Help ? ?System Failed CPU Test? and ?System Failed due to CPU Overclocking?!!!

[DJLanglois]

Hello:

In advance, I would like to say ?thanks? to anyone who is able to help me out.

I will try to be brief in summarizing my problems, and the steps I have made so far.

First, my system specs:

Pentium 4 3.0C
1 Gig of Ram in Dual-Channel
Radeon 9800XT Pro (256MB)
ASUS P4C800E-Deluxe
120 Gig SATA drive, and 80 Gig IDE secondary
DVDRW+- and DVDRAM
400W Antec Power Supply
Antec Case
4 Case fans

1. Yesterday, while playing CounterStrike: Source (yummy!), my system crashed. I attempted to restart the computer, but was greeted by a voice message playing through my speakers, which said ?System Failed CPU Test?. This happened at what I believe is called POST ? my system failed an initial CPU check and could not get any further (no loading, no visuals on monitor, etc.). I restarted my computer many times, but the problem persisted.

2. I searched around online for a solution to the problem, using my buddy?s laptop. I found that this is a fairly common problem for people running all ASUS boards, and particularly for the P4C800 and P4C800E-Deluxe. Here are some relevant threads:

http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/18608 (please read briefly)

This thread identifies the problem as *NOT* being a genuine CPU problem. People have fixed the problem by changing power supplies, video cards, or getting a new mobo. A lot of people are just ragging on ASUS boards, and getting a non-ASUS board seems to be the most clear solution. But, again, some people have had success by changing other parts of the setup. This indicates, I think, that it may be a conflict not necessarily needing to be fixed by replacing the board or processor.

http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/8069 (please read first page especially)

This thread seems to indicate that it is a problem between the processor and the ASUS P4C800 (and E-Deluxe) board(s) in particular. The standard Intel heatsink for P4s seems to put too much pressure on the board/CPU. Some people have fixed it by loosening the heatsink clamps, while others have found that the tightness has actually destroyed a module on the underside of the board.

3. I tried loosening the heatsink on my CPU a bit, and fiddling around, but it made no difference ? ?System Failed CPU Test?.

4. My buddy had an old Radeon All-In-Wonder 7500 sitting around (it is currently in my computer), and I figured ?Ah, what the hell, I may as well give it a try?. I put it in my board (replacing my 9800XT). There was only one ram stick (512) in my system at the time. My system booted fine, although I had to fix my BIOS settings/boot sequence because I had previously flashed the CMOS when trying to fix the problem early on. With the only changes being the AIW 7500 and only 1 stick of RAM, the system booted fine. I was able to do some clutch back ups, send some important documents, etc. I figured, ?Well, my video card must have busted ? I guess I?ll buy a new one?.

5. Later, I tried reinstalling the second stick of RAM and restarting my system. Unfortunately, I was greeted by a new error message ?System Failed Due to CPU Overclocking?. However, my system is not overclocked. I tried it with one stick of RAM again ? booted fine. I tried it with one stick of RAM and my normal (better) video card ? ?System Failed CPU Test?. I tried it with both sticks of RAM again, and the AIW7500 ? ?System Failed Due to CPU Overclocking?. I removed a RAM stick (back to the ol? 512MB RAM and the 7500) and it booted fine.

6. So, what is the story? My CPU should be fine, and it appears to run fine under certain conditions ? which seems to indicate that it is not genuinely a CPU problem. My CPU is not overclocked, and has never shown problems before. The results I have been getting make me believe that it is not of the variety of this error message related to the heatsink/processor/mobo tension problem. So what?s up?

- Could it be a problem because I am still in the Radeon family (Radeon?s showed problems with the ASUS boards ? see the first link in Section 2).

- Could it be a problem with my power supply (some Antec power supplies showed problems with the ASUS boards ? she the first link in Section 2)? Perhaps I need a new one?

- Could it be a problem with the motherboard itself?

- Could it somehow be a serious problem with the CPU?

7. Currently, the system is running stable on the AIW7500 and 512MB of RAM. Should I try going up to a gig again? For the time being, I do not need to do anything beyond work and Internet stuff on my computer, so I have a bit of time. But, I would like this problem fixed sooner rather than later.

All and any help will be appreciated.

$5 via PayPal goes to any person (who is the first person) to get my system running fully stably again (even if your advice is ?You absolutely need a new non-Radeon video vard?).

Thanks, in advance, and thanks for reading. I appreciate all of your time.

If anyone needs more information about my system, or the steps I have taken, let me know.

Cheers,

Dave

 

[compso]

I hope this is it...Check your RAM slot for a bent pin down in the channel, try comparing the two empty slots, use a bright light.

 

[fishmonger12]

did you test both sticks of ram in the same slot?

try running the ram in dimms 3 and 4 (assuming your board has dimm slots 3 and 4... im pretty sure it does.)

 

[DJLanglois]

Heya guys:

Thanks for the posts so far. I appreciate it a lot.

compso - The slots look to be fine and in tact.

fishmonger12 - I do have four slots (two blue, two black... the sequence is blue, black -separation- blue, black). But I am not sure of what number is assigned to each slot (i.e. which slot is 3, and which slot is 4). But, I tried both sticks individually in each of the four slots. It seems that one of the sticks works in NONE of the slots. The other stick does work alone in the front two slots (the first blue and black, closest to the rear of the case). Can a stick ever work alone in the other two slots -- or only in those second set of slots when there is also a stick in the corresponding first slot?

So, I guess this tells me that at least part of the problem is a RAM stick. Still under warranty, I think (Yes!).

Unfortunately, when I tried my good ol' 9800xt in at the same time as the good ram stick, I got the whole "SYSTEM FAILED CPU TEST" thing again. But, when I swaped back in the AIW7500, and kept the ram in the same spot, things work fine (like now).

 

[mechBgon]

What brand and model are the memory modules, and are you running them at AUTO timings and voltage or did you manually set timings &/or voltage?

 

[rhino56]

put the stick that boots nearest to the cpu in the blue slot.
it boots?
ok try the other stick in the same slot.
no boot?
bad stick of ram.
but yes what ram is it?

 

[fuzzynavel]

Do you have surge protection?????


Sounds like one RAM stick is dead and possibly the 9800 too......see if a friend will let you try the 9800 in their PC!!

If one stick of RAM works fine in all slots then the Mobo appears to be fine.....Do you have any spare parts that you could tinker with?? i.e another random stick of RAM

 

[DJLanglois]

Heya guys:

Here are some updates and new questions -- I am making progress.

One ram stick *is* dead. It actually has a black mark on it, and smells a bit burnt... so perhaps it was fried? The other seems fine. It works fine wherever, so I assume that the mobo is fine.

I am still unsure about the 9800.

I went out today and purchased a new power supply (480W Thermaltake) to see if perhaps the reason I couldn't get the 9800 to work was a lack of sufficient power. This seems not to be the case. Even with the new Thermaltake, the 9800xt still gets me a "SYSTEM FAILED CPU TEST!" (I hate that b1tch's voice so much at this point).

So, it seems that either the 9800xt is dead, or at the very least it is in conflict with my system. The AIW 7500 is still working fine for now -- although I can't play counterstrike or HL2 (which sucks). I should probably test it on another computer ASAP.

I also purchased two new sticks of ram -- 2x 512MB Corsair DDR400/PC3200. I have them running in dual channel just fine. So, at least my ram problem is fixed. But, this raises some questions.

1. Do I need both sticks of the new ram I purchased? My old sticks of ram were 512MB Samsung DDR400/PC3200. Only one of them is working. Could I use one Samsung and one Corsair together, since they are the same type? Or is this bad/dangerous? I would like to return one of the Corsair sticks if possible (just to get my money back)... but if this cannot be done, I will keep both Corsair sticks running together, and sell off my Samsung on eBay or something.

2. Should I keep my new power supply? As of now, I have upgraded from the Antec 400W that came with my case, to the Thermaltake Silent PurePower 480W. Could my old PS have been part of the problem? Is the upgrade with the $100CDN even if it wasn't a main factor in my system failure? I kind of like the new power supply, so I am considering keeping it. Does it seem worth it to everyone here?

3. Fuzzynavel -- I have my system plugged into a power bar with a lot of other stuff.... but I tend not to have too many things on the bar plugged in at once. Is there a difference between a surge protector and a power bar? Do I need a surge protector?

4. What should my next move be? I assume I should get my hands on a new (i.e. not a crappy AIW7500 card) card for my system, and test the 9800XT to see if it works on other systems. This, of course, would allow me to sell it off and recoup some money. Does this seem like a good set of next moves?

Any other tips?

Cheers guys. I appreciate all of the help.

Dave

 

[helpmeout]

Yes, you definitely need a surge protector. More than likely that's what happened to your RAM, and possibly to the video card. Some mobo's require memory to be run in matching pairs, but that may not be the case here. The Ram all has the same values, so try your Samsung and a stick of Corsair in slots 1 and 3. Shouldn't damage anything, and might work. Try the graphics card in another computer, see if you have a problem.

BTW, I have an Asus P4P800-E Deluxe, a Radeon graphics card, and an Antec case and power supply, and have had no problems. Your post/link is the first time I heard of any possible conflicts.

 

[DJLanglois]

OK, I've got 1 Corsair stick and 1 Samsung stick running together. If they're working well now, there shouldn't be any future problems, right?

I will go out and buy a new surge protector tomorrow (and try to test my video card).

What do you guys think about the power supply? (See question #2 in my last post).

 

[fuzzynavel]

just throw in all three sticks of RAM together.... The memory probably won't run in dual channel but the extra memory may offer better gameplay in games with large maps/physics etc such as HL2 ( might be speaking out of my arse....comments off the top of my head!!)

From my understanding a surge protector acts as a big fuse and takes the hit if there is a surge and protects your components.....A lot of powerbars have them built in ...but it is likely to be written on it somewhere!!...they are not too expensive....I have seen them for about £10-£15....around $20-$30..

I will go out and buy a new surge protector tomorrow (and try to test my video card).

I would go with the surge protector...but it won't bring a dead card back to life......your best bet is to try it in a mates' computer just to make sure it is dead....

If you have house insurance you may be able to claim for storm dmage or something else...but it is hardly worth it.....just have to bite the bullet and get another one!! Sorry