Bizarro computer world

Computer Forum General Hardware
1

Please Assist and if you have the time read this short narrative:

Today I was adding a sixth hdd into my computer. As I did this, I got the whole machine up and running for about 2-3 hours. Then I put on the case side of the computer and walked away. I came back to the computer vibrating a bit more because it was getting warm so I took the case side back up, and looked at the monitor to find it off. I tried to move the mouse around and it didn’t come back up.

When I had first got the HDD installed and working, I had similar issues of the monitor turning on and off but I just ignored it. Now when I rebooted the machine there was visual artifacts all over the screen. It persisted and then the machine couldn’t even boot up. I got it into safe mode, removed the drivers, re-installed and still the same results.

Now I have only a 350 watt Power supply with all these hdd’s. Plus the video card is a 6800 with external power needs, plus I have an intel 3.0 HT. I wanted to say that the power lack was the problem, so I unplugged some of the hdds, three to be exact and it still continued. I came home, tried it once, still persisted and started to randomly turn off again, even after only being able to boot to safe mode.

So I had a computer that wasn’t finished and I put the 6800 into it. The power supply is a 450, crap brand, but still worked. The only draw on the power supply was the mobo, cpu fan, and video card, and the artficats continued immediatly upon bios screens.

I placed my Geforce 3 into the computer with the 350 watt PS and it booted up fine. I walked away saying, ok it must be the other video card, and then I came back about 15 minutes later and the screen was off. Couldn’t get it to come back on again. Rebooted into safe mode, tried to uninstall the drivers, screen shut off again. Now it won’t even make it two steps before crapping out.

Specifics:

This computer was running find yesterday evening with all the cards and hdd’s installed. This morning it began to run very poorly, unstable and rebooting. Power supply could be cause of it, I don’t know. I have a brand new Asus p5p800 Mobo from newegg and everything was working like a charm before yesterday evening. All the data on the HDD’s is intact.

I’ve tried all sorts of different cards in different machines and it seems like this machine is killing video cards!! What the hell is going on? Please help!

This problem will eat me alive all tonight and all day into tomorrow at work.

Thanks,

Jerky

EDIT: I just pulled out the geforce 3 from the other computer and that card now doesn’t display anything on the screen. It won’t even turn on. That’s settled, this computer is killing video cards. But is it the power supply or is it the mobo??

2

I’d buy a good power supply, which is where I think the problem is coming from. The Antec 350W is probably pretty good, but given the hardware you’re running, I think the extra HDD pushed it over. For all I know that generic 450W may be no better than the 350W in terms of quality and amperage. I’d look at 450W or better from Sparkle/Fortron or Enermax if I were you.

3

Does anyone have any suggestions? It’s obvious that the AGP port is defective. Can anyone advise on a method of proceeding? I’m going to RMA the mobo back to Asus. I’m going to RMA the video card back to Evga but is it even going to succeed? I’ve never hard anything good when RMA is involved…

Thanks,

Jerky

4

if the motherboard is under warranty and video card RMA doesn’t succeed you can contact ASUS about their motherboard frying your video cards and they need to do something about it?

5

sorry if you have already done it but I’d suggest that you remove everything from the PC all the HD’s, RAM etc and slow start to build it. Start with one memeory stick, cpu, video card and see if it works…and slowly start to add more hardware.

Try different hardware if it doesnt work at first e.g. two different video cards, ram, hard drives etc

if it doesnt work with the minimum hardware, I would think the motherboard is the problem.

6

I was very systematic in my removal and testing of hardware. I tested the RAM in another computer. The whole system is rock solid now that I am running a PCI based video card. The chip is good, no heat issues or anything. With only two HDD’s installed (Primary channel) and just the video card running, it still crapped out.

I do appreciate all the thoughts. That was my first idea, be systematic to eliminate the hardware that is problematic.

As for testing the AGP any further, I’m out of cards to destroy LOL

Jerky