HELP!!!! Problem driving me crazy

[tywyn]

I'm having various problems with the PC which is driving me crazy and need some advice.

System Spec

AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+ Winchester
Asus A8V Deluxe
MSI NX6800GT-TD256
Belinea 1925 S1W
2 x 512mb Crucial PC4200 400mhz Dual Channel (also have a 1Gb stick of Samsung PC3200 which has been tested along with the crucial memory)
80 GB Western Digital SE
120GB Western Digital SE
Standard 500w PSU
3 x 80mm Case Fans


The problem has been going on for a while now in various forms. It started about 6 weeks ago when I was playing BF2 and artifacts started appearing during the game and then suddenly the PC just froze and this happened several times over the next few days on the desktop and when gaming/running applications, and sometimes the screen would go blank for a split second. I tested 3 sticks of memory individually for 12 hours using memtest and they all passed. I had an A8V Deluxe mobo which I suspected as being faulty so I RMA'd and got a refund, then rebuilt the PC about 3 weeks ago using a replacement A8V Deluxe which a friend sold me and had been using for about 14 months without any problems. The system seemed to run ok for 3 weeks.

Last Saturday I'm playing BF2 again and suddenly after about 2 hours the PC freezes and a maze of colours appears on the screen, so I hard reboot the PC and there are flashing blocks on the screen. I tried a couple more times and then eventually it boots OK. The PC runs fine again for a few hours then I switched it off for 12 hours. On the Sunday the PC freezes only once after a few hours use after a few tries it reboots OK.

When I booted the PC on Monday there was a beeping coming from the GFX card and graphical corruption on the screen, I can't post a screenshot as I have under 5 posts.

Sometimes it's like this on boot, sometimes when the desktop loads. The PC card hasn't beeped since Monday. I ran 3 Mark 05 on Wednesday and played BF2 for 5 hours without any problems. To add to this occasionally when the PC boots up it doesn’t recognise my slave HDD, or I will get a BIOS message saying the CPU fan isn't running. I then reboot and the fan runs fine.


I have mailed MSI on Monday about a replacement card but so far they have only managed to ask me for the serial number to check if it's in warranty, very slow service.


I'm almost positive that this problem is the GFX card but it could also be a faulty PSU or a mixture of both. I have tried unplugging everything but the CPU Fan, Master HDD and the GFX card but this seems to make no difference to the graphical corruption. Incidentally three days before the latest round of problems started I replaced my old CRT with a TFT, surely though this can't have anything to do with the problems I'm having. I’m at my wits end with these problems. I don’t have a spare GFX card or system to test but I do have a spare 360W Antec PSU which I haven't tried yet.

My temps seem normal even after reboot

Idle temps
CPU 40c
Mobo 22c
GPU 59c


Load temps
CPU 45c
Mobo 24c
GPU 68c



500w PSU SN-500

115/230v - 60/50hz

+3.3v - 30a
+5v - 40a
+12v - 20a
-5v - 0.5a
-12v - 1.0a
+5vsb - 2.0a

+3.3v + 5v Max - 260w


I monitored the PSU voltages


Asus Probe
+12v - Fluctuating quite a lot between 12.224 and 12.288
+3.3v - Stays solid at 3.3v


Everest
Voltage Values:
CPU Core 1.44 V
+3.3 V 3.28 V
+5 V 5.08 V
+12 V 12.29 V


I'm at my wits end with this problem, any advice please?

[kasavien]

What are the beep codes that you get, at boot up, these usually give you an indication of any hardware problems, when you know the patern do a search for BIOS beep codes on google, find a site and find what the code means, the codes may also be in your motherboard manual. The temps look ok, maybe a little high but acceptable all the same. As for voltages i have no clue sorry, maybe someone else can help on this?

HTH

Andy

[Koolpc]

Seems like a graphics card problem. Can't you borrow one from a mate to try?

[tywyn]

Strangely It has only beeped once which was on Monday so I can't identify the problem from this. I have a list of the beep codes for my BIOS but without the beeps i'm stuck. This problem seems to want to go out of its way to piss me off Patience is patience but mine are starting to wear thin now. Unfortunately there's no one local that I can borrow a card from.

[Koolpc]

Have you made sure the graphics card is seated firmly and locked into place?

[kasavien]

Agreed with Koolpc it does sound like a graphics problem tbh, especially with all the artifacts and corruption you have been seeing

[tywyn]

Thanks for the replies I think it's the GFX card as well, I just wanted confirmation as I've never had one go on me before. I have unseated/reseated the card several times but the problem remains.

[scrandman]

Beeps from the gfx card (normally sounds like a police siren) can be related to power (e.g. disconnect the molex from the gfx card and try to boot up to hear it).

I'd try the Antec PSU first if I were you - I'm always very nervous about no-name PSUs.

[tywyn]

Switched the PSU on Friday and havent had a problem with the GFX card since One of my HDD's was faulty as well (probably shot by the faulty PSU) I'm getting a replacement drive a WD SATA II 250GB, the old one was a WD 80GB which was 4 years old anyway, and a true 500w PSU delivered tomorrow. Thanks for the help guys and I'm just so glad that the fault wasn't my GFX card, damn you evil PSU.

[Golden Dragoon]

Beeps from the gfx card (normally sounds like a police siren) can be related to power (e.g. disconnect the molex from the gfx card and try to boot up to hear it).

I'd try the Antec PSU first if I were you - I'm always very nervous about no-name PSUs.

I wish I had read this a while back, I had a Quadro that was doing that, and I ended up selling it for very little as I couldn't get it to boot with the pc I wanted it in (I did try a couple of psu's though), and was told it was faulty.