Please dont be a video card problem

[aLawLz187]

ahhhh! i seem to have the worst luck with computers uhhh. Here is my NEW problem:

Everything was working fine in my computer until about 12 PM or so last night when my computer started to randomly freeze, but after waiting for awhile the computer unfroze and continued working. this happened 3 times but on the third time after it unfroze it was a whole screen of artifacts and corruption. at the time i was looking at sports articles online so there was very little stress on the card. i restarted the computer and everything booted up except my monitor did not turn on. I checked all the connections, made sure every fan was spinning, and checked to see if i had good airflow around my video card [i have 2 fans positioned near my video card because i am using a different case until i get my normal case/psu back from NewEgg.] Everything looked in place. I tried to turn my computer on again, everything spins up but my monitor stays in the same state of yellow idle led shining.

I have had a problem like this that was the result of a burnt psu. Could this happen to be the same problem. Also what possible damage could occur to my card and would it result in having to RMA my video card again [uhhhh]

The Powersupply i got from compusa [although its not ideal it sufficed for the time being or so i hoped] is a "MadDog SurePower 450W Power Supply" here are the specifications:

Input Voltage: 100~120Vac / 200~240Vac (select switch)
Input Frequency: 47hz~63hz
Input Current: 8.8 / 5.0 Amps
Hold-up Time: >16ms
Peak Power: 500 Watts, ATX Logic On-Off Power Rocker Switch
Normal Power: 450 Warrs
P.G. Signal: 100 ~ 500 ms
Over Voltage Protection: +12V Trip Point <+15.6V
+5V Trip Point <+6.8V
+3.3V Trip Point <4.5V
Cooling: 2 80mm Fans, 1 92mm Fan
Noise: who cares
Dimension: same as above
Weight: 5.5lbs [weight can be a sign of quality right?]
connectors: yea ok
safety: UL, CE, FCC, CSA and TUV

Video card is a brand new 9600pro that ATI sent me back... seems weird if it is a power problem because the 9600 doesnt draw much power, and has no molex connector?

Thanks for any help you can give me
-Lawler

P.S. dont yell at me if you think this should be in the powersupply forum, its just that it concerns my video card and it failing to produce any output to my monitor, and because this forum is more popular than the power forum

Plus the power supply was only 30 bucks [after like 60 bucks in rebates] compared to my video card being worth 200 when i bought it]

Edit: I really, REALLY dont want to break it to my parents that i have anotherrrrrrrr problem, i think im just going to stick to manufacturer computers from now on because the amount of problems i have had with this system is phenomenal.

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ | MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum | 1gb Kingston HyperX PC4000 [2x512] | ATI 9600 Pro [upgrade soon] | Sound Blaster Audigy LS | Samsung 120gb hd<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by alawlz187 on 12/05/04 12:24 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[aLawLz187]

Update: I tried putting in a borrowed MX440 and it also did not work one bit, yay for yellow LEDs! Now a new problem arises... could it be a problem with the mobo sending power from the 20pin to the video card? plausible? I also checked the 20 pin and 4 pic connectors, unlike my other powersupply i had to send back this one has no evident burning or discoloring of the pins. any idea what went haywire?

-Lawler

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ | MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum | 1gb Kingston HyperX PC4000 [2x512] | ATI 9600 Pro [upgrade soon] | Sound Blaster Audigy LS | Samsung 120gb hd

 

[Nitrom]

Ohhh...the amount of problems one can have because of a bad quality power supply and there is no way to tell if the PSU is the culprit. Most PSU's sold in the market are so way overrated by the manufacturer that it has become a very serious problem.


This doesn't necesarily mean your problem is psu related but it looks like it.

How much did you pay for your psu ?

Get into this link and get iluminated about psu's

You may also have a driver issue.

Do you have a way to tell the actual operating temperature of your CPU amd video cards?

Checks all those things for starters.

 

[Nitrom]

sorry...I didn't send you the link...here it goes:

http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20021021/index.html

(also...the brand of your PSU is not in the safe list of TH reviews neither in my list)

 

[aLawLz187]

I paid 29.99 after mail in rebate [originially $90.00]

I doubt it is a driver issue because i had been using the Omega 4.12b's and they were very stable.

No idea about operating temperatures, i did not install any temperature monitoring programs that came with my mobo after i reinstalled windows. I did feel the memory modules on the video card, video card hsf, and the processor hsf. the memory modules were quite cool, the video card's hsf gave off no heat [i dont know if thats because of the fans i have near the video card or if its because it looks like its made of plastic and quite small lol. and the processor hsf was warm but not hot so i believe it was well within the operatable threshold.

As for the brand, Its sold mostly at CompUSA, i believe that Mad Dog is more of a company that sells other companies products for cheaper than those companies sell them, i.e. my friend bought a Mad Dog powersupply there that looked exactly like a thermaltake 550 watt psu... open the box and its a thermaltake powersupply. i have no idea who really made this powersupply.

i am most likely going to try to get a replacement for it today so i can use my computer, if my mom comes home with in the next few hours, ive already pestered my dad enough with my problems . i will probably first go to a different store and get them to test my computer for some stuff.

Thanks
-Lawler

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ | MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum | 1gb Kingston HyperX PC4000 [2x512] | ATI 9600 Pro [upgrade soon] | Sound Blaster Audigy LS | Samsung 120gb hd

 

[addiarmadar]

Make sure when you go from 9600 to mx440 that you have the correct AGP max bus set for that card, something is telling me that the mx440 is 4x and no 8x.

Tried plugging that 9600 card into another machine to see if you get the proper posting? My spider senses are telling this is a mobo issue.

<i><font color=red>Only an overclocker can make a computer into a convectional oven.</i></font color=red>

 

[addiarmadar]

Oh yeah flashed the CMOS yet?

<i><font color=red>Only an overclocker can make a computer into a convectional oven.</i></font color=red>

 

[aLawLz187]

Oddly enough... i have no idea what went wrong. I decided to take it to a PCW today and the guy plugged it in and it worked. didnt boot into windows but it worked, took it home and reinstalled windows and everything works fine. Very, very, very odd.

-lawler

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ | MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum | 1gb Kingston HyperX PC4000 [2x512] | ATI 9600 Pro [upgrade soon] | Sound Blaster Audigy LS | Samsung 120gb hd