I need some convincing...

S

Stiletto

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
6,438
So, in the last few weeks, I've noticed some problems with my rig.

1. My DVD burner, all of a sudden, started burning very, very slowly. Takes 20-25 minutes to burn. It's also very slow at reading discs when I put them in, or when starting a program that does a disc check. I swapped out DVD drives with another machine, and it didn't help. Changing the cable didn't help either.

2. About a week or two later, my onboard network port started conking out randomly. I'd be told that the network cable was unplugged. If I disabled and re-enabled it, it would work fine.

3. About a week later, I noticed my X-Fi sound card making shrill noises on the occasional startup. Every sound would sound like alien glass breaking. Restart would fix it.

4. Now, a few days ago, my new video card started randomly showing artifacts in Fallout 3 and having slowdowns...and the next day be fine. ATITool couldn't get a single artifact and the heat was never over 60.

With all this happening at once, because I've got a long couple of work weeks ahead, I would really like someone to convincingly tell me I don't have to replace my goddamn motherboard. :(
 
Try another PSU that can easily handle your system.
 
I've already got an Antec NeoPower 650W. With my setup, I shouldn't be pushing it. One dual core processor, one video card, one sound card, four stick of ram, four hard drives, one dvd burner.
 
What motherboard do you have?

And some tests to run:
[Testing the RAM]
Download Memtest86+ v2.11 or whatever the latest version is, unzip it, burn the ISO file to a CD, and then boot from it, just like you would do with the XP/Vista install CD. Let Memtest+ run for at least three hours on each stick of RAM separately as well as test the RAM all together. Go for a full 24 hours if you want to be completely sure that the RAM is not a problem. If you start seeing errors, than your RAM is defective or you have incorrect settings for the RAM.

[Testing the Hard drive]
Download the CD image of Hitachi Drive Fitness Test, burn the ISO file to a CD, and then boot from it, just like you would do with the XP/Vista install CD. Test the hard drive and see if any problems are found. DFT will run on most manufacturers' hard drives. Alternatively, you can use Seagate's SeaTools for DOS to test a Seagate or Maxtor drive. For a Western Digital drive, you could use Data Lifeguard Tools for DOS to test a Western Digital drive.

[Testing the CPU]
Use Prime 95, OCCT, Orthos or Intel Burn Tool to stress test the CPU.

[Testing the GPU]
Use Furmark or ATI Tool to stress test the GPU. If you see any artifacts, the GPU could be overheating, too overclocked, or faulty.

[Testing the PSU]
Buy and use a digital multi-meter to monitor the voltages coming from the PSU. Follow the instructions for "Using a multi-meter to check voltages":
http://www.bfgpower.com/troubleshooting.html#DMM
 
OS install is about 3 months old.

I've tested the video card with ATITool and Furmark, with no artifacts.

Tested the CPU with Prime for 10 hours, no problems.

I currently have the Gigabyte EP35-DS3R.
 
honestly, 1, 2, and 3 are so common they could all be coincidence. yet the video card too tips it off to a psu or mainboard problem:p
 
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