I am a Computer Technician / Network Administrator (11 years experience). I recently purchased some new upgrades for my home computer system. Among my new purchases was a Soyo KT400 Dragon Ultra (Platinum Edition) motherboard. I also purchased some Ultra(brand) memory (512MB DDR 400MHz Module (2-Pack)) and a new AMD XP 2800+ cpu. I bought 2 of each piece of hardware (building 2 systems..one for me - one for a friend).
We set up the first system and it runs beautifully, save for some problems with RAM speed (see below).
When I set things so the system sees the CPU as a 2800+, the memory only shows up as 333mhz. When I set the BIOS so the system see the memory as 400mhz, the CPU only gets recognized as a 1.7gig chip. I emailed Ultra and got some good info on that. Apparently because of some limitations with the KT400 chipset coupled with the Barton-core cpu I bought, the system will only run the ram as 333mhz when the cpu is set to run as a 2800...OK.
The first system was set up about a month ago (late Jan 04). I started setting up the second system in late Feb 04. Here is where the real problems started.
I am loading Win XP Pro. After jumpering the harddrive correctly, I booted from the XP cd - or attempted too. I kept getting a TRAP ERROR. Ok, so I go to the Microsoft site and check out the error....nothing there was applicable to what I was doing. I figured, maybe I got some bad ram. So I took the stick of ram from the first (fully operational system) and tried again...same error. I even tried a different XP CD..no dice.
Ok, so I think "It's not a RAM issue". So I changed out the CPU and tried again...no luck same problem. I changed out the video...same problem....changed out the CD drive..again, same problem....
At this point I have pulled out all my hair.
I called Soyo and talked to their tech support folks. They tell me "It's a RAM issue. Ultra RAM is 'cheap' RAM and the motherboard is having troubles with it. We get lots of called from folks with Ultra Ram." Ok, even though I have a good operational system running the exact same stick of RAM, I go out and buy a 512mb stick of Infineon Ram (Good Ram - tested, etc).
Ok, so this at least lets me boot the system and get XP loaded, but it very unstable. I get constant crashes "Hardware failure. Contact you hardware manufacturer" - this is a blue screen I haven't seen before...
Anyway, I decided "I need to get the first system back up and running", so we put everything back together and now HIS system doesn't run. To make a long long story short, I took HIS CPU out of my system and put it back into his computer....and it's good again. So *now* I'm thinking "Ok, it's a CPU issue"...except it was unstanble with HIS CPU in it and with MY CPU in it.
Get *this*...my system doesn't like my VGA card (Geforce2MX400 64meg). His system runs it fine. My system WILL, however, run with his old ATI 3d Rage Pro 2000 32 Meg vga card.
So, I'm stumped. His system is up and running fine (with 1 gig of Ultra RAM). My computer boots and runs with the Infineon ram, but it's so unstable it not useable.
I'm calling SOYO today, but any help I can get from this forum is MUCH appreciate.
Right now I'm thinking I have a COUPLE of problems...Bad CPU *AND* bad MoBo....but I'm just not sure...
<font color=red>
<b>HEEELLLLLPPP!</b>
</font color=red>
Thanks in advance,
Tom Clymer
We set up the first system and it runs beautifully, save for some problems with RAM speed (see below).
When I set things so the system sees the CPU as a 2800+, the memory only shows up as 333mhz. When I set the BIOS so the system see the memory as 400mhz, the CPU only gets recognized as a 1.7gig chip. I emailed Ultra and got some good info on that. Apparently because of some limitations with the KT400 chipset coupled with the Barton-core cpu I bought, the system will only run the ram as 333mhz when the cpu is set to run as a 2800...OK.
The first system was set up about a month ago (late Jan 04). I started setting up the second system in late Feb 04. Here is where the real problems started.
I am loading Win XP Pro. After jumpering the harddrive correctly, I booted from the XP cd - or attempted too. I kept getting a TRAP ERROR. Ok, so I go to the Microsoft site and check out the error....nothing there was applicable to what I was doing. I figured, maybe I got some bad ram. So I took the stick of ram from the first (fully operational system) and tried again...same error. I even tried a different XP CD..no dice.
Ok, so I think "It's not a RAM issue". So I changed out the CPU and tried again...no luck same problem. I changed out the video...same problem....changed out the CD drive..again, same problem....
At this point I have pulled out all my hair.
I called Soyo and talked to their tech support folks. They tell me "It's a RAM issue. Ultra RAM is 'cheap' RAM and the motherboard is having troubles with it. We get lots of called from folks with Ultra Ram." Ok, even though I have a good operational system running the exact same stick of RAM, I go out and buy a 512mb stick of Infineon Ram (Good Ram - tested, etc).
Ok, so this at least lets me boot the system and get XP loaded, but it very unstable. I get constant crashes "Hardware failure. Contact you hardware manufacturer" - this is a blue screen I haven't seen before...
Anyway, I decided "I need to get the first system back up and running", so we put everything back together and now HIS system doesn't run. To make a long long story short, I took HIS CPU out of my system and put it back into his computer....and it's good again. So *now* I'm thinking "Ok, it's a CPU issue"...except it was unstanble with HIS CPU in it and with MY CPU in it.
Get *this*...my system doesn't like my VGA card (Geforce2MX400 64meg). His system runs it fine. My system WILL, however, run with his old ATI 3d Rage Pro 2000 32 Meg vga card.
So, I'm stumped. His system is up and running fine (with 1 gig of Ultra RAM). My computer boots and runs with the Infineon ram, but it's so unstable it not useable.
I'm calling SOYO today, but any help I can get from this forum is MUCH appreciate.
Right now I'm thinking I have a COUPLE of problems...Bad CPU *AND* bad MoBo....but I'm just not sure...
<font color=red>
<b>HEEELLLLLPPP!</b>
</font color=red>
Thanks in advance,
Tom Clymer
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