Continually rebooting on otherwise stable system, help!

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orgcaptainnemo

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 9, 2003
Messages
242
I've noticed that when I turn off my desktop completely I have a hard time getting it to come back on correctly. By this I mean, I press the power switch on the back of the PSU and it powers up, nothing appears on the screen, and then in a second or 2 it reboots. It will just continually reboot like this until I hit the power switch on the back of the PS again. What's more interesting is that once I hit the power switch on the back of the PS to on the machine just turns on, and I cannot get my power switch (or reset) on the front of the case to work /[at all]/...

Usually after a few tries the machine powers up correctly and I never turn it off, so no problem. But I was going on a trip last weekend and there was supposed to be a storm so I turned off and unplugged the whole setup. Now I can't get it to come back on.

Specs of machine:
Asus A7N8X Deluxe
2x256 DDR Corsair RAM, 1x512 DDR Corsair RAM
AIW Radeon 9700 Pro
2x250 gig SATA HD's
DVD-R/RW drive
DVD-ROM drive
3.25" Floppy drive
and a 400 WATT PSU.

Again, once it boots *correctly* it works fine until I power it down competely, at which point I have a problem starting it up.

Ideas?
 
BTW - My guess is that it's the PSU, but that doesn't explain why once it's booted correctly I *never* have any problems.

Gasp... someone have an idea?
 
I'll go with the psu...and maybe mismatched ram...those asus boards HATE mismatched ram.

I'd try a minimal build...if that works, keep adding gear until it takes a dump...

Whats the true capacity of your power supply? What I mean by that is not whats written on the side like "400W" I mean what are the amperage (A) specs for each voltage on the side of the power supply for:
3.3V = ?A
+5V =?A
+12V =?A
+5VSB =?A

These are the minimum recommended current capacities in the AMD desktop builders guide circa 2002 for a certifed 300W power supply that would be used in a Socket 462 (socket A) system.
+3.3V = 28A
+5.0V = 30A
+12.0V = 15A-18A
+5VSB = 2A-2.5A

You should look for something similar to this:
+3.3V = 28A
+5.0V = 30A
+12.0V = 20A+
+5VSB = 2A

These are the power supplies I recommend the most.
Tagan / Epower TG-380, TG480, EP-450XP-C1B
Antec True380, True430, SL400, SL450
 
Thanks for the reply, I'm heading to bed now but I'll double check those figures tomorrow and post them in this thread.

What I don't understand is why the system would work for over 2 years and now start having this problem, could the PSU start to "go" all of sudden?

Thanks again!
 
My PSU is made by ALLIED and the model number is AL-A400ATX.

Specs are:
+3.3V = 28A
+5.0V = 40A
+12.0V = 17A
+5VSB = 2A

It does meet the AMD minimums and, in some cases, exceeds them. Anyone else have suggestions? Has there been any other reported cases of machines with an A7N8X acting this way?

Here's to hoping...
 
I had a similiar problem with my PSU. There would be times when I would press the power button and the fans would spin for a micro second then stop, and nothing would boot(no power to the comp). I would have to flick the switch on the back of the PSU from off to on, to even get the fans to spin for that millisecond. I Would have to do this repeatedly until finally the computer would power up. The computer seamed to work fine. Then one day my PSU just plain died, so I went and got a OCZ modstream, ... very sexy.

I believe your Mobo is an Nforce 2 board. I have an MSI nforce 2 board (In sig), and we are having similiar problems, maybe the PSU.
 
orgcaptainnemo said:
My PSU is made by ALLIED and the model number is AL-A400ATX.

Specs are:
+3.3V = 28A
+5.0V = 40A
+12.0V = 17A
+5VSB = 2A

It does meet the AMD minimums and, in some cases, exceeds them. Anyone else have suggestions? Has there been any other reported cases of machines with an A7N8X acting this way?

Here's to hoping...
Click to expand...

Your Allied should be okay...

Yep the capacitors inside a power supply are usually rated 5-8000 hours MTBR/F, there are about 8766 hours in a year...that would be continula 24/7 for 1 years use, but certain factors affect the components, so I'd say 2 years out of a power supply is all I'd expect, of course there are exceptions..

If you plan on upgrading down the road, invest in a newer power supply thats a bit "beefier" and has a good review...johnnyguru a forum member has some good reading on his webpage on power supplies

also see:

Power FAQS & Tutorials
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=768641

Watts Dont Mean Jack
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=779582

I'm also a moderator at the corporate AMD processor support forum and there are quite a few posts that are similar to yours...

http://forums.amd.com/index.php?act...ch_in=posts&result_type=topics&highlite=a7n8x

MD
 
Thanks for the help bonkrowave and MD_Willington. I'm probably going to bite the bullet and pick up a new PSU this afternoon after I do some shopping around. Those articals make we wonder if I've harmed any of my components in the process of trying to boot the machine up a few times.

Hmm, I guess we'll find out.
 
orgcaptainnemo said:
Thanks for the help bonkrowave and MD_Willington. I'm probably going to bite the bullet and pick up a new PSU this afternoon after I do some shopping around. Those articals make we wonder if I've harmed any of my components in the process of trying to boot the machine up a few times.

Hmm, I guess we'll find out.
Click to expand...

Meh, It didn't seem to hurt any thing in my system. Nor did the hay-makers I threw, which landed on both the Tower and the Monitor, yes .... you can call me Captain Angry. :mad:
 
Since I'm on a budget and waiting for something to ship from Newegg isn't really convenient for me (I'm a computer science major and spending all my evenings in the lab isn't really the best way to work) what do you guys think of this PS as a more, how shall I say, short-term solution:

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=50350436&pfp=BROWSE

Details:
* Provides a maximum output power of 400 watts
* High flow fan provides efficient cooling for the system and the power supply
* Sleeve Bearing provides increased reliability, air flow and longer life
* Our power supplies are compatible with all leading processors including Pentium 4
* Industry’s leading safety approval ratings
* High quality connectors provide minimal resistance and enhanced electric conductivity
* EMI/RFI power filtration system provides low noise/ripple for super clean and stable power to all system components
* ATX version 2.03 and ATX12V complaint
* Rear power cut off switch
* Quad Protection: Short Circuit Protection, Over Power Protection, Over Voltage Protection and No Load Protection

If I could get some feedback that would be great.
 
overclock said:
http://www.startech.com/ststore/ItemDetail.cfm?ProductID=ATXPOWER400&tab=b&mt=

Current
+5.0V 40
-5.0V (standby) 1
+12.0V 18
-12.0V 1
+3.3V 30
+5.0V (standby) 2.5

For a short-term it might work. But why short-term solution? Just buy what you need/want and be happy. Don't waste money on junk just to get by.
Click to expand...


I agree...machine may be down for a while, but we want quality not quantity when it comes to a power supply...

You should look for something similar to this:
+3.3V = 28A
+5.0V = 30A
+12.0V = 20A+
+5VSB = 2A

These are the power supplies I recommend the most.
Tagan / Epower TG-380, TG480, EP-450XP-C1B
Antec True380, True430, SL400, SL450

I have the true 430 and it runs like a champ for me...

MD
 
My friend had a spare 400W Antec PSU laying around and I hooked it up and bam the system started right up.

He said I can borrow this for awhile until I decide what new PSU I'll purchase. I think I'll be getting an AntecTrue as you've recommended MD_Willington.

Thanks for the help everyone, it was much appreciated.
 
I'd shop through the list, I know the Antecs can be spendy and a good deal on the Epower/Tagans comes along...

I lucked out with my True 430...bought it in a tower that housed a K6-2-333...for $10USD...can't beat that I guess.

Good Luck

MD
 
I'd put a wager that your hard drive is failing or has a bunch of bad sectors.
 
dwai said:
I'd put a wager that your hard drive is failing or has a bunch of bad sectors.
Click to expand...

Why do you say this? System seems fine now that I've got a new PSU, should I be worried about my HDs? Their very new (less than 6 months) and I hadn't thought about that.
 
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