Random Reboots

[Psydex]

I am running a P3 800eb. Its not overclocked in any way. I am having one simple problem. I am getting random reboots every so often.

p3 800eb
6x133 on the chip
100mhz on the memory (pc100mem)
voodoo 5500
sblive
Tyan Trinity 400 (via133)
WD 13gig hard drive
250watt power supply

is there a common problem that causes this most of the time.

 

[Splork]

One problem! What OS are you running?

-sp

 

[Psydex]

OH Win 98 SE
This is on a fresh install of that, new sound drivers, new drivers for everything.

 

[Mem]

This could be anything, but start with fitting anti-surge device to the Power supply,it could also be a faulty PSU.

 

[Psydex]

Aaaah.. one other thing. My pc 133 mem hasnt made it in yet.. so I am using the same memory I had in my overclocked 300a. Its pc66 that ran for over a year and a hlaf flawlessly at 100mhz. Could this board be more finicky about memory than my old abit BH-6? Also, if my memory is the problem can memory cause reboots? The reboots happen at times like when you are hitting a key on the keyboard, or the mouse. It seldom happens all on its on.. its like it accompanies another action.

Thanks again

Psydex

 

[Mem]

Possible the only way to find out his to try different ram,btw When my own CPU started going faulty it would reboot at random,so yes hardware can cause this effect.

 

[Psydex]

New Ram in place now.. still doing it

Psydex

 

[FastEd]

Check your Device Manager-any"!" or"?" sounds like typical IRQ conflict:frown:

 

[coolnicklee]

since you didn't overclock, I will say probable problem is the PSU...
I had the similar problem and switched to new PSU(enermax 350w) and running fine~

 

[Psydex]

Just put in my old AOpen 300 watt PSU. Booted up the pc, started a game and it took about 15 mins for it to happen.

Earlier today it would do it within one minute of game start.. (3d game). I am wondering if it isnt heat. Should my voodoo be getting too hot? Neither it nor my CPU is overclocked.

Psydex

 

[Mem]

If it was a heat problem it would reboot or lockup even if you did not press or click any keys,but you can try running the PC with case open & see if this helps.

 

[Kingofcomputer]

could be bad motherboard

 

[Roguetech]

I had a system that would randomly reboot. Sometimes it wouldn't completely boot into DOS! Once, I got it to run through the Win95 setup. 30 seconds, 2 hours, it was very flukey! Turned out it was the internal cache. Point is, though your's seems to have more pattern, as mem said, it could be anything...

Try reformatting and reinstalling everything. Assuming that doesn't help, does it do it when just sitting idle, or after working hard? If the latter, it could be your CPU, not necissarily "overheating", but overheating for that particuliar CPU (i.e. it's bad). I would imagine if it was heat, though, it would lock-up some of the time. Try running with the case open, and see if it helps (even if it doesn't completely solve the problem.) Try running with something extremely intensive, like SETI set on high priority, and see if it happens quicker. (SETI is good, because it's not graphics intensive, just CPU and somewhat memory intensive.) Running with the case off and working it hard should give you an idea of what next. If it makes a difference, it's problably heat. If not, problably software. If that's the case, make a note of what you're running when it happens.

 

[MadRat]

Upgrade to Liveware 3.0

 

[Psydex]

OK update. I have tried all of the following:

A friend placed my cpu in his system and it ran fine for hours... so I think it is safe to say that its ok.

I removed everything but my modem and video card. It still reboots after a while of playing Everquest. I then exchanged my video card (voodoo 5500) for a standard tnt32 Ultra. Same problem.


That leaves me here. The only thing that has been in my computer each and every time it has done this is a. Motherboard b. Memory (two different types) c. hard drive, floppr and cdrom. and e. CPU..


I have already replaced my power supply with a 300 watt one. I have used every updated driver.. Liveware 3.0 (though with the sound card out it still reboots so its not the sound card) I have used several different versions of VIA's 4 in 1 drivers. I have used several different drivers for the voodoo card. I have reinstalled things to swap around irq.. etc etc..


I think its hardware.. I have a replacement MObo on the way.

Also.. I dont think that it's Everquest per se that is doing it since one time it rebooted while installing Win 98SE.

Here is the bare bones configuration that it STILL does it..:

P3 800eb
Tyan Trinity 400
Infineon 7.5 ns pc 133 ram in any of the three slots and in all bios settings at minimum or maximum
WD 13 gb hard drive with dma enabled or disabled
CDROM drive, floppy
300 watt Power Supply
USR ISA Modem 56k

Thanks for all the input...

Psydex

 

[MadRat]

Is this just in Everquest? Some programs have bugs that cause this from time to time. I used to see a similar problem with UT or Q!!!, not sure which one. A patch fixed it once and for all. We all know how diehard you EQ fans are... thats probably all you use the machine for, isn't it?