Is this normal...MSI 845G Max

[jm77]

I just purchased a MSI 845G Max motherboard and put a 2.4GHZ processor on it w/retail heatisnk and 1GB PC3000 DDR RAM and a Chaintech GT41 Geforce4 ti 4400 128MB DDR Video Card. My problem is that every once in a while the system freezes and I am unable to load into windows, or sometimes even into the BIOS. The other probem is that there are little lines in the Windows XP boot up screen that make me thing of when I overclocked my video card and I had imperfections on the screen. When I try to load the 28.32 drivers I am fine until the system reboots and then it won't even allow me into Windows until I go into safe mode, uninstall the drivers and reboot. It also won't recognize my monitor (NEC LCD 1700V) as anything but a plug and play monitor. Now, I have tried several things to fix this: First, I tried to flash the BIOS, which didn't help. I then tried to set the RAM timings to 2.5 instead of 2 while running @ 333Mhz. Neither helped. I alos tried updating to newer driver version, 29.42 and 29.80. Secondly, I took out the video card and replaced with an old ATI Radeon VE 64MB card and the imperfections in the screen went away and my monitor was recognized by Windows XP, but the freezing up of the system didn't stop and was still very random.

Is there anything I can do to make this thing work? I would really like to make it work before I RMA'ed it back to NewEgg for an Abit BG7 and a Gainward PowerPack Geforce4 ti 4400. I downloaded all of the update files for the system and drivers with no good result. Any suggestions would be great!

Full System Specs:

Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHZ ?B? Retial Processor
MSI MAX 6580 Pentium 4 Motherboard
Mushkin 1GB PC3000 DDR RAM (512x2)
Chaintech Geforce4 Ti4400 128MB DDR Video Card
Western Digital 80GB UDMA100 7200RPM Hard Drive
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy Sound Card
Sony 1.44MB Floppy Drive
Pioneer 16x/40x DVD-ROM
Sony 40x/12x/48x CD-RW Drive
Foxconn Mid-Tower Case
Allied 400W Power Supply
Coolermaster Rounded Cables (x3)
Thermaltake Case Cooling Fan
Linksys LNE100TX Network Adapter
US Robotics 56K V.90 Modem
Altec Lansing 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers
NEC 17? LCD1700V Flat Panel Monitor
Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

 

[ChrisADuffy]

Are you overclocking? Is this a clean install of XP?

 

[jm77]

no, no overclocking involved and this was a clean install of Windows XP Pro

 

[Tom]

Not an expert by any means but 2 things I would try..

1. Remove one of the memory modules and see if you still have the same problems with 512mb of memory. Theory being that although the board ought to handle both modules at once things don't always work the way they should.

2. Check the actual vcore voltage being suppliedby looking at the System status screen in the bios. (might be called something else.) If it's less than 1.5v minimum I'd try raising the vcore slightly. Even though you aren't overclocking that is still a fast cpu and if the vcore is significantly less than 1.5v it might be less than stable.

 

[jm77]

Tried doing both, neither worked, still gave me te same video problems...didn't experience lockup, but the same restarting occurred also.