New ASUS A7V8X-X and XP3000 unstable!

Mainframeguy

Debiant by way of Ubuntu
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I am more than a little upset with my brand spanking new ASUS A7V8X-X based system with AMD XP3000, nvidia GeForce FX5200, 1GB ram, Tower case (AKA barndancing), coolmaster fan fitted, decent 400W PSU with integral in/out fan.

Anyway - it will not apparently stay up in anything near a stable way - nothing like my old AMD XP1900+ which is really stable but was a Packard Bell prebuilt low profile baby system.

The symptoms are simply and reandomly that system does a restart at any point (and I do mean ANY). This is why I do not think it is temperature related. I have even had it occur that the system restarts and the first thing it does (after I typed my password) is ANOTHER restart!!

Running XP Pro it does create a dump and I do get to send this to MS support, the blue dump screen and diagnostics from the dump analysis tell me to suspect drivers or BIOS possibly - yet so far as I know these are as supplied by my system maker, I have yet to add all the other goodies I got to go in there (nor will I until this is fixed!).

Any ideas/comments/suggestions appreciated... I'll be pursuing my own investigations and as I say expect to hear from supplier too.

Would I get the symptoms I describe if this is temperature related? I am not o/c'ing and supplier should give cooling adequate to the case they build in - surely? Typically seems to run the the high forties, which I know is hot but is it tolerated by board/processor? I have looked on the AMD site and destructive temps are actually a lot higher (over 70oC!) so far as I see - also believe my supplier used a superior fan than some (although no extra case fans - case is big and roomy though!)... as I say I have the temp monitored and am hopeful that's not it because if I start adding fans the machine's going to get noisier!
 
This is my STOP code

this is what it tells me anyways...

STOP x0000008E (xC0000005, x805AD124, xED013C24, x'00000000')

And if anyone tells me to do BIOS stuff - well dammit I want to, but my display is all screwed until I get to WinDoze :mad:!! is this a clue? I am using the DIV port on my card since I have that on my 19" AOC and it allows me to leave the old pooter on the VGA, does that pose a problem? Only one at a time powered up of course....

I have checked my BIOS and am on latest for board (106)

For some reason I am feeling suspicious of USB (VIA chipset drivers) - gonna see if I can hunt out anything there for now...

This is a bad moment for me, so any help will be rewarded with all the good Karma or whatever I can offer -
 
Use the "Clear CMOS" jumper (usually by the battery) on your motherboard and see if it boots up. It sound like your memory is clocked higher than what it likes.
 
Maybe, just maybe OK?

Thanks Handy - did that - all OK once I stopped getting a bit O/C with my BIOS frequency. The guys that sold me the barebone rig suggested I use MTEST86 to checkout the memory- what does anyone here think? And where do I get it (they said they emailed, but no sign and when I google it I get nothing English/useful).

Anyway - so far been up twenty minutes - so we'll just have to see... Maybe I'll drive it with a bit of seti for a while and then start installing more - that should test it.

Thanks for the tip - a useful place to start I think.
 
Why thanks Cowboy! - I have no idea why Google missed that, and why I did not think to try it... I guess an unstable system affects the user in strange ways (although I do have to say it seems remarkably stable since I tried the Clear RTC (CMOS) ruse Handy suggested. Can anyone explain that to me? I know the supplier had set the time and date surprisingly accurately - why would clearing it out fix things up? Or was it just kinda like a BIOS refresh? I guess the handiest thing from my point of view was I could finally get to the BIOS screen (in fact for a while could ONLY get there!) and it was not flickering too bad to read.

Running my board around the 52oC mark now - is that bad for an XP3000? I reckon you guys will tell me it is!
 
Glad things are working better! :)

Clearing the CMOS dropped your RAM speed to 266 MHz, probably. I suspect the manufacturer sold you some DDR 266 RAM and attempted to clock it at 333; it happens a lot, from what I've seen. That would explain the instability.

52C is not a bad temp for your processor. I wouldn't start worrying until about 60...there's something wrong at that point.
 
shoulda known better!

... than to post it was getting better! About twenty minutes after that post crashed again. Supplier wouldn't sell me dodgy RAM - they're looking to build a reputation and are actively trying to help. Currently hooking in on my old 1900 and letting the 3000 chew through memtest (trouble is there's 1 GB to test on two cards, so that's gonna take a while....) but if that's what it is then at least it should be a painless fix, rather than sending the whole set back. I am trying to remain calm and/or stoic about this.

Note to self - next time you post a poll about the system you're bidding on Ebay - listen to the NTFS majority! (Even if it was a closeish vote) :eek:
 
"And if anyone tells me to do BIOS stuff - well dammit I want to, but my display is all screwed until I get to WinDoze"

If you can't see the VGA boot screen that's a video problem. If it was processor or memory you would never make it to windows. Got an old Vid card you can stick in it?

Your temp is running high. It should be at 52-55 after a rigorous gaming session not while surfing. For surfing I expect mid 45-47 with a room temp of ~25 (78F). Your system temp should be 12-15 below the CPU temp (32-38). If the system temp is high they screwed you on case fans or a poor case design. If system temp is ok then they scrimped on the CPU cooler.

Also look at the label on the power supply and make sure it is 350W (AND over 25A on the +5V). 400W is preferable with lotsa Ram and an XP3000. If the power supply is puny take out everything you can and try and run to see if it improves stability

Use the detonantor remover tools to strip out the video driver and replace it with 41.09 (it's old but it was the last one I trusted before I switched to Radeon). Everything for the last 9 months seems to be experimental.
 
yeah i was gonna suggest maybe swapping your old PSU w/ the one your using now and see if that helps (as long as your old one is 350 watt or more). With hardly anything installed and random reboots sounds like power supply :(
 
uh oh - but thanks... my PSU is a goodie, it's a 400 watt and pretty efficient (I forget the name, but had heard about them when I was looking into building rather than bareboning). The graphics problems are only for DOS screens and since I did the CMOS RTC reset I can get into BIOS etc. I am running memtest86 now to try to check all of the 1GB 333 DDR RAM in there.

I got no spare video card - but heck, if that was definitely what problem was (and I KNEW it for sure) I would go out and buy radeon pro right off, because I know my graphics card is weak link in system.... However I'm not at all sure that is problem.

So far as system temp. goes I shoulda said I run seti@home now - so CPU is getting a little work out and (from others comments) temp should be OK.

I have set the mobo temp protection down from 95 to 85oC but it is getting no where close to that, so I am certain this is not a temp. related shutdown and doubt it is PSU - where next? Gotta be a driver, or maybe the Windoze update related to Nvidia - anyone know what number that was? I'll check it out and try ripping it out - no ideas beyond that...
 
wait, on ur new system are putting ur old hard drive in from ur other computer in. because if ur doing that windows xp has that activation thing that if u change a major component in ur computer it thinks ur pirating it and locks up and gives u that blue screen that u have. so you have to do windows repair and reactivate. not sure if thats what ur doing though.
 
Originally posted by sk8caliguy00
wait, on ur new system are putting ur old hard drive in from ur other computer in. because if ur doing that windows xp has that activation thing that if u change a major component in ur computer it thinks ur pirating it and locks up and gives u that blue screen that u have. so you have to do windows repair and reactivate. not sure if thats what ur doing though.

not sure if you know what your on about there m8 ;)

windowz activation has nothing to do with BIOS screens :rolleyes:
 
heads up on this one

righto - I am not doing anything like that - if I reused a drive I would fromat it first!.... this is a new system and has yet to become stable - lates news is that (whilst persuing nvidia drivers (see relevant forum) and getting catastrophic errors) I came across this gem of a *STOP*

USBUKCI.SYS ADR f7b10E62 Base F7B0E000 Datestamp 3F04CFA0

so I suspect dodgey USB somehow?

what does anyone here think?
 
modem - oh yeah

USB DSL modem (my first suspect) and also optical mouse/kb and sometimes printer and also when I use DVI monitor that has a hub on it too (four more ports - making ten in total)...

HMMMmmm think that is all at the moment (you know what USB's like!)
 
oh yeah - and the cam!

sometimes I plug a SONY MDV cam in too (USB for the MPG, firewire otherwise)
 
look for updated modem drivers. and make sure the modem is on its own usb channel.
 
The bios can be updated via AsusUpdate in windows.
My 2400+ is running at 32 degrees with the same mobo, using a coolermaster aero 7+ and arctic silver.
 
it's more complicated... but I feel these are the right lines

you see the last part of my install will be the wi-fi bit and then I will rip out and Ebay the DSL USB modem,,,,

Because I'll have my EdiMax DSL router :p and I'll be feeling all snug and secure!

But meantime I am running two machine side by side and since I happen to have two DSL modems I was usin gthat to be online either way.... It is likely that you are on the track though, every time I install anything my modem is "lost" and has to reinstall.

Just now I have ripped out modem and Nvidia drivers and put them back in - maybe that will leave things more settled? Who knows, this is so unpredictable I really feel uncertain until system has stayed up for a week.

EP- I am envious of your cool temp... do you use other case fans? And is that the BIOS reading you are giving for the CPU.... I always think CPU temp is the one to watch rather than mobo/case. I have to confess I only have one in and one out fan with the PSU - plus the fan on the XP3000. But it's not the temp that's causing this, I can say that with some confidence.

GoNzO - the modem is getting plugged in to a port at the back, does that answer anything? I am guessing you mean not having the modem out on a hub? (the hub is in my tft, it's one of those wizzy gimmix AOC just came out with - but not yet in use although plugged in)
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
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Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
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