Hardware failure, but what component??

keogh

keogh

keogh

Soldato
Joined
22 Jun 2004
Posts
2,756
Location
Bangkok, Thailand (formally London)
Howdy,

Ok this could go on for a while, but I will try and sum the problem up in as little detail as possible.

It all started when I got new rig (sig) a few months back, I put it all togehter no probs and installed XP. I had Vista Ultimate Retail at the time (got that on release) but wanted to go for XP.

XP Installation went fine, but when I went to go into windows for the first time I got a lovely BSOD, telling me I have a hardware failure, and my PC will restart to prevent damage. And it told me to check my HDDs. I tried rebooting a changing BIOS settings (everything was at stock at this point) and still same prob, so I thought it could be a borked HDD. So I installed on my second Seagate HDD, exactly the same thing occured, so I ruled out HDD.

I then removed one stick of RAM, and voila I got into XP. Rebooted and put the stick back (same slot) and it worked fine, and I never saw the problem again. Thought this was VERY weird that it will not work, then work when all I did was remove the stick and put it back in? But I got over it.

Anyway, I installed Vista x64 the other day, and on the "Completing Installation" part of the install process I got a similar error. So I wasn;t bothered, I thought same thing, so removed a stick installed again no probs, got in and all was well.

I installed Photoshop CS2 (LEGAL copy :) ) and when I started that up after activation, I hovered over a few menu items and crash > BSOD (same as before). I thought oh crap, cos I never got it during XP.

At this point I wanted to install Vista x86 anyway (for numerous reasons) so I removed one stick, and installed! It got past the installation, but on the "Windows is checking your system performance" I got the BSOD again?

So I removed that stick and put the other stick in its place instead to see if that would solve it, installed, got past that screen and started installing my guff. All was ok until I "Refreshed my Windows Experience Index score" and I got that BSOD again!

So I just chucked my other stick back in and have just carried on using my PC, but there is a failure somewhere, and annoyingly I cannot find what it is easily (obviously). I originally thought it was my RAM, but the fact I tried both sticks on their own and got the problem kinda eliminates that... right? So my other thought was it had to be the mobo, then P5N-E's are buggy anyway, so I am thinking it is that? Is that likely? Or could it possibly be anything else?

Is there anything I can do to test my hardware for failures? Cos I dont want to start buying guff only to find I still have the fault!

Any help you can give will be appreciated!

ta

Steve M
 
Obviously does sound RAM related but wouldn't run out the motherboard also. Have you tried using different slots on the motherboard instead of the normal 2? I'd also run a memtest on both the RAM sticks.
 
flibby said:
Obviously does sound RAM related but wouldn't run out the motherboard also. Have you tried using different slots on the motherboard instead of the normal 2? I'd also run a memtest on both the RAM sticks.
Click to expand...

Sorry should have said, originally I was running the ram in the yellow slots and it done it there. Now im running it in the black slots and its still doing it.

I ran memtest/Super PI/Orthos on those sticks many times for hours and they showed no fault at all?

I ruled out the RAM because the chances of both sticks being screwed is slim right? Cos I have tried each stick individualy and they still do it? So if it is the RAM it will be both sticks?

I'd much prefer it to be the ramas thats a much easier/quicker process.

I do have a small server running here at home that I run my local websites off, it only has 512mb RAM, but its a DDR2 stick, so I should be able to stick that in and run a few tests with that to see if it solves the prob... just have to find something that causes the BSOD everytime to test it though.
 
I'm thinking the motherboard and RAM don't like each other.

RMA the memory, for some other make/model of RAM.
 
It just done it again, all I was doing was looking at a forum post and blam it died!

I might get some corsair ram... Im a fan of corsair, dunno why I didnt get that in the first place :)

If that dont fix it, then I will buy the BFG nForce 680i SLi (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard as I am a fan of BFG also. Had too many probs with ASUS and my relationship with them has gone!
 
Ive just put a cheap sucker IBM DDR2 PC2-4200 512mb stick in now and gonna run a few test, oh god its slowwwwwwww! but if I get no BSODs, then I know to buy some Corsair Dominators!
 
Well I got an even more random error with that crappy ram in, so I have gone back to XP for now as I need my pc for work, and I had no probs in XP.

I will, however buy a set of corsair dominator ram shortly and use those. Then, when I can be bothered I will install Vista again, if the problem doesnt occur again then I've solved it, if it does do it again then I will get the BFG mobo (might be cheaper then :) ).

Hopefully its deffo the mobo of the RAM... I can't see it be anything else tbh!

ta

Steve M
 
checked your voltages?
checked cpu temps?
increased voltage to the ram?
tried switching HDD channels?

These are all things to try
 
Well it was erroring when the pc was at stock on auto, and I have had the RAM on many timings and voltages, but I currently have the RAM at the suggested 4-4-4-12 2 on 2.1v.

The temps are fine, its deffo nothing to do with that!
 
I had a similar problem once and it turned out to be the memory on the Gfx card that was duff - when i formated the Hdd i couldn't install XP with the Gfx card in. When i installed XP, then put in the gfx card it was ok ?
 
Ak!ta said:
I had a similar problem once and it turned out to be the memory on the Gfx card that was duff - when i formated the Hdd i couldn't install XP with the Gfx card in. When i installed XP, then put in the gfx card it was ok ?
Click to expand...

Hmm I was wondering if it was the graphics card, mainly becauise when I got that bizarre error with the crappy ram the PC bleeped forever, and I saw artifcats on my screen (which lead me to believe maybe its the graphics card)?

But I never got the crashes whilst playing games? Its annoying not knowing whats at fault? I have an old PCI-E BFG 7800GTX OC knocking around, if I can find sumin that causes the error in XP then I will try that?
 
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