Problems with new computer!

[00obrimw]

I have just built a new computer for my dad and everything seemed to be going fine until I started installing windows. When installing files i sometimes got critical errors and the occasional blue screen of death. After restarting many times during one go of an install it actually managed to finish but windows is very unstable and whenever i try to access something from the cd drive windows locks up. Ive tried installing windows using a different cd drive, using a different cd of windows and im starting to run out of ideas. One thing I'm slightly suspicious about is that the motherboard (Albatron KM18G Pro) doesnt support ddr400 ram when using the onboard video so I've underclocked my kingmax ddr400 to ddr333. Whether it's worth putting in a video card and running the ram at full speed I'm not sure. I'm trying another install right now but any ideas would be much appreciated.

System Specs:
AMD Athlon XP 2500+
Albatron KM18G Pro (nForce 2, onboard vga)
512MB Kingmax ddr400
Western Digital WD800JB
BTC 52 speed cd writer
Enermax 350W PSU

 

[hjo3]

Sounds like memory problems. Run Memtest on it.

 

[nboy22]

Originally posted by: hjo3
Sounds like memory problems. Run Memtest on it.

I would say the same.

 

[00obrimw]

Thanks guys, I'll test it with memtest as soon as this latest go at an install finishes. I'm thinking i could swap out my 2 sticks of kingmax ddr333 256MB from my computer and try those in it and see what happens. Hopefully I can get to the bottom of this fast.

 

[hjo3]

Keep in mind that memory errors can also be caused by the motherboard, not just the actual RAM. And sometimes a fix can be as simple as using different slots.

 

[stultus]

I had these errors with a NF2 IGP mobo. It was the mobo, not the ram.

 

[00obrimw]

I forgot to mention I had already tried using a different RAM slot with no sucess. Stultus did you just end up replacing the motherboard or did you manage to fix the problem?

 

[00obrimw]

I just did an install with the ram at ddr400 even though the board doesnt support it while using the onboard video. Everything was fine and I thought I had finally got it working but then all the funny pixels came back and after a short time of installing drivers etc I got another blue screen of death. i'm going to run memtest now and see what happens.

 

[BigBadBiologist]

Are you sure your heastink/fan unit is installed properly?

 

[00obrimw]

Yeah i'm pretty sure it's installed properly, whenever ive gone into pc health thing in the bios the cpu has never been much above 40 degrees C. If it wasnt installed properly id know about it pretty quickly wouldnt I?

 

[00obrimw]

I switched the ram with my 2 sticks of ddr333 256mb and everything seems to be working fine. Hopefully my other computer wont crash now that it has the other stick in it

Thanks for all the help