Updated 01/10/05 It now works and is overclocked to 2.6ghz @ 1.5V 🙂.
Sorry for the slow update - my dissertation was demanding being worked on a bit.
---------------------
I'll try and keep it short:
I've been building a new PC for my brother but it?s been nothing short of a hellish install and things currently aren?t playing nice:
Parts are:
AMD64 3500+ Venice OEM
Asetek Vapochill Micro Ultra Low Noise
DFI Lanparty SLI-D (modded to passive chipset with Zalman NB)
2 x 1GB Crucial DDR500 Tracer
Gigabyte 780GT
Audigy 2 ZS OEM
Hitachi SATA2 250GB
NEC 3540 DVD-RW
Samsung DVD-ROM
Mitsumi 7 in 1 reader and floppy drive
Tagan 530W U22
Antec P180
Some parts have so far worked above my expectation while other worrying stuff has happened.
First off:
- The Mitsumi is bust out of the box which I found out when trying to flash to the latest bios. I'll have to get a RMA on it.
- The Samsung DVD-ROM doesn't also want to play and currently hasn't been recognised in bios (and also Windows) - so Q does that mean it's busted? Power is being supplied as the tray opens and closes while the IDE connection has been triple checked.
------Updated----------
The Mitsumi now works ....I put it in an alternative machine where it worked properly and continued to do so when returned to the new box. Temperamental little thing...
The Samsung DVD-ROM also happens to be working properly but for some reason the DFI board has an issue with recognising two opticals at once - whenever it was on the same cable whether master or slave, the NEC overuled it and got recognised ...was it bowing to superior p0w3r of the NEC DVD-RW?! :roll:
Either way, I just stuck it on its own IDE cable and now their happy to play nice together.
-------------------------
Secondly and currently:
Windows is not working or rather to be more detailed after a successful install and then restarting it then complains about not having been shut down properly and gives the usual prompts eg Safe Mode, last known good config and start normally. However, choosing either the last known good config or starting normally it gets to the load windows screen (ie before the splash as you load into windows) and then crashes and restarts. This is always the same as three fresh installs have shown - this is without installing anything.
What's makes it perhaps stranger is that starting Windows in Safe Mode works perfectly happily.
So what could it be?
I'm guessing possible bad drivers? Because I can't see it being some sort of corruption that doesn't affect safe mode could it?
It doesn?t seem to be temps as temps are all fine (chipset >43, CPU >34 etc)
Voltages (at least according to bios) all seem well within spec being just a touch above rated eg 12.08 +12V so good.
Memory seems fine (although surprising hot to touch given only 2.6V at DDR400 - is that normal?) as I've ran 4 passes of Memtest on it.
I'm about to run Hitachi Drive Fitness now to check it isn't the hardrive.
Otherwise might this be the motherboard?
------Updated----------
What can I say ...it just fixed itself. Or rather there was never any problem after the SATA drivers were installed with Windows... heh yeah I know...
It wasn't me who installed Windows though - honest!
-------------------------
Additional things:
What a pain the installation has been. Great case but because of it makes it more complicated when moving things around and trying new ideas.
(I'll relate the next point as it might have some relevance)
However, more weirdly at one point having assembled it and having turned the case on while looking at part of the motherboard I put my hand just on the bottom metal part of the case (the metal divider that separates the PSU section and the motherboard compartment) and a massive electric shock went off that went off into the motherboard, graphics card section - it might have started around my finger.
It freaked me out somewhat. However, more importantly the PC then just switched off and then wouldn't switch back on. This was despite the LEDs on the motherboard were still on meaning power was still being supplied. Anyway after a while I just unplugged and plugged it back in and then it want to play game again and switched on.
Now the weird part of that (and before you blame me for bad practice!) was that I had grounded myself beforehand. Moreover, I had been messing around inside the case building it for at least half an hour before it happened meaning frequently touching the case. Heck, the last time I had touched the case before the electrical moment was about 30 seconds before. All this time I had just been sitting down and had no reason not to build up any charge.
------Updated----------
Well after all it seems no damage was done - just a free electrical lights display. Maybe it was just its attempt at an (electrical) christening 😎
-------------------------
Additional Qs:
Further question but what does PWM temperature refer to?
Are there any good guides out there for DFI bios configuration?
I will edit and update as I go along.
Sorry for the slow update - my dissertation was demanding being worked on a bit.
---------------------
I'll try and keep it short:
I've been building a new PC for my brother but it?s been nothing short of a hellish install and things currently aren?t playing nice:
Parts are:
AMD64 3500+ Venice OEM
Asetek Vapochill Micro Ultra Low Noise
DFI Lanparty SLI-D (modded to passive chipset with Zalman NB)
2 x 1GB Crucial DDR500 Tracer
Gigabyte 780GT
Audigy 2 ZS OEM
Hitachi SATA2 250GB
NEC 3540 DVD-RW
Samsung DVD-ROM
Mitsumi 7 in 1 reader and floppy drive
Tagan 530W U22
Antec P180
Some parts have so far worked above my expectation while other worrying stuff has happened.
First off:
- The Mitsumi is bust out of the box which I found out when trying to flash to the latest bios. I'll have to get a RMA on it.
- The Samsung DVD-ROM doesn't also want to play and currently hasn't been recognised in bios (and also Windows) - so Q does that mean it's busted? Power is being supplied as the tray opens and closes while the IDE connection has been triple checked.
------Updated----------
The Mitsumi now works ....I put it in an alternative machine where it worked properly and continued to do so when returned to the new box. Temperamental little thing...
The Samsung DVD-ROM also happens to be working properly but for some reason the DFI board has an issue with recognising two opticals at once - whenever it was on the same cable whether master or slave, the NEC overuled it and got recognised ...was it bowing to superior p0w3r of the NEC DVD-RW?! :roll:
Either way, I just stuck it on its own IDE cable and now their happy to play nice together.
-------------------------
Secondly and currently:
Windows is not working or rather to be more detailed after a successful install and then restarting it then complains about not having been shut down properly and gives the usual prompts eg Safe Mode, last known good config and start normally. However, choosing either the last known good config or starting normally it gets to the load windows screen (ie before the splash as you load into windows) and then crashes and restarts. This is always the same as three fresh installs have shown - this is without installing anything.
What's makes it perhaps stranger is that starting Windows in Safe Mode works perfectly happily.
So what could it be?
I'm guessing possible bad drivers? Because I can't see it being some sort of corruption that doesn't affect safe mode could it?
It doesn?t seem to be temps as temps are all fine (chipset >43, CPU >34 etc)
Voltages (at least according to bios) all seem well within spec being just a touch above rated eg 12.08 +12V so good.
Memory seems fine (although surprising hot to touch given only 2.6V at DDR400 - is that normal?) as I've ran 4 passes of Memtest on it.
I'm about to run Hitachi Drive Fitness now to check it isn't the hardrive.
Otherwise might this be the motherboard?
------Updated----------
What can I say ...it just fixed itself. Or rather there was never any problem after the SATA drivers were installed with Windows... heh yeah I know...
It wasn't me who installed Windows though - honest!
-------------------------
Additional things:
What a pain the installation has been. Great case but because of it makes it more complicated when moving things around and trying new ideas.
(I'll relate the next point as it might have some relevance)
However, more weirdly at one point having assembled it and having turned the case on while looking at part of the motherboard I put my hand just on the bottom metal part of the case (the metal divider that separates the PSU section and the motherboard compartment) and a massive electric shock went off that went off into the motherboard, graphics card section - it might have started around my finger.
It freaked me out somewhat. However, more importantly the PC then just switched off and then wouldn't switch back on. This was despite the LEDs on the motherboard were still on meaning power was still being supplied. Anyway after a while I just unplugged and plugged it back in and then it want to play game again and switched on.
Now the weird part of that (and before you blame me for bad practice!) was that I had grounded myself beforehand. Moreover, I had been messing around inside the case building it for at least half an hour before it happened meaning frequently touching the case. Heck, the last time I had touched the case before the electrical moment was about 30 seconds before. All this time I had just been sitting down and had no reason not to build up any charge.
------Updated----------
Well after all it seems no damage was done - just a free electrical lights display. Maybe it was just its attempt at an (electrical) christening 😎
-------------------------
Additional Qs:
Further question but what does PWM temperature refer to?
Are there any good guides out there for DFI bios configuration?
I will edit and update as I go along.
