Intermittent 6800GT Problem

will808 · 12-02-2005, 05:24 AM

Hi,

I've got an intermittent problem with my 6800GT, but am after some advice as to whether it's the card or possibly the motherboard (or anything else) at fault.

The card is a Leadtek 6800GT 256mb PCI-EX, running on an Asus A8N SLI Deluxe. It's been fine until the last couple of weeks, but now I'm not getting any graphics at all on the screen on a regular basis. By regular I mean that once in every 4 boots I actually see something on the screen, and the other three times it's just blank. Obviously I'm doing a lot of force quitting, so I'm not happy about the damage I might be doing to other components.

Very occasionally I get a screen of multi coloured lines during a "successful" boot, and from there it will either boot properly or I get nothing again. This is rare though - normally I either see the normal screen or I get nothing at all.

So, steps I've taken so far:

1) Removed and refitted the card.
2) Checked all connections
3) Run the Asus utility to auto tune all mobo settings.
4) Checked all drivers are up to date.

I haven't yet restored the mobo to default settings bceause the little sod is playing up at the minute so I can't even see to get into the BIOS, but I'll try that when I can.

I know (I think) that the screen is OK, because when it works, it works seamlessly. I'm also running a Mac on the VGA connection to the same screen, and that never fails.

So basically I'm after any input on what you think the problem might be, or which component needs to be returned? Both Vid card and mobo may take up to 14 weeks to be returned, so obviously I want to be as sure as I can that I've sent back the right part!

Thanks in advance...

Edit - having just registered I ought to point out that this is a PC running Win XP. If it matters I've got 1gb Corsair memory and an AMD64 3000.

Ice4444 · 12-02-2005, 05:39 AM

The easiest thing to do would be to reset your motherboard to its default settings. If you can't get into the bios you should be able to clear the cmos via a jumper or you can take the battery out for a couple of minutes refit it and test.

If the problem still perisists try replacing the graphics card with a friends or take your card to a friends pc and test it on his board. If it works on his pc you know that the card is fine. If you get the same result with the other graphics card on your motherboard then you now to check the memory,motherboard or even the CPU for the fault.

Did you overclock your pc before the problem came up? It sounds like a symptom of overclocking gone bad.

I hope this helps
Cheers !!

will808 · 12-02-2005, 05:50 AM

Thanks for the quick reply! I can get into the BIOs from time to time, so as soon as I'm able to I'll try resetting to defaults. I do have a friend lined up for a card swap, so hopefully we'll be able to nail it down a bit.

I haven't overclocked anything - the pc is only about 3 months old, and I decided to make sure everything was stable before I really messed about with it.

In a way I'm hoping it's the mobo as it was less expensive than the card - meaning i have enough money to buy a new one while I wait 14 weeks for a refund :(

I forgot to add, the beep code is usaully normal even when the graphics fail to materialize - I do get a single longer beep when I've had to force shutdown, but that tends to return to normal.

Thanks again.

dai · 12-02-2005, 08:32 AM

there is a good chance you are underpowered

will808 · 12-03-2005, 01:19 AM

I think it's possible that the PSU is causing some problems - it's 430 watts, so definitely below the recommended, but I don't see why that would cause an intermittent problem (I'm not really up on the finer points of power supply)?

Anyway, after resetting the BIOS to defaults yesterday, the PC has definitely been running better. I rebooted about 3 times afterwards and it was fine every time. This morning I woke it from sleep after about 12 hours and it was OK, so I think this evening I'll power down completely and see what result I get in the morning.

So I'm now thinking that the vid card and the mobo are probably innocent after I called both of them every name under the sun, because if either was faulty I don't think I'd be getting the sort of performance I get when the PC is running as it should. PSU is next on the list - thankfully cheaper and easier to get hold of than the other components as well :)

**twajetmech** · 12-03-2005, 02:39 AM

I concur with Dai, 430W is most likely not making it. A good 550W unit from Enermax, Fortron, Sparkle or Antec would serve you much better. And if you get a unit with 2 12V rails be sure to evenly distribute the loads as best you can....ie don't put the HD's and the video card on the same rail

12-02-2005, 05:24 AM	#1 (permalink)
will808 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3 OS: Mac OS X	Intermittent 6800GT Problem Hi, I've got an intermittent problem with my 6800GT, but am after some advice as to whether it's the card or possibly the motherboard (or anything else) at fault. The card is a Leadtek 6800GT 256mb PCI-EX, running on an Asus A8N SLI Deluxe. It's been fine until the last couple of weeks, but now I'm not getting any graphics at all on the screen on a regular basis. By regular I mean that once in every 4 boots I actually see something on the screen, and the other three times it's just blank. Obviously I'm doing a lot of force quitting, so I'm not happy about the damage I might be doing to other components. Very occasionally I get a screen of multi coloured lines during a "successful" boot, and from there it will either boot properly or I get nothing again. This is rare though - normally I either see the normal screen or I get nothing at all. So, steps I've taken so far: 1) Removed and refitted the card. 2) Checked all connections 3) Run the Asus utility to auto tune all mobo settings. 4) Checked all drivers are up to date. I haven't yet restored the mobo to default settings bceause the little sod is playing up at the minute so I can't even see to get into the BIOS, but I'll try that when I can. I know (I think) that the screen is OK, because when it works, it works seamlessly. I'm also running a Mac on the VGA connection to the same screen, and that never fails. So basically I'm after any input on what you think the problem might be, or which component needs to be returned? Both Vid card and mobo may take up to 14 weeks to be returned, so obviously I want to be as sure as I can that I've sent back the right part! Thanks in advance... Edit - having just registered I ought to point out that this is a PC running Win XP. If it matters I've got 1gb Corsair memory and an AMD64 3000. Last edited by will808; 12-02-2005 at 05:28 AM.

12-02-2005, 05:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
will808 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3 OS: Mac OS X	Thanks for the quick reply! I can get into the BIOs from time to time, so as soon as I'm able to I'll try resetting to defaults. I do have a friend lined up for a card swap, so hopefully we'll be able to nail it down a bit. I haven't overclocked anything - the pc is only about 3 months old, and I decided to make sure everything was stable before I really messed about with it. In a way I'm hoping it's the mobo as it was less expensive than the card - meaning i have enough money to buy a new one while I wait 14 weeks for a refund :( I forgot to add, the beep code is usaully normal even when the graphics fail to materialize - I do get a single longer beep when I've had to force shutdown, but that tends to return to normal. Thanks again. Last edited by will808; 12-02-2005 at 05:54 AM.

12-02-2005, 08:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,629 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	there is a good chance you are underpowered __________________

12-03-2005, 02:39 AM	#6 (permalink)
twajetmech I helped the forums. Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: LGA, NYC Posts: 2,388 OS: XP-Pro Sp2 & XP-Pro Sp2 Tablet Edition, Vista Ultimate My System	I concur with Dai, 430W is most likely not making it. A good 550W unit from Enermax, Fortron, Sparkle or Antec would serve you much better. And if you get a unit with 2 12V rails be sure to evenly distribute the loads as best you can....ie don't put the HD's and the video card on the same rail __________________ PSU Selection/Info // Bench test // Thermal Paste // Memory Selection // Bios Beep Codes // CPU-Z// Posting System Specs

12-02-2005, 05:39 AM	#2 (permalink)
Ice4444 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Cape Town, South Afica Posts: 35 OS: Windows XP SP3	The easiest thing to do would be to reset your motherboard to its default settings. If you can't get into the bios you should be able to clear the cmos via a jumper or you can take the battery out for a couple of minutes refit it and test. If the problem still perisists try replacing the graphics card with a friends or take your card to a friends pc and test it on his board. If it works on his pc you know that the card is fine. If you get the same result with the other graphics card on your motherboard then you now to check the memory,motherboard or even the CPU for the fault. Did you overclock your pc before the problem came up? It sounds like a symptom of overclocking gone bad. I hope this helps Cheers !!

12-03-2005, 01:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
will808 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3 OS: Mac OS X	I think it's possible that the PSU is causing some problems - it's 430 watts, so definitely below the recommended, but I don't see why that would cause an intermittent problem (I'm not really up on the finer points of power supply)? Anyway, after resetting the BIOS to defaults yesterday, the PC has definitely been running better. I rebooted about 3 times afterwards and it was fine every time. This morning I woke it from sleep after about 12 hours and it was OK, so I think this evening I'll power down completely and see what result I get in the morning. So I'm now thinking that the vid card and the mobo are probably innocent after I called both of them every name under the sun, because if either was faulty I don't think I'd be getting the sort of performance I get when the PC is running as it should. PSU is next on the list - thankfully cheaper and easier to get hold of than the other components as well :)