New build, total lockups

[Mythaga]

Just built the following:

Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale
4 GB Corsair ddr2 RAM
GeForce 8800 GT 512MB RAM
250 GB Seagate SATA II HD
New copy of WinXP Home for clean install
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel mobo
Cooler master 5 case
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU cooler
PC Power and Cooling Silencer 500W PSU
Old CD ROM from Dell 8250

All went beautifully. POST first try, system asked for boot disk, in went the new Win XP Home Edition, installed no problems. I re-locate from the build site (dining room table) to the 'game room' which has surge protector power strip, router and cable modem. I install my old IDE drive, which has Warhammer Online on it (the whole point of building a new system). I get in game, it locks up immediately. Re-try, it locks up while loading after handshaking with the server. Re-try, I manage to get in for about 20 seconds, it's great- then it locks up. No mouse, no drop screen possible, no CTRL ALT Delete to Task Manager. Reset button is only way out, or power Off.

I have tried disabling the WinXP Firewall, reinstalling the video card driver (after uninstalling the old and following the instructs very carefully). I have tried 2 mice, uninstalling and re-installing their drivers. In trying to download various drivers from the internet, in both IE and Firefox, it locks randomly- sometimes 1/3 of the way thru the download, sometimes at 96%, sometimes it makes it all the way to a full download. I've uninstalled Warhammer, and tried to re-install it from DVD disks onto the new SATA II drive- and it locks up one third thru the first disk. I have no software firewall, no anti-virus installed yet. I have bypassed the router, thinking it was a hardware firewall issue.

I don't think it's a heat issue- I can touch everything in the case- the only thing warm is the video card and that's just warm to the touch. A 500W power supply should be able to handle internet downloads and surfing, and three system fans. I've been in the BIOS and enabled the USB mouse option- other than that, haven't touched any settings in there. I am not overclocking anything.

My system is all wired, no wireless anything.

BIOS shows 4 gigs of RAM- altho My Computer shows only 2.50. I knew that 32 bit systems wouldn't show/be able to access all the RAM, but is that right? Out of 4 gigs of RAM you only get use of 2.5??

My first thought was the mouse and video card were fighting for resources, but then it seems like it happens most often when I am trying to download from the internet, or exchange data (gaming). So far, in typing this post, it hasn't locked up. It seems like something is blocking internet packets (??)- but I have no firewalls that I am aware of that I haven't disabled.

Can anyone help me out with something else to try or check? I'm at my wit's end. Help please!

M.

 

[azone]

IT may be a memory problem. I once had a mobo that had a bad memory slot making programs and sometimes the system crash and lock up. The problem was resolved by leaving the slot open. It wasn't the Stick of ram either because I tried putting a known good stick in that slot, but it still had problems.

ALSO trying backing off your timings, and make sure your ram Voltage in BIOS is set same as your product calls for.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Make sure the ram is the right voltage and timings in the bios, Update to newest bios, try one stick at a time and see if it helps, run memtest86 for 8+ hours.

 

[Mythaga]

Thanks to you both for the responses. I don't think it would have occurred to me to check out what you are suggesting...
Not at home right now, so I can't try things, but I did look up the RAM voltage and timing- should be 1.9v for the RAM. I know I saw that in the BIOS that it was at 1.82 or thereabouts. So that's a possible hit right there! I don't remember seeing the timing, but I'm sure it's there somewhere. Should be 5-5-5-18.
The BIOS the mobo came with was advertised as the latest per Newegg- doesn't mean it was, so I will look into making sure I do have the latest (that was an issue complained about by reviewers- I just thought it was resolved).
I'm not sure how to run the memtest86...is that from the Start/Run command line?
And I sure hope it's not the mem slots on the mobo....groan.

Looks like I have some good meaty possibilities to check out tonite. I have hope again! lol
I'll let you know how it goes.
M.

 

[Mythaga]

Apparently it was the BIOS on the motherboard. After checking the timing on the RAM (ok) and the voltage (not ok- was 1.80, should have been 1.9 for the Corsair memory), I went thru flashing the BIOS.
So far so good. Reloaded Warhammer and the patches without a hitch, and it runs so smoothly it's almost giving me motion sickness. I can deal with that.
So far, no lockups.
Thanks again for the great tips.
Now it's off to the Newegg site to warn others that these mobos are still shipping with outdated BIOSs.

M.