System instability - very strange...

[SickBeast]

First I'll list my rig specs:

- Opteron 144
- Asus A8N-E
- 2GB DDR400 (a 1GB stick, and 2 512MB sticks)
- Asus 8800GTS 320mb
- OCZ 700w PowerStream PSU
- WD 250GB SATA hard drive
- Vista Home Premium 64-bit and Windows XP Pro (dual boot)

Strangely, my computer has suddenly become unstable after about a month of rock-solid stability.

The other day my girlfriend was blow-drying her hair and it blew a fuse while the PC was on. Since then it has been very unstable, sometimes it can't even boot into Vista. It can't run Prime95's torture test for more than 30 seconds. It passes both the Windows Vista memory test and MemTest.

Do any of you have any ideas of what I can do?

I've tried running the memory sticks one at a time to no avail. 🙁

 

[SparkyJJO]

Sounds like CPU if it won't pass the test. Are you overclocked at all? Download the ultimate boot CD, burn the image to CD, and run a CPU torture test from that to see whether it might just be windows is screwed up.

 

[stoma]

If you think a blown fuse has something to do with it...I hope you had a surge protector. Either way the PSU may be damaged.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO
Sounds like CPU if it won't pass the test. Are you overclocked at all? Download the ultimate boot CD, burn the image to CD, and run a CPU torture test from that to see whether it might just be windows is screwed up.

I have Vista *and* XP, so I doubt Windows is screwed up.

I'm pretty sure it's the CPU too. It's not overclocked, but it was. I had it at 2.7ghz at 2.525v; to troubleshoot I've left it at its stock speed of 1.8ghz and default voltages.

Like I said, the CPU can't pass the Prime95 torture test.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Got another CPU you could try? Or like stoma said the PSU might be damaged which could cause instability. Do you have a good surge protector?

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO
Got another CPU you could try? Or like stoma said the PSU might be damaged which could cause instability. Do you have a good surge protector?

No other CPU I can try...

I have a cheap "Noma" surge protector.

🙁

 

[0roo0roo]

psu

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Strangely, my computer has suddenly become unstable after about a month of rock-solid stability.

The other day my girlfriend was blow-drying her hair and it blew a fuse while the PC was on. Since then it has been very unstable, sometimes it can't even boot into Vista.

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
psu

:laugh:

 

[SickBeast]

So are you guys sure it's the PSU?

I checked the voltages in the BIOS and they were 12.3 for the +12v rail, 4.7 for the +5v rail, and 3.0 for the +3v rail.

Couldn't it be from overclocking the CPU? Permanent damage?

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
So are you guys sure it's the PSU?

Couldn't it be from overclocking the CPU? Permanent damage?

Of course we're not sure. We don't have access to the rig to check it out. All we have to go on are the details you choose to tell us.
We're not psychics, we're people that have fixed our own and other peoples rigs. As well as reading threads about other's problems and solutions.

As far as the CPU being damaged...
For the most part, CPU's are either good or they don't work at all. The early Pentium 4's had a problem with being killed by excess core voltage. But they just died.

 

[SickBeast]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: SickBeast
So are you guys sure it's the PSU?

Couldn't it be from overclocking the CPU? Permanent damage?

Of course we're not sure. We don't have access to the rig to check it out. All we have to go on are the details you choose to tell us.
We're not psychics, we're people that have fixed our own and other peoples rigs. As well as reading threads about other's problems and solutions.

As far as the CPU being damaged...
For the most part, CPU's are either good or they don't work at all. The early Pentium 4's had a problem with being killed by excess core voltage. But they just died.

Thanks for the tip. It makes sense.

Just as an update, my system passes Prime95 under XP, but fails within 10 seconds under Vista. I have a feeling Prime just isn't Vista compatible and I'm worrying over nothing, or else my Vista install is somehow corrupt. 🙁

 

[SickBeast]

Ok one more update...with the 64-bit verson of Prime it appears to be stable...sorry for the trouble everyone!