Memory Test on Boot displays no count

[chevas]

I just rebooted my desktop and it posted.
When the memory test appeared, it did not count up to anything. In fact, it didn't display any characters.
I reseated the memory, same symptoms.
I switched the spots of each memory stick (moved the stick in channel 1 to channel 3 and the one in channel 3 to channel 1, same symptom).
I removed the stick in channel 3, then booted up and it displayed "20". That's it, just "20", which are the first two characters for a 2GB stick of memory.
I then switched sticks, again, only one stick in channel 1, but tried the second stick of memory all by itself this time, no characters displayed.
I switched back to the stick that just displayed "20", but this time, no characters displayed in the memory test...same symptoms as before.

I don't think it's a memory issue, could it be a power issue? I'm running a GTX260 video card and I know that my power supply is the bare-minimum power supply, 2 rails, at 18 volts I believe, to reach the minimum voltage of 36...can't remember exactly off the top of my head, but I know that I have the bare minimum voltage. It's a thermaltake brand and I've been running the GTX260 for about 3 months now without known problems. Other weird symptoms include:

When the PC was running, I noticed tI had internet connectivity issues that I don't experience on my other machines....like a page will load, then it will time out at next refresh and as I look at the modem, the cable modem simply isn't receiving a "send" signal from the PC. I know that sounds completely software or network related, but it is utterly unexplainable (replaced all ethernet cabling, cable modem and router to brand new hardware, fresh format of windows 7), still same symptoms on the PC and other computers have no connectivity issues on the same network.

I also notice that now when I see these memory tests failing, there is not as much noise coming from my machine, like perhaps the optical drive and/or the hard drive are no longer spinning...maybe not enough power?

I suppose what I'm getting at is that is is possible that the bare-minimum power supply on a PSU that is 3 or 4 years old just doesn't quite have what it takes anyone to keep the whole system running? I also don't want to convince myself of what I think it is, I'm just not really sure. As of now, the memory test always shows no characters and the system hangs not allowing me to boot into Windows.

Thanks!

 

[mpilchfamily]

First of all a lack of a memory count on POST doesn't indicate a problem. Uless the BIOS is set to do the memory count. So check the bios settings and make sure it isn't set to skip the memory count. That is often the default setting since most people don't want to wait for the count to get threw the POST.

You may have a PSU issue but you need to tell us What brand, model and wattage are of the PSU. Simply saying it has 2 12V rails that are rated at 18A deosn't tell us anything. That amperage rating is only telling you at what amount of power it can handle before it shuts off that rail for safety reasons. It has no bearing as to how much of the total wattage of the PSU is dedicated to the 12V rails.

 

[corkyg]

Right . . . your BIOS may be set to QUICKBOOT. That bypasses them RAM count.