ASUS P4C800E and SAPPHIRE 9600XT Headaches

[existentialist]

Just built a new system (see specs below). Right from the start it was unstable. Unexpected and intermittent crashes. Somtimes in a graphic-intense game, sometimes while just browsings or working on a document.

I updated drivers and BIOS. Still no better.

On advice of my vendor, i wiped the HD and started re-installing WINXP. Now that won't even complete! Files copy fine but after first reboot as XP tries to finish setup ('Initializing Drivers' step or earlier) I get the dreaded BLUE SCREEN of DEATH. A stop message of STOP: 0x0000008E (0XC000001D, 0x805167B6, 0xF7232AF0, 0x00000000)

So now what?! This seems pretty serious if WINXP won't install!

have i fried something??

Note that this is my first home-built computer... now I'm wondering if I've taken the right path and shouldn't have just paid DELL to test everything for me!

ANY advice much appreciated.


1 x ANTEC SONATA QUIET CHASSIS ATX 3X5.25 6X3.5 PIANO BLACK 380W TRUEPOWER
1 x OCZ POWERSTREAM 420 WATT LOW NOISE POWER SUPPLY
1 x INTEL PENTIUM 4 3.0 E GHZ S478 800MHZ FSB P4 1MB CACHE RETAIL BOX
1 x ASUS P4C800-E DELUXE S478 875P DUAL DDR 5PCI SATA RAID 1000LAN 1394 SOUND
1 x OCZ DUAL CHANNEL OPTIMIZED 2X512MB DDR PC2700 CAS2 W/ BLACK HEAT SPREADER
1 x SEAGATE BARRACUDA 7200.7 200GB SATA 8MB 7200RPM 8.5MS OEM
1 x SAPPHIRE RADEON 9600XT 256MB DDR DVI-I W/ TV OUT OEM
1 x CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER AUDIGY 2 ZS 7.1 1394 PCI RETAIL BOX

 

[LTC8K6]

Put the truepower power supply back in for starters.

You really should have PC3200 ram for that CPU. It has a 200/800MHZ front side bus.
Possibly the PC2700 is trying to run at 200mhz? If so, you can change the memory ratio in BIOS to run at 5:4, I believe. That will run the ram at it's correct 333mhz speed, I think.

Nothing to do with your problem, but that 9600XT is a rip off. It is likely clocked lower than a true 9600XT, and the extra memory is useless on a card of that caliber.

 

[LTC8K6]

Make that ratio 3:2. 😀

Bah! Not sure which it should be! :disgust:

 

[existentialist]

Thanks for the suggestion. Can you help me understand why the TRUEPOWER is better than the POWERSTREAM??

Now that you mention the memory... a diagonstic I ran did mention the memory might be too fast for the processor. Hmmm....

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, Truepower is a known good brand to me, and quality is usually better than a big wattage number.

Check into those ratios, I can't remember which it should be. Either one will slow the memory down, though.

 

[existentialist]

Just booted up again... at power up the processor claims to be at 320Mhz. i'm not entirely sure how to adjust the frequency. CHOICES are "Configure DRAM timing by SPD", "Performance Accerlation Mode", "DRAM Idle timer", "DRAM Refresh Rate". If i Disable the first choice, i can make various manual adjustments: DRAM CAS# Latency, DRAM RAS# Precharge, DRAM RAS# to CAS# Delay, DRAM Precharge Delay, DRAM Burst Length. None of these indicate a ratio or an operating frequency.

Just checked on the advice given to me by my vendor. he thought i should be running the memory at 166Mhz and not 200Mhz.

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, the CPU has a 200 mhz FSB(quad pumped to 800mhz). The correct memory to have with it is PC3200 which is 400mhz (200mhz double pumped). This matches the CPU's front side bus and runs in synch with it.

What you have is PC2700 or 333mhz memory(166mhz double pumped).

He is telling you to run it at 333, because that's the correct speed for the memory. To get it to run at that speed, it will have to run slower than the CPU's front side bus. Thus the memory ratio of 5:4 or 3:2. It will be running out of synch with the CPU's front side bus. This is normally not a problem, as the board just sets the correct speeds automatically.

Sometimes, the board is set by default at a 1:1 ratio. This would cause the board to try to run your 166mhz memory at 200mhz, which it may have trouble doing since it's only rated to 166mmhz.

Normally, leaving the whole thing on auto will work fine. Sometimes the memory is not read correctly by the SPD function, and it doesn't set the speed correctly.

 

[LTC8K6]

Here is a thread about that board and the memory ratios.

Text

 

[mechBgon]

Also bump your memory voltage up to 2.7 volts there, or even higher if OCZ specs for 2.8. Thread with detailed how-to for your board's very similar predecessor. But yeah, what's up with the PC2700 on there? Would the vendor be willing to do an upsell for you with a restock fee, maybe?

 

[Navid]

It helps if you check the stability in this order:

1- PSU
2- Memory
3- CPU
4- Graphics card

Use a digital volt meter to measure your supply rail voltages while running a benchmark like Prime95.
Use memtest for memory, Prime95 for CPU.
Then, after you make sure those three are stable, if you still have crashes, you know that it is the graphics card.

 

[existentialist]

You guys are great. I'm surprised and delighted at the speed of replies...

so i increase the latency to 3 clock cycles (from default 2.5) and it seems pretty happy now.

if things get bad again i'll try the other steps you all suggest.

Thanks, guys!