New build glitch.......please enlighten me.

[mizlplix]

Hey everyone! OK, this is a new build-all new stuff.

Windows XP Pro loaded fine. All graphics drivers -fine. Everything-fine. It ran about 4 hours in 2-2hr sessions loading things.

THEN while sitting idle at desktop, the screen "tiled" out. That is that it took one small piece and dupes the whole screen with it. It was very pretty, and looked like a really nice shirt design.

Press button to shut down, press button to reboot. 35 seconds after the windows logo.....it "tiles" out again. When I checked in the setup, the 12V power was at 11.22

Lets add to this. I turned it back on for the third time and "zzzap", sparks from the PSU. (A 600W PSU) A little condenser burned out.

SO, I bought a 700W PSU. Installed it and it still boots to desktop, but 25 seconds later it "tiles" out and must be powered off to shut down. The 12V power is at 12.01 now.

OK, I opened up the case and placed a giant desk fan right on the MoBo.

I can boot into setup and stay there for hours with little or no problems. But 35 seconds after the windows logo, same deal. It also does it in safe mode.........

The CPU Temp shows to be 45 Deg. at idle.

Tried 1 graphics card, then the other....same deal.
Tried 1 DDR400 at a time...same deal.

I finally got a "windows has detected system instability" message. It sez the graphics driver is at fault.

Any ideas?

Opteron 170
ASUS A8N SLI Premium
2GB DDR400
4-32GB Raptors in RAID 0
1- 250GB WD slowpoke for storage
2-ASUS 6800GT 256 in SLI mode
700W PSU -SLI-SATA compliant.

 

[jaguarskx]

I would have to say that you got a defect motherboard. You switched out the GPU, and you played around with your RAM and you still got the same results. While a defective GPU may blow your PSU, defective RAM almost certainly will not.

Get an RMA for that mobo and either get another Asus A8N SLI Premium or some other board.

 

[cisco]

I would say it probably is some type of short on the motherboard. You could try pluging your computer plug into a different wall socket than the rest of your components just to make sure it is getting enough juice to begin with. But that is just a try if for the heck of it before you RMA the board.

 

[mizlplix]

It's certainly looking like the MoBo is at fault. It is just that the "WINDOWS graphic driver" fault message had me for a while. I was hoping it was that easy.

It does it even when I boot solely from my windows disk too, so I couldnt even wipe my disks and start over.

Any suggestions of maybe a different or better MoBo? I am heavy into online gaming.

Thanks guys. (I really mean it) MPX

 

[cmptrdude79]

The A8N-SLI Premium is generally considered to be a good board,and I haven't heard a lot of complaints of issues with it. That being said, for overclockability and general stability, DFI has a great reputation. You might look at this board:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136158

DFI's LanParty UT SLI Edition. Runs $171 after shipping. Good luck.

-J

 

[mizlplix]

It's up!

THANKS to those who replied or just read it and scratched their head.....(haha)

It seems that when the PSU zapped, it did something to the Bios and the RAID array. It could not cope with the VGA comming online at all.

I reflashed my bios and started over and formatted, partitioned, loaded RAID drivers and the XP PRO operating system.

I read on the ASUS website that if it will POST completely, it is not a MoBo flaw, but a software one.

That one clue got me suspecting the BIOS and RAID were corrupted slightly.

I'm a happy camper now. MPX

 

[mdd1963]

"That one clue got me suspecting the BIOS and RAID were corrupted slightly.
"

I guess that makes sense, because if anyone is suceptible to minor glitches and corruption issues, ....it would be those using RAID "0" with 4 drives! (4 times more likely than those using single drive)

 

[shadowduck]

"That one clue got me suspecting the BIOS and RAID were corrupted slightly.
"

I guess that makes sense, because if anyone is suceptible to minor glitches and corruption issues, ....it would be those using RAID "0" with 4 drives! (4 times more likely than those using single drive)

I really hope the OP don't have a drive failure. With four drives in RAID 0, if any drive (or the RAID controller) fails that will be quite painful.