Abit BH6 problem...

[hinet]

Hi guys...
I have an old Abit BH6 with a slotket + FC-PGA Celeron 566MHz clocked to 850MHz. I was using a generic slotket until today when I bought an Abit Slotket III thinking my old slotket was the one causing all my instability and finicky slot connection.

Basically, there's apparently a problem with the connection between my BH6 Slot 1 and the slotket. Only very rarely do I get it to work correctly, and there seems to be some sort of magic angle that must be held before it will even boot up - else the system will power up but nothing will ever show on the monitor. I've done all the usual troubleshooting, but I'm 99% sure it boils down to the connection. I thought it was the slotket since it was a generic brandless OEM one so after trying to get it to work for the whole of yesterday(I installed a new Enermax 431W PSU and while doing so shifted the position of the slotket ever so slightly causing it not to boot up again), I went and bought a brand new Abit Slotkey III, thinking it'll solve all my problems. Well, turns out it didn't, same thing still happens, and I'm getting no video at all even though everything else powers up.

So my question is why would this happen? Does anyone have a similar problem? I'm guessing I'm an isolated case, but I thought it's worth a shot posting.

Here's a list of other things I've done to determine that the cause was not anything else, but the connection:
Tried CPU on another old Socket 370 motherboard - CPU works
Tried CPU+Slotket on another old Slot 1 motherboard - doesn't work
Changed graphics card from 3dfx Voodoo3 to Matrox G400 - doesn't work
Seated/unseated graphics card/memory - doesn't work
Minimized system components to only CPU, 1 DIMM and graphics card(everything else unplugged) - doesn't work
Cleaned up the entire case by blowing and using a paintbrush - doesn't work(looks a lot cleaner/neater though)
Disconnected/reconnected HSF - doesn't work
Discharged CMOS - doesn't work
Cleaned Slotket connector base with 70% isopropyl alcohol medical wipes - doesn't work
Seated/unseated Slotket numerous times, tried numerous angles and numerous insertion depths - out of the entire afternoon I only got it to work like 2-3X, and any slight movement after that caused it not to work again.
Unplugged/plugged ATX power connector - doesn't work
Tried new Abit Slotket III - doesn't work

As you can see above, I've tried basically everything known to any person with some PC knowledge, and everything else common sense, but nothing worked

I'm at my wits end now...probably have to bring it to a qualified computer repair technician to see what's wrong with the mobo, unless any of you have any other ideas apart from what I've already done?

 

[spanky]

when installing the cpu with the abit slotket III... did u set the voltage manually? if not.. maybe u can try that. also... the problem with getting the slotket at the right angle... i never had that problem... BUT... the slotkey i have (its sorta brandless also) came with these clips i can attached to the slot1 retension clips that will hold the slotket in place so that is does not shift and shake. do u know what clips i am talking about?

 

[hinet]

well, I tried both manual and auto, neither one worked better than the other one, they're both as random. Just right after I did the post, I tried starting up my system, to my surprise it actually worked, so I quickly set up everything, but then I noticed the system only detected 256MB when I should have 384MB, so I shut down, and without even laying my case horizontally, I did some minor acrobatics to unseat/seat my 3 128MB memory sticks properly, without touching or moving my CPU at all, or so I thought. After that I tried booting up again, no go this time

As for the clips, yeah I know what you're talking about. My BH6 came with those for usage with Slot 1 Celeron without the catridge, and my Abit Slotket III actually comes with a catridge that fits over the Slotket too, but neither will work. I should've just stuck with my 256MB and forgone the remaining 128MB, at least it still worked, now I know the true meaning of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", and I learnt it the hard way too

 

[Goi]

bump

 

[Goi]

Just in case you're wondering, hinet was me posting under my dad's account on his computer, since I had no access to my computer.

Anyway, it turns out that this finicky problem that has been nagging at me for years turns out to be a faulty and/or incompatible Mushkin PC133 SDRAM. Weird how come it didn't become apparent while I was stripping my computer apart, taking out everything except the vital components. I'm quite sure I took out the Mushkin RAM and put only 1 stick of Viking PC133 SDRAM, but it still wouldn't boot IIRC.

Anyways, no more problems now. I slotted in another stick of PC133 SDRAM from my dad's old Celeron 466 system and it works again at 384MB, I even deliberately shook the slotket around at different angles to make it not work, but it still held up

Guess I've been fooled for 2 years. Now I have a useless DIMM and an extra OEM slotket...but at least it finally works.