Computer reboots....anyone have a sledgehammer?

[moosebanna]

Ok.....computer been ticking me off. I can't seem to go 6 months before something going wrong.

My computer is usually on all the time, or it used to be until last month when I would randomly restart on me when playing quake or I would wake up in the morning to hear the computer powered but nothing responding in halt nowhere.

I cannot seem to pinpoint my problem. I had a similar episode a few months ago, but when Windows XP started back up it would say I just recovered from a serious error. A keen observer thought it might be RAM issues, sure enough I took out one stick of ram and left 512 MB, computer had no problems. Well I thought the problem was prolly from the RAM piece I took out (Nanya 256DDR Ram).

Last month I decided to buy 2 sticks of K-byte ram from Best Buy because computer was not keeping up with tasks. It seemed to be running fine until I noticed I was having reboot issues. However, I don't get any messages from windows saying it has recovered from serious error. I upgraded video card (PNY GeForce4 8xAGP) drivers, installed latest via 4-in-1 drivers for Epox 8KHA+. Still restarts. So tested computer with just the 1 stick of 512 RAM and took out the 2 new 256 sticks, but I just came back to a computer thats on but halted into blackness. So I am wondering/thinking this might be due to POS motherboard (even though I used anandtech reviews when I bought this mobo). My last option I guess is to flash the BIOS. I don't understand what is going wrong, I have no idea what is causing the problem. Does anybody have any other ideas? Is there a way to determine what is going faulty? Or do I need a sledge hammer? Thank you for reading my schpeel.


~Moose

 

[kt]

Oh, you're just ranting. I thought you were asking if anyone has the AMD chip code named "sledgehammer".

 

[moosebanna]

HA, my AMD could use a sledgehammer!

 

[ARMINTECH57]

I had the same problem with my last Epox.
OK, first go to Epox web site and get the latest BIOS and flash your MB. Then wait and see if that fix the problem.
if your rig restart again, download "Memtest" and test your memory. Also if you use onboard sound get the driver from Epox as well( don't use MS driver).

good luck and keep us posted.

 

[moosebanna]

cool thanks for the help, now I have to get my hands on a floppy drive....ilu

 

[jhbball]

Originally posted by: moosebanna
cool thanks for the help, now I have to get my hands on a floppy drive....ilu

sounds like a mobo/ram issue. good luck

 

[moosebanna]

I got a floppy drive. I flashed the bios. But I figured since I got a floppy temporarily I might as well run the Memtest. I didn't realize the program loops, but it ran for like 22 hours, I think it said 24 passes with 833 errors. I just listed 337 and 375MB with a bunch of values as having the problem. I have no idea what that means, but I guess it answers if the bios flash helped, which was a big no. I have no idea which piece of RAM it would be, but I have a feeling its the slot, if that is at all possible. Because I have tested the system with the one 512 piece in slot 1 and it crashed, and with the 2 256 RAM pieces (one in slot 1, the other in slot 2) and I just came back to see computer halted. So now I have the 512 and one of the 256 in (slot 2 and slot 3). To see if I get problems I am really sick of this #$@!. Of course Epox warranties were only 1 year when I purchased this mobo and now they are 2 years (which would still be covered). CACA!

~Moose

 

[stevty2889]

It's also possible that the ram is just incompatible with the motherboard. I was having issues that seemed to relate to ram, and mem-test kept failing. I then tried the ram in another computer to see if it really was faulty and it ran with no problems. So I bought a corsair module that was recomended for the motherboard, and it's running great now.

 

[moosebanna]

Well I don't see how my 512 MB ram piece could be incomptabile, after working fine for a year no restarts. And its not the memory slots, stupid computer keeps going black doesn't matter where the RAM piece are placed. I have pretty much given up on this piece of garbage. I just don't get why its doing it now and not a year before, and only thing I can think about is the new RAM, but even with that out like old way it still does it. Would new video drivers do that? Maybe try to revert to old Nvidia display drivers, because I notice that I can crash the computer within 15-20 minutes into playing quake. While if I leave PC on it takes few hours. I thought it could have been audio drivers for sound blaster live because when it freezes some sort of noise is playing. Who knows, I just need a good mobo combo deal and switch out the parts I have into something that works.

 

[shadowfaX]

dumb question: how are your system temperatures? (i've found that sometimes heating problems can cause reboots)

 

[moosebanna]

It not a dumb question.... they usually run in 50's C max, I seen it go up to 63 degrees C, but that is when my Sparkle power supply's fan was not working. Usually it hovers in 50s. I don't think temperature is an issue. Right now I am uninstalling the new Nvidia drivers and re-install via-4-in-1 and then reinstall an older driver, wishful thinking that it will fix my sh!t.


~Moose

 

[Mem]

Hmmm I`ve the same model(Epox 8KHA+) and it has been rock solid,btw look at the capacitors around the cpu area to see if any are bulging or leaking.I`ve a few on mine leaking at the moment.

Back to your ram,well if you`re sure the memory is not faulty I would try slower ram timings in BIOS,also check the ram voltage settings as well,2.6/2.7v are good values.

Btw what CPU & PSU do you`ve?

I don't think temperature is an issue.

You have to rule out all possibilities,so try it with the case open.

 

[moosebanna]

I haven't looked around the cpu. I am not sure if that memtest program would get errors if it was bad RAM or bad slot. It doesn't tell you which. I guess the best way to find out would be to test the cpu, with one memory piece at a time. But would I have to test in different slots everytime? That is 9 separate tests. When I upgraded to 1 Gig of ram I changed the bios settings to FAst for RAM to see if it made a difference. Well now its on normal. As for the specs:

Epox 8KHA+
AMD Athlon XP 1700+ (1.47GHz)
1 Gig of RAM (512 MB MWAVE pc2700, and 2 K-bytes 256 MB)
Sparkle 300 Watt PWS
Creative Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 MP3+
PNY Geforce4 ti4200 128 MB
WDC: 120 GB & 160 GB hard drives
Memorex 52x24x52 cdrw
LiteOn 4x DVDR+/- (just got it last week)
Belkin Ethernet Card

My northbridge fan doesn't even spin anymore. When it used to try it made an annoying sound. I have heard it was a problem before on these mobos, I never got it changed. I don't think this is the problem, my computer usage hasn't really changed. I don't think I consume more power now then I did all this past year. I know I have to rule out heat, but throughout my issues I leave the case open on side when I was testing RAM slots. So I don't think its that, I know I have to think about it, but I doubt it. Thanks

 

[Mem]

My northbridge fan doesn't even spin anymore. When it used to try it made an annoying sound

Yep mine did that when the bearings went,you can replace it with a new 40mm fan,it`ll help keep the northbridge cool,should be ok to run without a fan.


Leaking cap pics so you know what to look for. .

I wouldn`t rule out a faulty PSU as well,but it does sound like a ram problem,anyway check them one at a time and try not to mix brands if possible since sometimes combos with different brands can cause stability problems .


It`s possible you could have just a bad slot ,but you need to test the ram one at a time in the first slot then try the second slot etc. I would still relax the memory timings in BIOS,ie don`t put it on" turbo mode" setting.

 

[moosebanna]

Well I just tried using the dvd burner and in the process computer restarted...so power supply seems to be a total possibility. This is my second Sparkle, first one after 5 months of use the fan inside died, I know I could have replaced it but I opted not to. As for the voltage settings they were on 2.6V and I added +.20 in the bios to the +2.5V in the bios to 2.7 now, but the dumb program UDSM said I have exceeded 2.7 volts and got scared. I am gonna change the RAM back to 2.6, and I guess if I have the patience to test I could create a boot up cd version of the memtest, I still don't have a floppy drive (such worthless crap, but need it when in trouble). Last time I didn't know when to stop it so it ran for 22 hours so I dunno how diagnostic that is. BTW memory settings are back to Normal I never even tried Turbo, just Fast a few times before nothing more than that. Mix brand stability problems, well if I could afford better RAM...damn broke student. Thanks

~Moose

 

[Mem]

Crucial ram is what I use in my Epox,excellent ram ,btw try disabling fastwrites in BIOS as well since that can improve stability .

I forgot to say

NEW! - ISO images suitable for creating a bootable Memtest86 CDROM

So you don`t need a floppy drive,link .

 

[moosebanna]

Ya I know thanks that is what I was going to use screw floppy drives. I will try disabling fastwrites (I assume that is under advanced settings?). I used to only use Mushkin ram, crucial and corsair are good too. But when I put this computer together RAM prices were out of the ass, so I ended up getting a Nanya 256 RAM stick, its seemed like it worked for me. Who knows I will always get good ram if they were't so damn overpriced!