Strange Happenings

Hi yall, me again!

My rig has been having a freezing problem the past 2 days...
The system specs are :

Asus A7V400-MX
XP 2000+ (o/c 2.1ghz 16x133fsb)
TZTec 512mb ram (pc2100)
WD 80gb hd
Maxtor 40gb hd
geforce4 mx440 128mb 4x agp
lg dvd rw dl
Mitsumi cdrw
2 x 300watt psu (one for mb and optical drives, other for hds and fans)

Now, I started having problems with the odd bsod, so I figured that the
ram didn't like it at 166mhz fsb, but when I let it down to 133fsb it
has been freezing quite frequently. Memtest86 shows no errors, prime95
gets no errors after running for about 3 hours. Only if I leave my
computer alone for a while, will it freeze. Usually won't happen while
it's being used?

I first suspected the psu's to be going (they're 2 noname psu), because
in speedfan the -12v is being reported as +1.8v at times. With that in
mind, the psu is not blowing out warm air at all, it's actually quite
cool. So, I'm at a loss here?!

TIA.

Browser Joe wrote:
> 2 x 300watt psu (one for mb and optical drives, other for hds and
> fans)

Is that wise?

I'm not sure if you should connect two switchmode PSUs together. If you
don't connect them, then there is probably much opportunity for problems
with signal levels as they need a common ground.

Just buy one decent PSU and have done with it.

Ben
--
A7N8X FAQ: www.ben.pope.name/a7n8x_faq.html
Questions by email will likely be ignored, please use the newsgroups.
I'm not just a number. To many, I'm known as a String...

Ben Pope wrote:
> Browser Joe wrote:
>
>>2 x 300watt psu (one for mb and optical drives, other for hds and
>>fans)
>
>
> Is that wise?
>
> I'm not sure if you should connect two switchmode PSUs together. If you
> don't connect them, then there is probably much opportunity for problems
> with signal levels as they need a common ground.
>
> Just buy one decent PSU and have done with it.
>
> Ben

Yeah, I'm realizing that now... It was mainly to tinker with, and it did
work for quite a while, but now methinks it hath bit the dust! lol

> Yeah, I'm realizing that now... It was mainly to tinker with, and it did
> work for quite a while, but now methinks it hath bit the dust! lol

Any hibernation options enabled in bios or windows ?

rms

rms wrote:
>>Yeah, I'm realizing that now... It was mainly to tinker with, and it did
>>work for quite a while, but now methinks it hath bit the dust! lol
>
>
> Any hibernation options enabled in bios or windows ?
>
> rms
>
>

None, only power saving deature enabled is turning off monitor
in place of a screen saver...

I find it really odd that it just started doing this, but hey, I ordered
another psu an ultra x-connect 500w. Looks pretty cool, and the suply
ratings are decent.

>I find it really odd that it just started doing this, but hey, I ordered
>another psu an ultra x-connect 500w. Looks pretty cool, and the suply
>ratings are decent.

Hmm. MaximumPC mag says it's a POS.

YanquiDawg wrote:
>>I find it really odd that it just started doing this, but hey, I ordered
>>another psu an ultra x-connect 500w. Looks pretty cool, and the suply
>>ratings are decent.
>
>
> Hmm. MaximumPC mag says it's a POS.

It will none the less be better than my 2 e-data 300w pos...

Also, I find it hypocritical that maximumpc reviews it as a pos, yet
still have ads for it in their magazine. I find them to be very biased
to some products, so, I'll live and learn if this psu is decent or not.

Besides, that review is coming from the same people that say half life 2
is the best game ever made... I say, nay nay, but that's my opinion.

Browser Joe <> wrote in news:gqkCd.10910$P%3.851013
@news20.bellglobal.com:

>> Hmm. MaximumPC mag says it's a POS.
>
> It will none the less be better than my 2 e-data 300w pos...
>
> Also, I find it hypocritical that maximumpc reviews it as a pos, yet
> still have ads for it in their magazine. I find them to be very biased
> to some products, so, I'll live and learn if this psu is decent or not.

If they are biased and yet still say an advertiser's product is a piece of
**** then I'd really be worried.

Mitch Crane wrote:
> Browser Joe <> wrote in news:gqkCd.10910$P%3.851013
> @news20.bellglobal.com:
>
>
>>>Hmm. MaximumPC mag says it's a POS.
>>
>>It will none the less be better than my 2 e-data 300w pos...
>>
>>Also, I find it hypocritical that maximumpc reviews it as a pos, yet
>>still have ads for it in their magazine. I find them to be very biased
>>to some products, so, I'll live and learn if this psu is decent or not.
>
>
> If they are biased and yet still say an advertiser's product is a piece of
> **** then I'd really be worried.
>

I have the magazine that the review is in, and of all the psu's tested,
I found the ultra to best suit my needs, while still having a lower
price. I must add that their price says $100, I'm not too sure on that
as I ordered it from tigerdirect for $69 CAD. Also the one in the review
has no sata, and no pci-e, the one I ordered does indeed have both. Do I
need sata and pci-e? No, not now, but maybe in the future. On another
point, the review has specific model numbers for other psu units, but
the ultra is simply an x-connect... Odd, on tigerdirect they have 2
different models, and there are more with the x-connect feature
(different wattages, non sata, non pci-e, non p4). This is why I think
they are biased, they scored this psu and a vantec psu at the bottom...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I know a few people with vantecs psu, and
they are quite happy with it.

Anyways, like I said before, I'll give it a try, and let you guys know
how it is...

Mitch Crane wrote:
> Browser Joe <> wrote in news:gqkCd.10910$P%3.851013
> @news20.bellglobal.com:
>
>
>>>Hmm. MaximumPC mag says it's a POS.
>>
>>It will none the less be better than my 2 e-data 300w pos...
>>
>>Also, I find it hypocritical that maximumpc reviews it as a pos, yet
>>still have ads for it in their magazine. I find them to be very biased
>>to some products, so, I'll live and learn if this psu is decent or not.
>
>
> If they are biased and yet still say an advertiser's product is a piece of
> **** then I'd really be worried.
>

Why would I be worried? Just because they're money hungry? I would like
to see if their tune changes if the advertisers decide to pull any ads
of products that received less than a near perfect score...
I like the mag, good reading, but I usually skip the reviews (not just
from this one, from all) because I like to hear (or read) first hand
about products, like in newsgroups or reviews by buyers of the product.