Weird problem -- requesting assistance!

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Xylo

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 5, 2005
Messages
421
My system recently has begun having problems, and I would greatly appreciate any and all help folks could offer.

Basically, I've been running my system without issue since I made it about a year and a half ago or so. Then suddenly, the other day it seemed to freeze while I was away from it and came back. I reboot it, and it seemed to freeze again during the boot. However, upon hitting a few keys, I realized that actually it *had* boot successfully, but the graphics had just stopped updating. In other words, I could type things and use the mouse and keyboard, and the computer would make the sound effects, open the programs that it normally would, etc., the screen just wasn’t getting updated at all.

I tried rebooting a couple more times, and the exact same thing pretty much every time. Within a few seconds of booting, the screen would just stop updating. A couple times the computer wouldn’t seem to want to boot at all, but for the most part this was the issue. This had nothing to do with my OS or anything, as it did the same even when I tried to bring up the CMOS (just stop updating the graphics).

I opened up the case, and tried blowing out any dust in the computer and tried reseating the graphics card and the cable connecting it to the monitor, both to no avail. Every time I reboot the computer now, though, the percentage of times that it just hang during boot and not properly boot was increasing compared to the times when it would do the “boot but stop updating graphics” thing.

I then even tried swapping out the graphics card with a spare I had, again to no avail. Now, however, the computer won’t boot the vast majority of the time. According to the diagnostic LEDs, it’s hanging between “CPU detected” and “DRAM detected” now.

Some final info on the machine:
- motherboard: DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D
- graphics card: ATI Radeon x850
I can give all the other specs as needed…

Any advice anyone has would be most appreciated. I really hope I don’t have to replace anything, as taking the system apart would be a huge pain. But it sounds like *something* on the motherboard is not working right? Or is it something else?

Thanks again in advance…
 
Could be alot of things but a dying motherboard would be near top of my list as would a failing power supply. If you have access to another computer test your graphics card in it just to be sure that it isnt the problem. Might also try using a PSU tester and see if your getting the proper voltages out it. Though like I said before I'd be betting on a dying motherboard.
 
DFI boards are picky. Please list all components. My guess is board, GPU, or PSU... if none of those, then quite possibly the RAM.
 
try removing ALL cards including graphics card...MOBO should still post without it that should narrow it down for you.
 
Rev Lemmon said:
If you have access to another computer test your graphics card in it just to be sure that it isnt the problem.
Click to expand...

I don't unfortunately. But like I said, I was able to swap out the graphics card in the same machine for another and was basically having the same problems.

Rev Lemmon said:
Might also try using a PSU tester and see if your getting the proper voltages out it
Click to expand...

Really?....the PSU?...wouldn't have figured that...hmm.
 
enginurd said:
DFI boards are picky. Please list all components. My guess is board, GPU, or PSU... if none of those, then quite possibly the RAM.
Click to expand...

processor: AMD64 3500+
memory: 1Gb Corsair CMX512-3200C2PT
motherboard: DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D
graphics card: Connect3D x850 XT PE
PSU: PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 510 Deluxe
HD: Maxtor MaxLine III 250


Hmm...and how would I figure out if it's the RAM?...and would RAM problems really cause those weird graphics issues I had?
 
It could be anything ranging from PSU to ram or even bad connection(s).
We had best try to narrow it down a bit.

Can you take it apart and put back together again.
When you remove the motherboard, check to see if there is a stray metal post shorting it to the case or a loose screw.
Blow any dust out of the sockets and fans/heatsinks and clean the connectors of the cards and Ram.

If the problem persists, can you get into the CMOS and reduce the FSB quite a bit.
If this works then we know that its not failed hardware (unless the PSU has aged) but hardware thats running out of spec and we can proceed from there.

Should reducing the FSB not work, we need to find the component that is failing.

Try another PSU if possible to remove that from the equation.
 
Xylo said:
Some final info on the machine:
- motherboard: DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D
- graphics card: ATI Radeon x850
Click to expand...

Here is the main problem I see. DFI + ATI = eventual headache. Yours appears to have happened later than usual. IMHO never buy DFI, and I am grossly biased against ATI.

In actuality, does that board have onboard graphics? see if you have th same problems with the ATI out of the picture. It reaally sounds like a burned out graphics port to me. :(
 
There is no onboard graphics on the Ultra-D. So, try another graphics card, if you can. Also, test yours in another system, if possible.
 
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