Attention fellow PC geeks. I'm stumped.

Post by **Mozgus** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 5:39 am

So my computer crapped out yet again. All details here:

http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardwar ... ivity.html

Suggestions? I'm so frustrated at this point that I want to swear off PC work forever. I want to scrap this bastard for parts, sell all that I can, and maybe live off of a laptop with the longest warranty money can buy. I'm just so tired of spontaneous issues with no clues in sight.

Post by **Kagi** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:55 am

Hey just to let you know I'm am going through the same problem. We have similar set up but I have a DFI board. I also have http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820145440. Which is Corsair value select ram. Everything I have been able to find out so far is that (particuarly in my case) the motherboard has problems with corsair memory regardless if it is bad. Supposedly a bios update can fix this but for me it only made things worse. Currently I am in the process of tech support with DFI to see if they have any ideas. Seems like I may have to send it in to replace my Flash ROM as my board was made in the first revision run.

You may wanna try using ram that is not corsair if you can. If not I would shoot an email to ASUS and see if they know of any problems. Like I said a bios update could fix it but in my case only made it worse.

If I find anything else out I will let you know. Please do the same!

Post by **Mozgus** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:39 am

I cant get a display, so I cant do anything to the bios, but I'm running the final official version. Also this RAM has worked fine since I got it in 2005. I cant imagine it just magically became incompatible this week. I have no other DDR ram to test, though. Just like how I have no other decent PSUs to test. But I did try another cpu, other video card, even a PCI video card. Same results.

Post by **racketboy** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:06 am

I'd find a store that has PSUs with a decent return policy.
(Circuit City should work -- I've returned a PSU there)
Pick one up and see if it helps.

Post by **Mozgus** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:25 am

I'm ganna see if I can find a super cheap stick of ddr somewhere, used. If my system works, then I'll step up and finally get good ram.

Post by **Droid party** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:30 am

Hey, just a quick note. Kinda goes without saying but, don't cheap out on the psu.
I had copious amounts of smoke billowing out the back of my machine like 2 days ago. End result , I fixed everything that wasn't melted ( thankfully nothing important just a couple of wires) and just 4 hours ago ordered a shiny new psu.
This puppy here http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=223&code=015 nothing special but it should do the job...I hope.

Post by **racketboy** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:35 am

Droid party wrote:Hey, just a quick note. Kinda goes without saying but, don't cheap out on the psu.
I had copious amounts of smoke billowing out the back of my machine like 2 days ago. End result , I fixed everything that wasn't melted ( thankfully nothing important just a couple of wires) and just 4 hours ago ordered a shiny new psu.
This puppy here http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=223&code=015 nothing special but it should do the job...I hope.

Yeah, that's why I returned the Circuit City one. My machine refused to boot so I was next to positive it was the PSU. Obviously, I didn't want to wait to order one online and wait for it to come in. So I bought a reputable brand one from CC (since it was quickest) and installed it. I researched the model after the fact and found out it might not be very good.

I ended up buying a nice one on NewEgg for the same price, installed the new one when it came in, and then returned the Circuit City one the next day.

Post by **Mozgus** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:36 am

Droid party wrote:Hey, just a quick note. Kinda goes without saying but, don't cheap out on the psu.
I had copious amounts of smoke billowing out the back of my machine like 2 days ago. End result , I fixed everything that wasn't melted ( thankfully nothing important just a couple of wires) and just 4 hours ago ordered a shiny new psu.
This puppy here http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=223&code=015 nothing special but it should do the job...I hope.

Back in 2005, my Antec 550 TP2.0 wasn't "cheaping out". And it should still be able to handle my machine.

Post by **Kagi** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:43 am

Well it sounds to me that its not a psu problem. If everything else is turning on like your hard drives and you are getting the audible code it probably means that it cant access the ram. Wether its a motherboard problem or ram... I dont know. But you said that you checked each stick one by one in each slot. I could see a couple of sticks failing at once but four is kinda hard to believe. I went through your motherboard manual and it said if you run a single stick of ram to put it in the B1 slot which the graphic showed as being the second closest to the cpu. So if you get ahold of some other ram keep that in mind.I'll let you know if I can dig anything else up.

Edit: I see you have an Antec. Those are pretty reliable. I dont see how it could be the problem. I'm sure you have a surge protector, so that psu should still be fine.

Post by **Mozgus** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:00 am

Oh christ. I just snapped off two of the lower ram clamps. This video card is very long and I couldnt figure out why it wasnt inserting all the way in. *Snap* And now I know. There goes the warranty on the board.