Is it time for RMA yet?

[jazzisjazz]

History - Chaintech vnf3-250 sempron 754 - 2275 - 285 X 8 memory @ 189.6 222-5, multi htt at 3x this is on an ide hd. Can I expect the same results without problems on a 200gb maxtor sata or should I expect problems at some point with the overclocking?

How should I go about setting up the same system on a sata drive?

UPDATE ++++++++++++++++

Ok so I reloaded on the sata . It took a few tries to get it on but I was able to get the overclock back and get into windows for a few minutes.

AND THEN.........IT HAPPENED.........

Then lock up/ reboot / no beeps / remove usb drive / reseat video and memory, remove power - reset bios, disconnect hd / still no response at all except all fans run and cd and floppy have power/ remove battery , replace battery / still no beeps Is there anything else to try before going to the local shop to have the board and cpu tested - at least thats free.

Assuming the processors good would it be wisest to switch to another board now and not worry about making the chaintech work -

if the sata thing is an nf3 bug and can be solved with an add in sata card - thats okay but I'm pretty pissed now and don't want to set this up with the add in card an find out there's some other problem lying in wait for me.

If I have to rma both maybe I should just switch to a 939 chip and the asrock 939dual ( which may become a rare animal if nvidia makes uli stop making the chipset on it ).

WhaddaYa Think - any ideas for revival

 

[Edzard]

I suggest the following, in the order listed. Please do not interpret any suggestion as an insult to your intelligence.

NOTE: turn off power to the system unit (assuming the power supply has on on/off switch), UNPLUG the power cord to the system unit, and perform steps 1-4 before re-applying power to the system unit.

1. I remember that you are running a fan on the nf3 chip - was that connected to an on-board fan header? Even if not, I recommend that you try disconnecting that fan and leave it disconnected for the remaining tests in order to take one possible unknown out of the equation. Admittedly this is somewhat of a "long shot", and very possibly out of order from a logic perspective. NOTE: I can find NO documentation of the wattage specs/limits for the fan headers on this board. I too have installed a fan on the nf3 chip but power it directly from the power supply via a 4-pin Molex connector. The only on-board fan header I'm using is that for the fan on the CPU heatsink.

2. Use the JP1 jumper to reset the BIOS if you haven't already (I think you have, but not totally sure). If you do this reset, make SURE you remember to set the jumper back to the normal position before re-connecting/applying power.

3. Check the seating for both the power connections to the board (the 20-pin and the special 4-pin 12V), and double-check the 4-pin 12V power cable to ensure that it has the proper orientation (perhaps you disconnected the 4-pin cord when installing SATA drive).

4. Check seating for EVERY OTHER connection (IDE, SATA, floppy, audio cables, etc. - both power and data cables).

Connect the power cable and test system at this point. If the test fails, power down and unplug the power cord again.

5. If possible, try a different/appropriate/known good/ power supply.

6. If you have a known good spare AGP card that is 4X/8X and appropriate for this board, substitute that for your current (I assume) AGP video card and test. If you don't have a spare AGP card, but do have a working PCI video card, remove whatever video card is in the system currently and test with the spare PCI card.

7. If possible, revert to the earlier (I assume non-SATA configuration) and see if that will still work.

If none of the above corrects the problem, then my first suspect is the VNF3-250 board, especially given the fact that you had a USB drive connected to it (the Newegg reviews for this board have at least 3 comments pertaining to problems involving flaky USB ports).

If the motherboard failed, PLEASE POST the following:

1. The motherboard's board revision (appears as VX.X, where X is an arabic number), found on a label affixed to the outer side of the special (brown) audio card slot.
2. Brand, model designation, wattage rating, and amperage ratings for EACH rail for the power supply you were using when the failure occurred.

Good luck.....