the 640g SATA hard drive. When I had xp loaded finally I managed to install the drivers for the card and it ran beautifully(before restarting) but as for a new power supply what would you suggest in terms of wattage a 650 or a 750. I see that newegg has a thermaltake 750W on sale for around $100 after mail in rebate with free 3 day shipping.

10-02-2008, 04:17 PM	#10 (permalink)
wrench97 Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2008 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania Posts: 18,621 OS: Win7	Re: Building new system plz help if possible For a 8800gt a 650w quality unit would work fine but if you think you might move up to 9800gtx or gtx2xx you might as well spend a little more now and get a 750w. If that Thermaltake is a Toughpower model it will work fine. Seasonic - any model Corsair - any model Thermaltake - "Toughpower" series only Coolermaster - "Real Power Pro" series only PC Power & Cooling - any model Silverstone - any model __________________ Power Supply and Selection

10-02-2008, 07:40 PM	#11 (permalink)
zpwalton Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 7 OS: xp	Re: Building new system plz help if possible After letting the hard drive format again and leaving it on for few hours the CPU temperature was fluctuating around 43-44 deg C, the highest I have ever seen it was 53 but that was before I started using arctic silver. Other temperatures include: CPU: 44 deg C Board: 28-29 deg C MCP: 39-40 deg C CPU Fan Speed 958 RPM (highest while watching) nForce Fan Speed 4494 RPM (highest while watching) *just a note, after the next post I may update my original post to include the information we have discussed so people do not need to scroll to read everything.

10-06-2008, 06:26 PM	#12 (permalink)
zpwalton Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 7 OS: xp	Re: Building new system plz help if possible update for now, I have an 750W corsair power supply on its way so once it gets here we'll go from there