A8N-SLI...desperate

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

In January, I bought this system :

ASUS A8N SLI DELUXE
2 X LEADTEK PX6600GT TDH EXTREME VERSION 128MB PCI-EXPRESS GEFORCE
6600GT
ENERMAX 485W PSU
PLEXTOR DVD BLACK PX-130A
COOLERMASTER STACKER
CORSAIR TWINX 2048MB PC3200(2X1024MB)
SEAGATE 200GB 8MB SATA150 7200RPM
PLEXTOR DVDRW ZWART/WIT 16X PX-716A RETAIL
LOGITECH 967464-0123 DINOVO AZERTY MEDIA DESKTOP
WESTERN DIGITAL 74GB 8MB SATA150 10000RPM RAPTOR
AMD ATHLON64 939 3500+ BOXED SOCKET 939

Since the beginning, I'm having troubles with this configuration. After
some time, it always freezes/locks up (mouse/keyboard/screen).
Sometimes after logging in, sometimes after a while, sometimes after an
hour or so...
But I WILL freeze most of the time...

I tried :
- installing Windows XP (SP 2 included) over and over again
- BIOS updates : Now, I'm running the 1007
- BIOS changes : CPU/DRAM settings, PEG, ACPI, ...
- Driver updates (nForce, Forceware(leadtek/nvidia), several versions,
from official to beta)
- installing different memory
- firmware of plextor
- nTune
- looked in eventvwr (nothing strange in there)
- ...

Now I'm getting tired of this, since this all hasn't solved the
problem.
Anyone has some tips for me ? Could it be the PSU ?
Please, please, please,... help me out of this frustration...

Thanks in advance

Jabadoo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

Indead I have connected all necessary cables.
I got another tip about the PX-130A possibly being the reason.
I will try to disconnect this, and if that doesn't help, I 'm going for
the PSU.

Thanks !

Jabadoo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

<steven.heyvaert@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1115130310.259068.23710@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> In January, I bought this system :
>
>
> Now I'm getting tired of this, since this all hasn't solved the
> problem.
> Anyone has some tips for me ? Could it be the PSU ?
> Please, please, please,... help me out of this frustration...
>

A friends system show the exact same symptoms as yours "freezes/locks up
(mouse/keyboard/screen)" and in his case it was his PSU.
I know that ENERMAX 485W is a great PSU with more than enough power for your
system but can you drop another one in just to test if it is faulty?

I know you probably have, but I have to ask.
Are you sure that you have all the correct cables attached to the board
e.g.. the 4 Pin +12v connector, the 24 Pin main power connector and the one
next to the graphics cards because you are running in SLI mode?

 

[Paul]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

In article <1115135962.376606.197900@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>,
"steven.heyvaert@gmail.com" <steven.heyvaert@gmail.com> wrote:

> Indead I have connected all necessary cables.
> I got another tip about the PX-130A possibly being the reason.
> I will try to disconnect this, and if that doesn't help, I 'm going for
> the PSU.
>
> Thanks !
>
> Jabadoo

At the bottom of this page, you'll find some recommended power
supplies.

http://www.slizone.com/content/slizone/build.html

These supplies are rated for high end video cards, and
should work fine with your system. I don't know if the
Turbocool 850 is shipping yet, but the Turbocool 510
series is a proven product (there is a version specifically
for SLI). The Turbocool is actually rated to give 510W at
a higher temperature than your average supply, which means
its real power output is somewhat higher than that. On
the down side, you may find the fan on the Turbocool a bit
louder than what you are used to. It costs a fair chunk of
change as well.

Even the folks at Anandtech did not have a trouble
free experience with SLI motherboards, and they had direct
support from the mobo manufacturers:

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2358&p=20
http://www20.graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20041123/sli-performance-04.html

Tuning up SLI systems is not easy. Many people experience
what you are seeing. A good power supply (from the certified
list) and manual tuning of parameters should help.

Try an Altavista search on: A8N-SLI freeze
to find links in the private forums.

http://www.ocforums.com/archive/index.php/t-364790.html or
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=364790

Benefit of Turbocool family - single +12V output circuit...
instead of two separated outputs, as in +12V1 and +12V2
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/77909585/m/796000398631

HTH,
Paul

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (More info?)

The problem seems to be fixed.
Indead, the PLEXTOR DVD BLACK PX-130A was the problem.
After installing a firmware 1.01 the system runs without
freezing/locking !
I had to search it on the web, since Plextor doesn't have this on its
site.

Thanks for the replies

Jabadoo