Why is my new supposedly high performance computer so very very very unstable.

[Mears]

Here is a list of some of the main things I have:

Asus P3V4X
650e FCPGA w/cb0 and Iwill Slocket II
Leadtek Winfast DDR
256mb Mushkin Mosel Vitelic Ram
SB Live!
WD 20.5gb 7200rpm
Toshiba 12x DDR
Plextor 8/4/32
Win98

Ok here is EXACTLY what is happening. The first time I did the install I set up a primary partition for windows of 2.5gb. At that time I had already hooked up the sound card, video card, dvd and cdrw, and processor. I went through the installation flawlessly. Then windows started installing all the drivers for my hardware. However it crashed a few times when doing them. I especially had trouble with the SC. I was finally able to get the actual driver to work and get sound but I could not get Live!Ware 3.0 to install. I then installed the modem and it took forever. I messed around for a few minutes, but it kept locking up. I could connect to the internet but it would crash as soon as it started opening up a web site. Then I looked at the mobo manual and remembered that I needed to install the 4in1 drivers and ASUS probe and a few other things. So I turned my computer off and cleared my partition and started all over again. This time I only left the Vid card, processor and Plextor hooked up to ward off any potential problems with hardware recognition. I installed windows then I tried installing all the stuff on the Asus cd. However that stuff caused my computer to lock up too. Finally, I got everything on the cd installed and I put my modem back in and set that up. I tried to come here to post this message, but it was useless. After five tries I was finally able to log in and post a message. However, as I was typing it, it just locked up. This seems strange because it isn't like typing in a text box on the internet is stressing the computer because the internet doesn't even have to download data or anything.

Anyone know what could be causing this. The Bios revision is 1003 and the 4 in 1 drivers are 4.17. I don't think it could be those though because it was unstable even before I installed them.

One thing that seems strange is that the Power and IDE light are orange instead of green. Don't know if that has anything to do with it though.

On a sorta unrelated note, can Toshiba 12x DVDs transmit audio through a digital cable? I was able to play a cd in my cdrw with the analog cable, but I didn't get any sound with the dvd hooked up via a digital cable to the Sound card, which is what the manual told me to do.

 

[Mears]

Oh, nothing is OC'd yet.

 

[randomlinh]

not all digital connections on cdroms work. I had a toshiba cdrom that didn't work.

You sure you got the heatsink on right? Also, one thing is the powersupply, a faulty one can give you headaches to no end.

And when you're installing, go as bare as possible.

And double check all bios settings (or just reset maybe) to make sure you don't have cas 2 set instead of 3 or something silly like that. And disable the onboard com2 if you have an internal modem (hardware that is, don't think this is a concern w/ winmodems.. but i could be wrong).

 

[Mears]

Yeah, I tried Cas2. The processor is running at a very cool 29 degrees Celcius. In response to the com port, only the com3 port is running. However, my computer doesn't just crash when I'm on the internet. It always lock ups.

 

[Becks]

how do you know its 29degrees? that using internal probe? or are you lookin at some temp probe somehwere on the mobo?

 

[dszd0g]

My guess is it's one of the drivers you installed. Reinstall Windows. Don't let it install all your drivers at once. Install one driver at a time until you figure out which one is causing the instability. It's also possible that you just had a bad Windows install. It happens.

 

[The Wildcard]

Hmm well i have to agree that it could be either a faulty power supply or a fauly motherboard too. But i would also first try a Bare install, with just your video card, then work your way down.

 

[IceStorm]

Make sure you have the appropriate AGP GART driver from VIA installed. Drop to AGP 1x to see if it's an AGP problem. If it is, boot to safe mode, uninstall whatever GART you have, and try the 4.22 GART (actual rev is 4.02).

As to the DVD-ROM, make sure you unmute the Digital CD input on the sound mixer. The SB Live! installs with it muted by default. It also installs without allowing the Digital CD input to be shown on the Win98 mixer.

Just my $0.02

 

[Mears]

The temp came from the Asus Probe. The power supply is 300 watts. Didn't know about the digital muting thing. That could solve that problem. Where could I find the new gart driver? How do I make it so the windows mixer can use digital input?

Lastly, why would the video drivers cause EVERYTHING to lock up. How can I stop windows from installing all the drivers? They autmatically install for the cd drives and that would only leave the monitor and VC. So do you think it is the vid card?

 

[IceStorm]

If you can boot Windows and get the login box, but it locks up as soon as you log in, it's a thingy starting up that your system doesn't like. If it's locking up after about 15 to 30 seconds after the graphical screen comes up, it's the AGP GART or vid card driver. If you drop to Standard VGA mode and uninstall the GART and it boots and logs in just fine, well, you know it's the AGP subsystem causing no end of trouble. Remember, it's a VIA based board. This is the one thing it does best - cause you problems with AGP.

VIA's drivers are at http://www.viatech.com/.

 

[Damaged]

First I would clear the CMOS by shorting the two solder points on the board. Reboot and make sure it POSTs. After that I would download the 1005 BIOS and flash the board.

 

[TheBigZ]

I built a new high end system for a client a while back, all the bells & whistles... scsi hd & burner, sb live, v6800, high end usb scanner printer & zip drive, yadda yadda yadda.

Anyway, drivers are most likely your issue. I couldn't install the whole Live! stuff without the machine BSD'n. Finally I smartened up & burned myself a cd with nothing but the newest bare drivers for all the gadgets... no extra crap (like the Live! stuff). Machine ran like a top after that.

 

[Mears]

Ok, I tried dropping the AGP to 1x in the bios. Then when I loaded it up. I tried connecting to the net and as soon as I had dialed out it froze up. Any ideas? Where do I check the GART and how do I go about updating it.