Hardware Forum / PC Hardware / Overclocking / December 2007
New hardware installed but programs wont run
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zaidm - 12 Dec 2007 01:01 GMT I am a keen gamer and a pharmacist who has just started working and I have ordered parts and tried to build them into a good PC. I am humbly requesting some help from an expert in PC building. I would really appreciate any help. I recently ordered parts to construct a good PC: 1) core 2 quad 2.4ghz... 2) asus geforce 8800 GTS 3) Abit IP35 motherboard 775 PCE16 DDR2 dual channels 800mhz 4) 2x1gb patriot memory modules - all from Aria.co.uk. I also ordered 800w power from them as well. The first time I built the PC up using the above components, the PC would switch on for a couple of seconds, then switch off for four seconds, then switch on by itself (loading and displaying the motherboard logo), then when it looks like its about to load up windows XP a message comes up quickly and then the PC switches off. Jumpers were reset then same process happened all over again. If the jumpers were not reset, the computer would power up exactly as before but with a constant black screen. So, I took apart my PC and rebuilt using the same components again...and the PC powered up similar way as before (except) I managed to load windows xp to desktop, the installed all the relevant drivers for my motherboard, graphics card, sound, etc. without any problems. HOWEVER, when I load up eg. Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and probably any other game, blue screen comes up and PC switches off exactly as before, and I have to do the jumpers and my PC loads up the Windows XP desktop exactly as before (with the switch off then on exactly as before). Again, I would really appreciate any helpful advice you can give me.
RobV - 12 Dec 2007 04:24 GMT > I am a keen gamer and a pharmacist who has just started working and I > have ordered parts and tried to build them into a good PC. I am [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > exactly as before). Again, I would really appreciate any helpful > advice you can give me. I have no idea what the problem may be, but you should also post this on the Abit news group: news:alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.abit
figjam - 12 Dec 2007 08:24 GMT Try re-seating your RAM
Fig
zaidm - 12 Dec 2007 10:08 GMT >Try re-seating your RAM > >Fig re-seating? What do you mean exactly by that? Thank you to all for replies. Appreciate your help figjam, RobV.
I will post this on the abit news group
Paul - 12 Dec 2007 10:42 GMT > I am a keen gamer and a pharmacist who has just started working and I have > ordered parts and tried to build them into a good PC. I am humbly requesting [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > exactly as before (with the switch off then on exactly as before). Again, I > would really appreciate any helpful advice you can give me. The first issue might be fixed easily - the double start can apparently be cured with a BIOS update. (Check the reviews on Newegg.com for your board.) But that is not a priority right now, and more of a cosmetic issue. You can consider fixing that, if it looks like you'll be keeping the motherboard.
There isn't really a fixed list of reasons for why a motherboard can shut off. There are some obvious reasons, and reasons that are on the whim of the motherboard designer.
The ATX PSU has internal protection features, and whether it is a thermal issue, or some other limit condition, like overcurrent, or a stalled fan, the PSU can switch off all on its own. If the supply is well designed, you might note that the supply "latches up". If won't resume operation, until the rear power switch has been flipped off and then on again.
Modern processors have THERMTRIP, and if the processor temperature rises too high, the computer will switch off without warning. I'm not sure here, whether a latchup state is what you'd observe, or some lesser option would restore operation.
If the Vcore on the motherboard detected a fault, that is potentially another reason to switch something off. It would be sufficient to just disable Vcore, leaving the user with a "no POST" condition. But just as easily, the motherboard designer could tie that into the PS_ON# logic, and cause the motherboard to switch off the power supply.
If the CPU fan wasn't connected to the CPU fan header, sometimes a board will switch off in a matter of seconds. In that case, it could be the BIOS has noted a zero RPM reading from the tachometer input from the CPU fan, and based on that, the BIOS has turned the board off.
If there are any messages being displayed, they could be very important, because that implies a more subtle reason for switchoff - something under software control, and not hardware enforced.
The first thing I'd check out, is CPU temps. The BIOS usually has a voltage and temperature monitoring page, and you can check that to see how things are going. On some processors, throttling is at 70C and switch off might be at 90C (or perhaps 80C and 100C), to give you some idea how much headroom the temperatures have. My processor is relatively gutless, and at 100% load, runs at about 43C. So that would be an example of a well cooled CPU. Some of the higher power CPUs (100W to 130W) cannot be cooled that well, even with a large cooler. Maybe seeing 60C would not be out of the question in that case.
One thing that is unclear from your post, is whether Windows was installed fresh on a brand new drive, or whether this disk is a transplant from your old system, something you may have done a "Repair Install" to. But whether that is a red herring or not, really depends on what you can tell us about any message on the computer screen, just before the power goes off.
If the problem is reproducible on demand, you might try pointing a camcorder at the monitor, and record the screen as you enter the power off state. That may allow you to play back the recorded tape, and "freeze frame" on the screen and what it says.
Paul
zaidm - 12 Dec 2007 12:16 GMT >> I am a keen gamer and a pharmacist who has just started working and I have >> ordered parts and tried to build them into a good PC. I am humbly requesting [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > > Paul Paul, thank you very much - I have checked my temp.....for some reason, CPU temperature at bios is 71 degrees C - but I suspect the activation of any graphics card pushes the cpu temp up beyond the 90 degrees C threshold. I dont understand why temp is so high - the CPU stock fan is working but yes... the whole drive just...feels a little hotter than it should be. Had a look at my bro's PC - his CPU temp at bios is 35 degrees C. Specs are similar...only difference is my CPU is Quad 2.4ghz and his is Dual (both intel). Incidentally, i have only tried to re-install windows without formatting the drive. However, I expect that based on my findings above, I dont think it would make much of a difference and that it is a hardware problem where I just cannot get the temperature down.
Zaidm
Paul - 12 Dec 2007 13:23 GMT >>> I am a keen gamer and a pharmacist who has just started working and I have >>> ordered parts and tried to build them into a good PC. I am humbly requesting [quoted text clipped - 72 lines] > > Zaidm There are two steppings of Q6600. The B3 stepping draws 10 watts more than the G0. The G0 is the "good" stepping, but a lot of places sell B3's. The Q6600 is also known to run pretty warm, and in some cases, a better cooler than the Intel one, is required. Check the SLxxx code printed on the label of the box that the processor came in. SL9UM is a B3.
http://processorfinder.intel.com/List.aspx?ProcFam=2774&sSpec=&OrdCode=
Reducing the Vcore voltage, could cool off the processor a little bit. But that can affect stability. That is one way to make a processor run cooler, without buying another heatsink.
The Zalman 9700NT is an example of a cooler with a theta_R of 0.12C/W when the fan runs at full speed. If the computer case air temperature was 35C, the processor was drawing 105W while a game was being played, then the expected processor temperature would be 35 + (0.12C/W * 105W) = 47.6C. To work that well, the computer case must have a good exhaust fan, to move the hot air away from the CPU. There are many other coolers that have merit, and I suggest looking around for theta_R values and evidence that the cooler can easily be fitted to an LGA775 socket. Some coolers are quite big, and are difficult to fit to the motherboard.
http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=231&code=009 http://www.crazypc.com/products/50992.html (theta_R listed here)
There are a few coolers compared here. http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/tuniq-tower120_8.html http://www.joker.si/article.php?rubrika=3&articleid=2131&page=15
If a backing plate is required, sometimes there are problems caused by what is on the back of the motherboard.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/mainboards/display/dfi-lp-utnf680i-lt_5.html
Paul
zaidm - 12 Dec 2007 14:08 GMT >>>> I am a keen gamer and a pharmacist who has just started working and I have >>>> ordered parts and tried to build them into a good PC. I am humbly requesting [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Paul Thanks a lot mate - appreciate all your help - now gonna look for the coolers
zaidm - 12 Dec 2007 14:26 GMT >>>> I am a keen gamer and a pharmacist who has just started working and I have >>>> ordered parts and tried to build them into a good PC. I am humbly requesting [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Paul Hi again - yeah, i just found my quad cpu is SLACR - what does that mean? Im not even close to having as much experience on this as anyone else in this forum, so plz forgive me if i ask too many questions.
Paul - 12 Dec 2007 18:11 GMT > Hi again - yeah, i just found my quad cpu is SLACR - what does that mean? Im > not even close to having as much experience on this as anyone else in this > forum, so plz forgive me if i ask too many questions. SLACR is a G0 stepping processor, with a thermal (TDP) rating of 95 watts. So it isn't the worst of the two. It just means, when doing the arithmetic in my sample equation, that the power number should be 95 watts. I thought if, maybe, you had a B3, that would help account for the high temperatures. If I had to guess, I'd say maybe a push pin wasn't fully seated, or the area making contact between the heatsink and the processor was not very good.
(Movie on how to install LGA775 here) http://cache-www.intel.com/cd/00/00/24/12/241209_241209.wmv
Some processor/heatsink combinations, don't fit well together. The heatsink might not be flat. Sometimes, if you're using thermal paste, instead of the retail TIM applied to the heatsink, you can see a pattern in the thermal paste, that tells you the thing is fitting crooked. If that is the case, switching from the Intel provided thermal interface material, to some Arctic Silver or Arctic Ceramique, could make a difference for you. It really depends on exactly how bad the fit is.
Paul
zaidm - 13 Dec 2007 00:06 GMT >> Hi again - yeah, i just found my quad cpu is SLACR - what does that mean? Im >> not even close to having as much experience on this as anyone else in this [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Paul Thanks again, Paul. How about Arctic Cooling CPU cooler? It has 0.17 C/W thermal resistance. Any good? Also, I found and worked out my current Intel fan has thermal resistance of 0.378 C/W - is this correct based on the spec values?
Howard Goldstein - 13 Dec 2007 01:45 GMT : How about Arctic Cooling CPU cooler? It has 0.17 C/W thermal resistance. Any : good? Also, I found and worked out my current Intel fan has thermal : resistance of 0.378 C/W - is this correct based on the spec values?
My SLACR saturated that cooler quickly under load. The fin spacing is narrow and the push pins are dodgy. I was disappointed. If you'd still like to purchase one you can have mine cheap, email in my reply-to.
Paul - 13 Dec 2007 04:24 GMT >>> Hi again - yeah, i just found my quad cpu is SLACR - what does that mean? Im >>> not even close to having as much experience on this as anyone else in this [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > good? Also, I found and worked out my current Intel fan has thermal > resistance of 0.378 C/W - is this correct based on the spec values? If you know the theta_R, then you can work out what the CPU temp will be. Or, reviews on a site like Newegg, may tell you whether the purchaser was happy with the choice or not (user feedback will tell you if there is a problem with unit to unit variation in theta_R).
There have been some Intel coolers in the past, around the 0.33 or so mark, so your determination might not be that far off the mark. The size of a heatsink, and whether it uses heatpipes, helps determine whether it'll do a good job or not. The heatpipes make better use of the available fin area (heat doesn't like to flow through the fin, and transporting the heat with a heatpipe, into the fin, helps.) That is why, when you make a 35mmx35mm Northbridge cooler, taller and taller, the improvement starts to taper off as the fins get taller - the heat cannot effectively flow to the very end of the fin.
Paul
zaidm - 13 Dec 2007 13:49 GMT >>>> Hi again - yeah, i just found my quad cpu is SLACR - what does that mean? Im >>>> not even close to having as much experience on this as anyone else in this [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Paul Thanks for that. My heatsink may be inadequate but the fan itself i notice turns an average of 1700-1800 rpms. Also, are there any coolers for Q6600 LGA775 which are better than the arctic one?
Paul - 13 Dec 2007 14:15 GMT >>>>> Hi again - yeah, i just found my quad cpu is SLACR - what does that mean? Im >>>>> not even close to having as much experience on this as anyone else in this [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > Also, are there any coolers for Q6600 LGA775 which are better than the arctic > one? Selection, is a matter of balancing ease of installation, with performance. Yes, the Tuniq Tower 120 is big, and has good numbers, as you can see here. But check user comments for how easy it is to install.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/tuniq-tower120_8.html http://www.joker.si/article.php?rubrika=3&articleid=2131&page=15
Shopping for a cooler, does require reading a few review articles. And the comments at Newegg can help you decide as well.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001
"Cons: Pain to install. Trying to screw down to the back plate was very hard on my 775 mobo. the spring on the screw is way to stiff and you have to push down really really hard for the screw to catch the threads on the back support plate. May be the threads on the support plate was not precise. Anyway, the screw catches the back plate and tighten up in just 1/2 turn.
Other Thoughts: Install this cooler before putting the mobo into the case."
HTH, Paul
zaidm - 13 Dec 2007 16:21 GMT >>>>>> Hi again - yeah, i just found my quad cpu is SLACR - what does that mean? Im >>>>>> not even close to having as much experience on this as anyone else in this [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >HTH, > Paul Thanks again for that. I'll look into this Tuniq tower 120 - I pray installation of this cooler wont be very hard for me...but I'll prepare to make adjustments if and when I need them. Thanks again, Paul
zaidm - 13 Dec 2007 16:40 GMT >>>>>> Hi again - yeah, i just found my quad cpu is SLACR - what does that mean? Im >>>>>> not even close to having as much experience on this as anyone else in this [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >HTH, > Paul One more question, Paul, is the Zalman CNPS9500LED compatible with the SLACR Q6600 core 2 quad processor, bearing in mind the LGA775? Thanks in advanced
~misfit~ - 14 Dec 2007 00:23 GMT Somewhere on teh interweb zaidm via HWKB.com typed:
> One more question, Paul, is the Zalman CNPS9500LED compatible with > the SLACR Q6600 core 2 quad processor, bearing in mind the LGA775? > Thanks in advanced Dude! There's this new thing called "Google". It's what half of us use to answer questions that people like you post.
Try taking out the middle-man and using it yourself. Put "CNPS9500LED" and "Q6600" into Goo and spend some time checking out the results. You can even add words to your search string like "temps" and "review".
 Signature Shaun.
"Light a fire for a man and he's warm for a day. Set fire to a man and he's warm for the rest of his life"
zaidm - 14 Dec 2007 02:19 GMT >Somewhere on teh interweb zaidm via HWKB.com typed: > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >"Q6600" into Goo and spend some time checking out the results. You can even >add words to your search string like "temps" and "review". Haha, chillax man - did that around 2 hours before you posted - in fact CNPS9500 (A) LED is compatible with my processor......thank you kindly for the thread everybody. Take care guys, misfit.
Paul - 14 Dec 2007 04:17 GMT >> Somewhere on teh interweb zaidm via HWKB.com typed: >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > CNPS9500 (A) LED is compatible with my processor......thank you kindly for > the thread everybody. Take care guys, misfit. There is a difference between CNPS9500 and the 9700NT. The 9700NT has a four pin fan connector, while AFAIK, the CNPS9500 has a three pin connector.
The difference is, the four pin fan header includes the "PWM" pin. On some motherboards, the motherboard can control fan speed via that pin. If you want that kind of fan control, then perhaps the four pin equipped cooler would be better. (The Intel retail fan uses a four pin connector.)
You can use a three pin fan, on a four pin connector. There is no harm that way. The PWM pin remains unconnected to anything, which is fine.
I run my CNPS7000 at full speed, so fan speed is not an issue for me. I have no interest in a fan that ramps up and down all the time. I like fixed fan speeds, as that is less distracting.
Instead of using PWM, you can also use a device like the Zalman Fanmate II to set the fan speed. I use that for some of my other fans. It wouldn't generally be a good idea, to mix usage of the Fanmate and PWM at the same time (Intel, at least, mentions that a full 12V must be applied to the fan, if using the PWM signal for fan control).
I hope that isn't too confusing.
Paul
zaidm - 14 Dec 2007 13:24 GMT >>> Somewhere on teh interweb zaidm via HWKB.com typed: >>> [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Paul Hi Paul, I have actually settled for the 9500ALED, which is great (and I knew for certain that it is comptaible with my hardware - wasnt aware of any three- pins being compatible) and I think comes with its own fan mate. I also would like to attain fixed full speeds with my fan, and noise is not an issue for me. How would I be able to deactivate the PWM signal if I had a fan mate, yet still wanted to use the pin? Thanks in advance.
Paul - 14 Dec 2007 17:05 GMT > Hi Paul, I have actually settled for the 9500ALED, which is great (and I knew > for certain that it is comptaible with my hardware - wasnt aware of any three- [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > still wanted to use the pin? > Thanks in advance. You should be able to deactivate the PWM feature, in the BIOS. It depends on what it is called. On an Asus board, fan control is called Q-Fan.
I suppose the hardware would also be accessible by Speedfan, so even if a BIOS setting disabled something like that, it is possible an application at the OS level, could still control it.
There is another way to power a CPU fan. This item illustrates the concept. There are three connectors.
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/12-119-149-01.jpg
The 1x4 Molex, is a source of +12V and ground. It connects to the 1x3 male on the right.
The yellow wire is the tachometer signal. The yellow wire goes to the female in the middle. By connecting the female to the motherboard CPU header, the motherboard gets a tachometer (RPM) signal, and that will prevent the BIOS from becoming upset because there is no RPM signal.
The three pin male on the right, would connect to the Fanmate, and from the Fanmate, you connect to the fan. Depending on what is on the end of the Fanmate for a connector, there might still be an issue. That Startech cable is expecting the fan to have a three pin connector, and the plastic shell is meant to prevent an accident if the right most connector were to fall onto the motherboard. The plastic shell prevents the 12V pin from touching something. So that adapter cable won't solve all problems, but it does illustrate the concept of delivering the RPM signal (yellow) to the motherboard's CPU fan header, to prevent problems.
I have a local electronics store, that happens to have some kits so I can put fan connectors on the ends of wires. In some cases, I'd had to make my own cabling. All part of the fun...
Paul
zaidm - 15 Dec 2007 00:59 GMT >> Hi Paul, I have actually settled for the 9500ALED, which is great (and I knew >> for certain that it is comptaible with my hardware - wasnt aware of any three- [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > Paul Thanks again Paul - I think I'll deactivate the signal and let the fan mate regulate the fan speed or I may keep it fixed at 2600 rpms. I'll also have a look at the three-pin concept in the link you sent me..but hopefully installation of the fan wont be too difficult when i finally get it. Microdirect decided to delay their dispatch of the fan so i have to wait longer. Thanks again for your help.
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