Problem w/ turning on pc

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blade12

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 29, 2005
Messages
346
Hey, I was wondering if somebody could help with a computer problem that is making me frustrated..

Before I explain what happens, here are my specs:
PNY 8800GT 512mb,
Gigabyte EP-43 DS3L,
Intel Pentium dual core E2200,
Windows XP SP2,
Samsung SyncMaster 2232BW,
GSkill F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ ram,
Enermax Liberty 500W PSU. (if you need any other specs, let me know).

My old PNY 8800gt stopped working back in December so I sent it in for warranty. I will quickly explain what happened to the older videocard: when the videocard was in, computer would only work in safemode. If I tried going into normal windows xp mode, the xp bars would load through and it would try going to the blue screen when you select login and type in password. Before that screen loaded, the monitor would stop receiving signal and started to blink.. I was able to uninstall drivers, etc. It worked fine without drivers. As soon as I installed the nvidia drivers, the monitor would start blinking again. Finally, I decided to try my old 6800GS, which worked fine without a problem.
I still decided to use the PNY warranty (here is the other thread that mentions the problem is slightly more depth if it makes any difference: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1474362 ). Anyways, I just got a replacement videocard (8800GT) today about 2 hours ago. I popped it in and computer loaded up fine. I installed the latest drivers (196.31 or something) and it asked me to restart pc. I go ahead and restart computer.
The next thing I know, computer freezes at the first screen (where it tells you the company, name and other information of the videocard itself). After many tries at restarting, I was finally able to go to the next screen where it shows a logo and has different options on the bottom (one of the options says to enter into BIOS). I enter bios and notice that all of the settings have reset in bios. I go through and put the settings back to the way they were and then restart computer through "Save and exit" option in bios. Computer restarts but it freezes again on the videocard screen. I restart manually a couple more times, and after a few tries, it goes to the logo screen. I went into bios again and select "Load optimized defaults."
After that, I check to see whether it has changed any of the settings. The first tab/option that I go into, the entire bios just freezes, forcing me to hard-boot. When I go to hardboot, nothing happens. I just notice the fans start to spin, moves about a couple millimeters before the fan stops moving. I notice a small spark near where the RAM is supposed to be. I have a link to a picture of the motherboard (The spark happens where it says "Phase 1, 2, 3, 4" directly in between where the ram is supposed to be. You should be able to see where it says Phase). I am not sure if it is supposed to spark there or not..

http://www.overclockers.com.ua/moth...intel-dp43tf/03-gigabyte-ga-ep43-ds3l-big.jpg

The few things I tried:
1) changing to other videocard that I had been using (6800GS); no effect. Fans start to spin, there is a little spark, nothing else..

2) tried running computer with all of the wires unplugged with just the monitor wire and PSU power wire. While trying that, I took 1 of the 2 ram sticks out, unplugged all the harddrives and dvd-burner. Only thing plugged in was the videocard, motherboard, cpu, 1 ram stick, psu obviously and that's it. I tried the new replacement videocard too. Fan starts to spin but only moves about 2mm but it just stops. If I try to hit power button again, nothing happens at all. The only way to see the fan move about 2mm is by turning off the main PSU switch behind it off and then hitting the power button.

I doubt that both videocard are dead... I also tried the single ram stick in a different RAM socket, did not help. My guess is that it could be the powersupply, but I don't know. Any ideas on what I should try next? Thx!
 
Try another motherboard.
Try every part (as possible) in another PC to verify that each individual part is working.
 
update:
Tried Back to basics barebone from the Basic Troubleshooting Guide sticky thread. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1349426

I pulled the mobo out and tried with just cpu/psu/ram/mobo/gpu/monitor connected. Tried everything from steps 1 to 8 (around there). I tried both my old 6800GS and new 8800GT. Both led to same problem so I tried step 8 without any videocard. Voila, the cpu fan starts spinning and I heard a long beep that has something to do with videocard. I connect the videocard again and same problem..

After that, it led me to conclude that it is either the videocard or the psu. I tried an older videocard that does not require any 6 or 4-pin PSU wire at all. Voila, computer does a normal single beep (which means everything is performing fine). Everything shows up on monitor.

The issue is whether it is powersupply or whether 2 of the videocards that require 4-pin or 6-pin psu connector are both dead or something.. I don't think it can be the motherboard. Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
blade12 said:
After that, it led me to conclude that it is either the videocard or the psu. I tried an older videocard that does not require any 6 or 4-pin PSU wire at all. Voila, computer does a normal single beep (which means everything is performing fine). Everything shows up on monitor.

The issue is whether it is powersupply or whether 2 of the videocards that require 4-pin or 6-pin psu connector are both dead or something.. I don't think it can be the motherboard. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Try another PSU.
 
Danny Bui said:
Try another PSU.
Click to expand...

I think I figured out what I did wrong partially; had the videocard molex plug in wrong psu socket. I decided to switch the 6-pin molex connector on the powersupply to the red socket.

Here's a picture of the psu (the 6-pin molex connector was in the black socket so I switched it to the red one, which is where the videocard is supposed to go):
http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/computopia/img10472220852.jpeg

Anyways, the computer turns on now and seems to be able to get the power flowing everywhere so the second problem I mentioned in my OP has been solved. Unfortunately, the original problem started up from my OP: ("The next thing I know, computer freezes at the first screen (where it tells you the company, name and other information of the videocard itself). After many tries at restarting, I was finally able to go to the next screen where it shows a logo and has different options on the bottom (one of the options says to enter into BIOS).")

When the computer turns on, it freezes at that screen a lot. The screen looks a little bit like this if you are unsure:
mobob0wr.jpg


Anyways, that is where it freezes a lot of times. When it does go past that screen (sometimes after multiple manual reboots), it seems to load normally into windows.

Tomorrow, I am going to try my old 6800GS again instead of this new 8800gt to see if that solves this problem. If it does, then it means the problem is in the 8800GT that I got back from PNY as a replacement product... Dang, it looks almost brand new or refurbished as well. This bothers me.. Went through about 2 hours of hassle... Do you still think it can be the powersupply? When I try the other 6800GS tomorrow, I will post again to see what the results are.

Thanks for the help thus far!
 
Alright, the 6800GS worked fine when I tried it. I also tried another powersupply (Antec Earthwatts), and the 8800GT would lead to the same problem with freezing at the video bios screen. I tried it about 10 times with the Antec PSU, and it was able to POST past that video bios screen approx 4 times out of 10 (this is without the harddrives and dvd-burner connected at all). I connected the 6800GS (also connected another 8600GT I believe from another computer, which worked)..

My personal guess is that the problem is the replacement videocard. I seriously wonder if PNY tests these videocards before using them for RMAs... Makes me mad that such an issue pops up on the original 8800GT AND the replacement.. Cost around 9 bucks to ship the original one for RMA. :mad: :mad: :(

Any other ideas on what (if anything) I could try next??
 
Just to be clear:

- You've tried two separate video cards with both the Enermax and Antec PSUs?
- And both those cards work and boot just fine with either PSU, correct?
- You've tried the 8800GT with the Antec PSU and it did not work well, correct?
- Did you try the 8800GT in another PC?
 
Danny Bui said:
Just to be clear:

- You've tried two separate video cards with both the Enermax and Antec PSUs?
- And both those cards work and boot just fine with either PSU, correct?
- You've tried the 8800GT with the Antec PSU and it did not work well, correct?
- Did you try the 8800GT in another PC?
Click to expand...

1) Correct. 6800GS and 8600GT both worked with Enermax/Antec PSU while the replacement 8800GT did not work with both (well, it works about 4 or 5 times out of 10 tries).
2) Answered in #1
3) Yes
4) I tried 8800GT in another pc, but the issue is that the psu in that other pc is some generic one so it is hardly a reliable computer to test on. When I tried it on that pc, there was no signal reaching monitor, but again, it is not a reliable pc to test on. Unfortunately, I don't have any other computer to test the 8800GT on outside of mine and that other one.

I would think that the 4th one wouldn't be a big deal since I tried different parts in my current pc. Tried the main things such as different psu and single ram stick in different slots, different videocards. out of 3 videocards, only 1 doesn't work and it is a constant between 2 PSUs. If it was the motherboard or CPU, I would think the problem would remain with all 3 videocards. As a matter of fact, I have been on this 6800GS card since I made that original post 4 hours ago.
 
Update:

I think I may have solved it. Updated the Bios (for some reason, the bios had reverted back to the one that came with the motherboard - possibly backup bios). It HAD to have happened when I pulled the motherboard out and tried different experiments with it to get the videocard to work. Anyways, so far the computer has been stable. I am going to see how it works out for a few days. ;)
 
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