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View Full Version : Hopefully last time...


Vasquez
Friday, 3rd June 2005, 11:35
I need help.

If you don't know my problem by now, have a look at one of my previous tech support topics. Basicly, my PC keeps restarting itself, especially when playing games.

I've since replaced the hard drive, the PSU and the graphics card and added a case fan and still it does not work properly.

Now, when I first asked about this problem most people said it was the PSU that was wrong, but some people said RAM. Random restarting does sound like a memory problem to me... But I made a bootable CD of a memory check program reccomended to me and it showed no errors in my RAM.

The only parts that havn't been replaced other than the RAM are the CPU, mobo, case, CD drive and floppy. I'm pretty sure the last 3 arn't important so:

Do I replace my RAM, my CPU or my mobo?

I'm leaning towards mobo because it would be cheapest (I can get a 55 quid mobo to tide me over until I upgrade to PCI-E at the end of the year).

RAM would be second cheapest at 90 quid and it does seem like it's the problem, but the mem check showed no errors.

CPU, well, there's not much can go wrong with it. I havn't heard any strange noises from it but it is running between 40 and 50 degrees C which is unusually hot. But it's the most expensive too at at least 150 quid to replace my currunt CPU.

What seems the best bet? If anyone could lend me a compatible part to see if that is the problem, I'd be incredibly grateful and willing to pay for shipping and so on.

Echor
Friday, 3rd June 2005, 14:31
Did you run the memtest program, if it passed that your memory is ok.
Did you flash your motherboard bios to version 19 (I mentioned that version 20 was unstable for many)

Vasquez
Friday, 3rd June 2005, 14:55
I did the memtest with no errors.

I did not flash my mobo. How does one do that?

Echor
Friday, 3rd June 2005, 15:13
To flash the memory on that board, download (ftp://ftp.abit.com.tw/pub/download/bios/av8//av819.exe) the bios file, run it and store it somewhere easy to remember, run the Flashmenu, (look at settings, make sure they are on default) and choose the option to update from file, wait until its finished (can take a while to close after the prompt).

The bios will be reset, so you will have to check anything like boot order if you don't use the default (do not set the flashmenu to not clear cmos, its important that it does)

Vasquez
Friday, 3rd June 2005, 15:57
Ok, I've done that. Now running 19.

I shall test and see if this has solved my problem.

If it hasn't, I'll be annoyed. If it has, Ill be annoyed lol.

One Armed Scissor
Friday, 3rd June 2005, 16:48
That boy needs therapy.

Vasquez
Friday, 3rd June 2005, 17:00
Played 3 levels of FarCry with no restarts so far...I shall keep testing...

Btw, dont want to get off the 'making it work' part but I've got soem graphics glitches since getting my new card :S

Behold (the second and third are both looking at exactly the same spot of dirt from the same angle, but one is zoomed, the other is not):

One Armed Scissor
Friday, 3rd June 2005, 17:03
FarCry looks well nice.