System Still Unstable - Rebooting

[Speed]

Hello,

I really hope someone can help me out here as I'm out of idea’s, I’ve been having no end of problems.

First my current system specs:

Intel P4 2.4C
Abit AI7
2 x 512 Twinmoss DDR400
GigaByte R9700 Pro
Tagan 480W PSU
Western Digital 120GB 8MB Cache Hard drive
Windows XP Pro SP1

This all started months and months ago, I started to experience some general system problems. Unstable, reboots etc. I put it down to a low 3.3v rail so I replaced my PSU from a Antec 430W to the Tagan you see in my system specs. It was fine for a month or two and then I started experiencing more problems, reboots, graphical glitches on the desktop etc. It got quite bad, with the screen being very scrambled and the computer freezing quite often. After a few reboots it wasn’t as bad and I was able to backup my data. I tried various things to try and fix it, I replaced the graphics card but the graphical glitches were still present. After some lengthy investigation and some advice, I replaced the motherboard from a Abit IC7 to the Abit AI7 that you can see in my system specs. I also did a reformat and reinstall of Windows.

It was fine for about a week and although the bulk of the problems have disappeared, I keep getting random reboots. Usually it happens when I’m just browsing the internet or using standard applications, word, excel etc. Due to the fact they are random, I have to wait to see if any changes have fixed it. The next reboot could be in 5 seconds or 5 weeks, although it’s not a major problem, I would like to find out what has been causing it.

I’ve tried various things that haven’t helped as I’ve had a reboot since doing them. I’ve updated the bios, ran a ram tester (which passed), ran several harddrive testers (which all passed). I’ve of course checked my temperatures, none of them were high, but I turned all my fans up anyways.

So I’ve eliminated (at least in my mind) the following parts:

Motherboard (It’s been replaced recently so I can see it causing problems)
PSU (Again it’s been replaced recently)
Graphics card (It was swapped out during the graphic glitches and didn’t do a thing)
RAM (I’ve ran a ram tester)
Hard drive (I’ve ran lots of hard drive scanners)

Now as far as I can see that leaves only one major part, the processor. Is it possible that this could be causing the problems? Of course I can't simply replace it, as I don't have that kind of money, but I was thinking of getting a celly to try to see if that does anything. Does anyone have any suggestions of things I could try?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance

Regards

Speed2003
Mark

[mariner]

Hi,

This may sound stupid, but have you considered that you may be experiencing small dips in mains electricity power, small enough to trip you PC, but nothing else? It might well be this, and it would certainly cause the problems you describe. I suggest this, as you have replaced just about all your hardware, so this is a distinct possibility.

If available, you might try an UPS until you are satisfied the problem has either gone, or is something else.

[Speed]

Hi,

Its certainly possible, but is there anyway I can test for this? Any electricans out there?

With regards to a UPS, its not something I have lieing about and I gather they are very expensive.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Regards

Mark Lewis

[Betty_Swallocks]

Depends what you call expensive. You can get a small one, big enough for one PC, for under £30 from PC World. Link here

This is actually a very common problem, especially in older houses. Our house is only about 45 years old and we had the same problem. PC rebooting at random intervals, at least once a day. I put a UPS in and the problem hasn't come back in over two years.

[Speed]

Hi,

Hmm.. Is there anyway to check before shelling out the money for something I may not need? Its not like the reboots are very often, once every week or longer I guess. But they don't call them random for no reason .

Regards,

Speed

PS. Thanks for the link!

[mariner]

It's certainly possible, but as you say, an expert would be preferrable. Power Co's will have basic info on what dippped, where and when. But getting them to admit this is pretty hard to do.
I have power dips every now and again, and a light briefly flickering, followed by the PC rebooting is all I need to know. I'm trying to get my power Co to cough up a UPS for inconveience, etc.

UPS's are available from $100 or so upwards, depending on your locale. In the UK, PC World sell Belkin UPS' for about £45 up.

Hope this helps

mariner

[Zak33]

do you live near a railway? Is it in time with trains passing? Or any otherthings thast occur...like when someone puts on the tumbledrier?

[Speed]

I don't really live near a railway, there is a station the other side of town, but that is a good distance away. With regards to other things, I'll have to try turning on some things to see if anything effects it.

Thanks

Speed

[iranu]

Do you live near any radio masts like the police or fire brigade?

Perhaps you could try it for a week or so at a friends house if you think it's a mains issue.

On another note I know that you used lots of drive scanners, but it could be a HD issue. I've got an older WD 80 gig drive that will run merrily along and then boof, randomly Windows can't see it. I think there was something about WD drives that required them to be on the end of the ide cable with no jumpers attached.

Someone please confirm/dismiss this, Ta.

[Speed]

Well the last reboot happened a few days ago at around midnight, so I really doubt it would have been anything to do with something being turned on. Large appliance etc.

With regards to the WD hard drive, I've never had any problems with it disappearing or anything, its been the most reliable hard drive I've ever owned.

I really doubt radio masks would have much to do with it and as far as I know there are none around here.

I'm pretty sure its either the PSU, regardless of if I've changed it or not, the processor, although that I really doubt or like other people mentioned dips in the mains voltage.

Thanks

Speed

[Speed]

Well it seems its getting worse, I've had 7 random reboots in the last 4 days. I thought I nailed it as some power company problem (as someone suggested) as serveral reboots have been about 10 minutes past midnight. But to be honest now it seems like just pure bad luck.

I've also been getting graphical glitches in games.

Below is a screenshot from Full Spectrum Warrior which shows the kinds of things I'm experiencing.

Graphic Errors in FSW

I have similar experiences in Farcry, to the stage where you can't even identify the weapon you are holding, let alone where you are facing. Usually the desktop is fine, but sometimes does go unreable after an experience like the above in a game.

I have to say that the above isn't all the time although I have experienced things in the past with this card, which prompted me to change my power supply in the first place. Sometimes the system is fine for weeks, even months at a time and these graphics problems pop their head up.

At first I thought it was cooling on my graphics card as I have a Zalman HP80 series on there, but after directing a 120mm 125CFM Ys Tech @ 12v at the card the same problems are incountered.

Of course I should try it in another pc, but the only pc I have access to has a Duron 800. I have infact tried it in there, but the time and effort to remove geforce drivers etc took its toll. I tried a few games, it was fine but I'm wondering if the Duron could be holding the card back and not allowing it to go fast enough to cause problems. I will try a ti series card in my P4 rig and see if that solves my problems, but again the problems of drivers etc.

Has anyone had random reboots mixed with graphical problems like the above? Could a faulty graphics card cause random reboots and the above problems?

Hope someone can help, as I'm quickly running out of ideas.

Regards,

Mark
(Speed)

**UPDATE**

Well after what I said above, I attempted to change the graphics card I had in there (R9700PRO) with a Ti series card. Now this Ti card has been sitting and working fine in another pc. Now I removed the Ati drivers, rebooted in safemode, ran drive cleaner. Switched the cards. I then rebooted, it past the normal bios bit but once it go to the XP loading screen you couldn't see nearly anything of it. Just a few flickering bits, my TFT then said no signal and the pc rebooted.

This time it didn't get as far, it got stuck on the Abit screen where it gives you the option to press TAB to show POST and DEL to show BIOS. It got stuck there every time I rebooted. The POST LED showed 52, which is "Test all memory (clear all extended memory to 0). I pretty sure that is just part of the booting process that it normally goes through.

So I ended up sticking the R9700PRO back in. God knows whats going on, if someone, anyone could shed some light on this it would be a great help!