Compatible?

[Tumble]

Hi guys - got an MSI KT3 Ultra2 main board (Via333) and AMD XP2100+. Just tried installing a standard ATI Radeon 9000.... now the machine turns itself off and won't boot back up again unless I pull te power plug... after 2 complete re-formats with Win2K.... Running 2 HD's, CD-ROM, CD-RW and the extra 2 USB plugs that came with the main board. Off a 350W PSU. I'm thinking that it's the PSU being crap meself.. any ideas? I've just oredered a 550W jobby to see if that will work.. Anyone know of any compatibility issues? Oh yeah, and it only turns off if you start any 3D shenanigans, like the benchmark I tried to run last night... :-s

[Agent]

It does sound like a PSU issue - can you get a multimeter and check the lines to see if anything is going through it at all ?

[Tumble]

got a meter - wouldn't have a clue as to where to test it tho.. I do copiers, not computers

[Agent]

Get the Mobo header.

Black probe to black wire, red probe to green wire. This is the standby circut that needs to be closed for the PSU to start up. If you dont get any reading across it, then you have a problem there. IIRC it should be about 3.3v - although im not 100% sure on what the voltage is.

[Tumble]

Thanks Agent - tried that, got nothing..... tried turning it on, nothing. It did turn on briefly (with the old gfx in) and it starte dbooting, then the psu made some clicky noises and turned off again.... now it won't come alive at all.... methinks you are right and the PSU is proper b0rked..... bugger....

[Austin]

350W should have been fine, but only really if it was a decent brand. The unknown makes of PSUs tend to be 'optimistic' with their claims, unless your PC's innards are worth little or you're on a very tight budget I'd always advise a decent PSU. Much like RAM the brand of a PSU goes a long way ... I hope you didn't buy a Q-tec 550W PSU. Good PSU brands are Antec, Enermax, ThermalTake, ToPower, S.Flower (TTGI) and Sparkle ... not all equal but certainly all good. 350W (from one of those brands) should be fine, 400W+ gives better peace of mind and future-proofing. You should also look to Scan, they do CWT PSUs which are very cheap and good too, possibly rebadged Antecs.

[Tumble]

Well, actualy I was wrong - I got a generic "Zeck" 300W PSU in there atm, which was a get-me-going-and-buy-a-decent-one thing that i never got round to finishing.... and I've ordered the CWT 550 from Scan, funnily enough.....