New Pc

[Lamsey]

OK, I've been away for a while, this is why: I have a new computer.

My old one has died, it's incapable of anything more than the simplest of tasks. Anything more than some text editing or whatever hangs it up badly.


So I dug into my savings and got myself a new PC

Here's what I got:

MSI K7N2 Delta mobo (nForce2-based with the SPP Northbridge and the MCP2-T Southbridge)
AMD Athlon XP 2600+ CPU (FSB 333, L2 cache 256K)
512MB DDR333 RAM (2 sticks of 256, running in dual-channel mode)
80GB HD (7,200rpm, ATA133)
nVidia Geforce FX 5200 (128 MB RAM, manufacturer is ABit)
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 2
Creative Inspire 4.1 speakers
Epson C42UX

I put all of my old drives into the new machine - floppy, 14GB ATA66 HD, 16x Liteon DVD drive, and a BenQ 32x10x40 CDRW.



I had a few problems setting the new computer up.
Here are some details of a couple, in case anyone else ever experiences similar problems.


First, the HDD was overheating, since I had it in a pretty tight space.
Solution: I went and bought a bracket for mounting the HDD in one of the CD Drive-sized slots. Much cooler now with the extra space for airflow


The major problem I had was with RAM. I got some OEM RAM along with the other equipment and it just wasn't up to it.
I found the error because Windows XP kept giving me Blue Screens of Death. The Stop codes I was getting were all consistent with bad RAM so I decided to run a RAM diagnostic test on the RAM.
I downloaded MemTest86, which is a brilliant freeware memory tester, and it recorded around 20,000 RAM read errors in the space of 4 hours. Not good.

In MemTest86's documentation, it suggested that the symptoms I was experiencing was common on Athlon-based systems and the reason was that the RAM wasn't up to dealing with the timings that an Athlon chipset puts it through.

So I went and got my money back for the crap RAM, then went and bought some TwinMOS RAM, same type and spec.
Tadaaa - the computer works! B)


So now I just have to finish setting up Windows and all my programs... what fun

[ilw]

Was wondering where u'd got to. Welcome back . I like ur new puter by the way, the specs almost identical to mine

[lynx]

That spec sounds very similar to what I am going to propose to my brother tonight. My nephew needs one for uni, but they hadn't realised the prices for a good spec machine were as low as they are now.

Errors like the ones you are talking about are not always memory problems (though obviously were in this case).

I recently put together a similar machine, it exhibited memory faults, CD faults, HD faults, random reboots, etc.

Removing all items from the motherboard onto another motherboard and the system worked fine.
Adding known ok items to the motherboard and the faults persisted.

This seemed to indicate (to me at least) a faulty motherboard, but testing the board in isolation showed no faults, so they wouldn't replace it under warranty.

Fortunately, I had kept all boxes, cables etc, and the place I got it from has a 30 days no questions returns policy (you can only get a credit note for non-faulty items), so I simply asked for the credit note, went back round the corner to the shop and bought a slightly different board.

The machine was up and running and fully installed within 2 hours, including the half-hour drive back.

But someone with less knowledge of pc's would have been stuck, a horrible thought.

[lynx]

Lamsey, a question for you.

Which 80GB drive did you go for ?

I have found that the maxtor 7200rpm and the older w/digital (800BB) drives tend to run very hot, but the new w/digital (800JB) runs a lot cooler.

It could be useful (though possibly difficult) to draw up a comparison of drives and the temps they run at.

[Lamsey]

It's actually a Seagate one... it was cheap!

[lynx]

Originally posted by Lamsey@16 July 2003 - 18:06
It's actually a Seagate one... it was cheap!

When do you expect to get it changed under warranty ?
There's usually a reason when they are cheap.

[Livy]

seagate ones are pretty good too, i was looking at them on ebuyer and everyones given it a good rating, and its quiet.

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by lynx@17 July 2003 - 03:29
When do you expect to get it changed under warranty ?
There's usually a reason when they are cheap.

No, actually, Seagate are pretty good as Livy said. I once dealt with a network of about 40 computers in my school, all had Seagate HDDs and no HDD problems.

[lynx]

It wasn't the Seagate thing I was looking at, it was the 'cheap' bit.

Maybe it literally 'fell off the back of a lorry', tends to shorten their life a little.