GUYS PLEASE HELP!!! SHUTTLE AK12A + 1.2 GHZ AMD TURKEYBIRD FREEZES AT BIOS

oLLie

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2001
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sigh... fry's....

Guys I'm helping my friend make a py00ter and we picked a Shuttle AK12A & 1.2 GHZ T-bird from Fry's for $179 (I think). Well, I hooked everything up, checked the FSB jumper setting (yep, it was 133). I'm sure the CPU is 1200/266. I turned it on the first time, it did the video bios thing, clocked the CPU correctly, checked the ram, then in bold, white letters it said something about: warning- CPU FSB speed has been changed please check the settings. I thought this was odd that it popped up the first time I turned it on. Nothing was installed yet, so I was just whatever. Click--reset. Memory is counting..... FREEEEEZE! uh oh guys. Should've listened to the guy at Fry's who told us that ALL the Shuttle motherboards they had left were returns. We asked a different salesperson why that was and he said it's just the people's fault who tried to set up the computer, using outdated power supplies. So, we thought it would be ok to get it. We were on a time restraint and that was their best deal today so we decided to just take it. :(, what do you guys think I need to do? Flash the bios or get a different power supply. I can't see why power supply would really be a problem it's an InWin case with a 300W (AMD approved?) power supply.

//quick specs:\\
AMD T-Bird 1200/266 chip marking: (A1200AMS3C)
Shuttle AK12A Mobo
512 MB PC133
ATI Radeon VE
Hercules Fortissimo II

:(
 

Buz2b

Diamond Member
Jun 2, 2001
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<< Should've listened to the guy at Fry's who told us that ALL the Shuttle motherboards they had left were returns. >>

That is one of the few times you should ever listen to someone at Fry's.

<< he said it's just the people's fault who tried to set up the computer >>

That should have been the second large red light and siren that went off in your head.

<< what do you guys think I need to do? >>

Take it back!!
OK, Now I said my piece on that. So, you said "nothing was installed". Can you elaborate on that? What exactly was plugged in? When you said "click-reset". What did you do? For a "quick and dirty" test, take it out of the case and set it on the pink foam pad that came with it. If you have another AMD processor, use it. Just put the CPU, HSF, Floppy, 1 stick of RAM and video card in it and try to boot again to the Floppy. If you can, make sure the parts you are using on it for this test come from known working systems. If not all of them, as many as you can. That includes the CPU. If it boots then start to add a couple of items to it, one by one (more RAM, HDD, CDROM). Then if that works, switch out the parts that it wouldn't boot with before, one by one. That way you have a better chance of isolating a problem if there is one. Of course, if it doesn't boot then it is probably dead or at least dead enought not to chance it on something from Fry's.
I don't want folks to think I am just badmouthing Fry's (well, I am sort of), I know not all employees are knuckleheads and you can get some really good items there for decent prices if you are carefull. I have done do many times and have been gratefull for it. But one thing you NEVER do is buy something that has one of those little square "returned" tags on it. They are notorious for just throwing them back on the shelves with no testing or even without opening the box to confirm that all the parts are inside. Trust me, I learned the hard way too. :frown: The other "Golden Rule" for shopping at Fry's is don't ask for help. If you have to ask for help, you should just leave. You need to go there knowing what you want to buy, how much it should cost and where it is located. Any deviation risks your sanity. ;);)
 

oLLie

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2001
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I mean no sofware (OS) was installed.
No spare T-Birds lying around :(.
Yeah, it'll boot, then it freezes. Or it'll freeze right before it boots (off the floppy).
If I underclock it, all is well (9 x 100 = 900mhz) as opposed to (9 x 133 = 1200mhz)

Ollie

I found this so called "fix" and I already tried that before even reading that but it still won't work. I guess I should flash the bios before I go wasting your guys' time and effort with my question. :(
 

oLLie

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2001
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Fry's won't let us return only the motherboard, and since it was a decent price for the combo, it's time to flash the bios. BBL, with an update.

Ollie
 

Buz2b

Diamond Member
Jun 2, 2001
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<< Fry's won't let us return only the motherboard >>

Then return the combo. You can clean the CPU with alcohol or fingernail polish remover and then alcohol. If the BIOS flash doesn't work, get rid of it. The longer you delay, the worse your chance of return. Good luck, I hope the flash works for you.
 

oLLie

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2001
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Bios flash = failed.
Fry's = is suck.
Combo = on it's way to be returned
Ollie = :(

Ollie
 

BarMan

Banned
Jan 4, 2001
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what kind of ram you have?
if it's name brand then yeah take it back
if it's generic then you might want to try
some better stuff

could be over heating too
 

oLLie

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2001
5,203
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The CPU temp said 35-40 degrees Celsius. The ram is generic 512 MB PC133. It's already exchanged though. We got a Tyan Trinity and 1.4, I hope that works out better.

Ollie