Dying motherboard signs?

Sleepy2

Distinguished
Mar 3, 2006
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Problem? Stop errors which Microsoft in their wisdom attributted to GPU drivers. Spontaneous on settling into desktop after a boot or on connecting or using a broadband modem into a PCI (VIA chipset) USB 2.0 adaptor. Also noted after removing the PCI USB 2.0 card but only on the first two boots.

I'm still troubleshooting but after GPU, hard drive, optical drive, USB driver and adaptors and fresh XP loads, I'm left with pc133 ram or motherboard (I'm buying a non VIA chipset PCI USB 2.0 card tomorrow to swap in, currently using on board USB 1.0.

The ram sticks are both legend, both single sided, both worked in isolation previously and both are 256mb. The motherboard has one of the large cylinders (capacitors?) with a bulging end cap and evidence of "leakage" with some bulging also evident towards the base. I'm pretty sure it will be the motherboard but don't know of any testing measures.

Any thoughts or previous experience to share?

Cheers.

Just had a stop error using on board USB 1.0, won't be buying another PCI USB 2.0 card tomorrow!