Oktoberfest

My PC recently started locking up on me, causing me to have to reboot periodically. Now it won't even post, but maybe once out of 10 times. I have swapped out the Video Card, and still nothing. It freezes when loading Windows and after loading, so I suspect a Hardware issue, but I don't know what. Motherboard?

System info:

Windows XP
PSU 380W
Gigabyte GA-K8NS Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 CPU
GeForce BFG Graphics Card
512 stick of RAM

Any ideas on what I should check next? If I can post and get to the BIOS, is there anything there I could check for hardware failures? Thanks for any advice.

Doby

If you get it into bios look around for something like pc health post here your cpu temp and the voltages listed for +3.3, +5 and +12

Gigabyte has several versions of that board including bot socket 754 and 939 it would be a good idea to tell us the exact version you have in case we need your manual.

It would also be a good idea to tell us what cpu you have.

I doubt a 380 watt psu is enough for a AMD 64 processor, you may have been ok for awhile but the thing was problably in overdrive the hole time. A psu when pushed that hard for extended periods can deteriorate and lose alot of its power so I would consider a new one it may just solve your problem.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/motherboards-bios-cpu/107466-power-supply-information-selection.html

That is a great artical by Tumbleweed that expalins alot about psu's along with some recomendations

Oktoberfest

Thanks for the reply Doby. Updated system info:

System info:

Windows XP SP2
PSU 380W
Gigabyte GA-K8NS socket 754 Mobo
AMD Athlon 64 CPU 3000+
GeForce FX 5700LE graphics card
512 stick of RAM

I haven't been able to get it to post, but will reply with voltage and temps. Thanks again!

Doby

If you can't get it to post and enter bios to get the temps and volts the next thing to do would be remove all drives, cards, usb devices then see if it will post, if it does then add them one at a time to find the offending one.

If it still won't post see if you can barrow another power supply to try

Oktoberfest

Doby, Thanks again. What is the bair minimum the system needs to post? I know enough to get around when it comes to PC's, but a lot of this is over me head. What is the bare minimum one needs to try to Post? Motherboard and cpu, just motherboard?

Doby

To post all a system needs is,,,,

Motherboard
Cpu with fan heatsink attached
1 stick Ram
Power supply
Video card or onboard video
Mouse, keyboard and monitor

Oktoberfest

Doby,

Reseated everything and finally got it to post consistently. Here is what I have for CPU:

CPU Temp: 41 degrees C
CPU fan rpm 3515-3590
system fan speed - 0 (It is spinning, I believe this has to do with the mobo)
Vcore - ok
DDR25V - ok
+ 3.3V - ok
+ 12V - ok

It froze again right after the desktop wallpaper displays (This happens everytime). I didn't take off the CPU from the mobo. I turned it on again while typing this and it didn't post. Should I see about changing the PSU? If so, how easy are they to change out, and could the psu cause the screen to freeze? Thanks for your help!

Also exact mobo info: Gigabyte GA-K8NS (Rev.1.x)

Doby

I am not sure at this point it is the psu, you mentioned after reseating everything it would post consistently.

Dis connect power to the drives, all of them, hdd, cd/dvd and floppy.

Power on and tap the delete key repeatedly to enter bios, let the computer idle in bios for 15 minutes and report the cpu temp again.

Do this 3 times, if you can enter bios consistently and let it idle in there with out a freeze I think it could be a hardrive problem and not a psu problem because your voltages are reported as OK.

If you can consistently enter bios for the 3 times with out a freeze we will then try and test the hardrive, so let me know who manufactured your drive and I will guide you to a program to test it.

I am being cautious, I would not want to see you spend yoyr hard earned cash on a psu and it not be the problem

Oktoberfest

Doby,

Unplugged all drives and after several tries, PC posted and entered BIOS. Performed Test 3x, all with the following results:

CPU Temp: 42 degrees C
CPU fan rpm 3515-3668
system fan speed - 0
Vcore - ok
DDR25V - ok
+ 3.3V - ok
+ 12V - ok

I tried turning on the PC while typing this reply - No Post. Remains idle with no beeps. All drives are unplugged. I am assuming then it is not my HD, which would be a huge sigh of relief, as I'm an idiot and did not backup. If you still think it maybe the HD, here are the specs for testing (Is there a way to test this specifically to rule out?):

Western Digital WD1200 IDE 7200 RPM
Model: WD1200JB-00CRA1

I tried turning on the PC half a dozen times while typing this and no post, no beeps. HD is unplugged along with other CD/DVD drives.

Any ideas?

Thanks again for all your help!

Doby

The reason I suggested it maybe the hdd is because of how it freezes when beginning to load windows but now that we found out it still struggles to post without the hdd attached it has another problem.

post is short for power on self test, before a PC boots bios performs the power on self test and checks various components of the pc before it hands over controll to the operating system.

Sometimes a device attached to the computer goes bad and prevents it from passing the post test that is why I had you remove all cards,drives usb devices ect. Now with all of them removed the computer still will only post once in awhile.

So that leaves only the ram, motherboard, cpu,video card or psu at fault. You have tried another video card so we know its not that, if ram were to blame the computer usually beeps in a specific code telling you so.

So in therory that would eliminate the ram, I would like you to try something that may indicate a motherboard problem.

Do you know if there is a case speaker connected? If so remove all ram and power on. Does the computer beep?

Doby

Btw for your future referance here is the link to the program that will diagnose hardrive programs. I don't think its worth you using them on your drive because of the reasons above

http://support.wdc.com/download/?cxml=n&pid=4&swid=2

note this is for western digital only but every manufacture has some sort of tools to check there drives

Oktoberfest

Doby - thanks again....I removed the RAM. All drives disconnected. Everything disconnected, except Monitor and sound to graphics card. Mobo and CPU connected. I am getting long single beeps. I have tried powering on and I am getting this everytime I power on. Making progress? Any ideas?

Doby

Yep that tells me the motherboard is doing what it suppose to be doing.

Next go here http://www.memtest.org/

On another computer download memtest. Scroll down to "Download - Pre-Compiled package for Floppy (DOS - Win)"

This is the floppy version, I am assuming you have a floppy drive, follow the instructions (I think they are in a readme file) and create the bootable floppy with memtest on it. Then connect up your floppy only and boot from it.

This will test the ram, if it shows alot of errors then thats the problem but let it run for 1 hour and report back what happens.

I am hoping you can get the computer pass post and run this so we can eliminate the ram

Oktoberfest

Doby,

Unfortunately, I am not able to make a bootbale floppy from my laptop. It keeps asking for drive A or B and my floppy is drive E. It won't accept it. I may have to try to have someone else burn it for me. I have powered on since my last reply I am getting nothing half the time. Sometimes it has long beeps, other times it does nothing. Clueless.

Doby

There is also a version of memtest that allows you to make a bootable cd if that helps.

Are you getting the long beeps with the ram installed?

Oktoberfest

Doby,

I'm having issues making the bootable disk. I will have someone at work create it for me.

I am not getting any beeps when the RAM is installed.

Oktoberfest

Doby,

Running MemTest now. I was able to burn a different version: Memtest-86 v3.3. I will let you know the results. Thanks again for all your help.

Oktoberfest

MemTest results:

3 passes complete, no errors.

Oktoberfest

Took everything out today and reseated everything. Now it won't even power on. I am assuming now that I have a PSU problem. Did I need to reset anything after taking out all the guts, or is it just hosed?

Doby

With the results of memtest its narrowed down to the psu, motherboard or cpu.

Explain what happens now when you power on?

I dont believe its your motherboard or cpu, so if possible try another power supply