New 64 bit Mobo/cpu disagrees with 9800pro

Deadwing · Apr 13, 2006, 10:24 AM

So i finally upgraded my old P4 2.4ghz with a crappy old agp 4x motherboard to a sexy new and moderertly dated AMD Athlon64 3000+ with a VIA-K8VM800M.

So i boot up the computer everythings installed and it seems okay, i can't boot into windows (assumed its frekaed out by new hardware) and boot to bios to change a few settings and change the boot order to get it to boot to my Windows CD so i can reinstall windows.
Here's where i ran into trouble.

I rebooted the computer after saving BIOS settings and all of a sudden i have Artifacts all over the first loading screen!!! Freaked out i reboot it and it's still happening! Another reboot and this time i boot into bios and, fighting through the terrifying artifacts, reset to default!

I rebooted, and everything was fine....

From then on, after rebooting Sometimes, i would get artifacts, but i can't seem to get a repeatable occurance, its random.

I tried what i could but found nothing wrong both hardware and software-wise and decide to go ahead and install windows, here comes the second pecuilarity.

I have two 80gig HDD's and in the little menu to format and install windows on the drive of choice, it siad they were both on IDE 0, at Bus 0. I have no idea why Windows thought that but i figured it may be because of the 64-bit motherboard. I unplugged one of the ide cables for the second HDD, so when i install windows theres no chance of conflicts, and installed.

Hours later, windows is running, the artifacts on boot up are still occuring sometimes, and i have plugged in my second HDD and gotten it to see it, though the windows installer still see's it at the same IDE port and bus.

I installed Omega drivers (CCC won't load on my computer, possibly due to a lack fo SP1 or 2), and run Quake 4 for a while, testing out the new limits of my Motherboard and cpu. It ran beautifully and everything seemed fine.

A little while later, i was browsing some websites when the screen went black for a few seconds, then came back, except now i was getting artifacts everywhere. I rebooted, and there was no artifacts immediatly so i assumed things were ok, but their were artifacts and weird graphical hiccu[s like images not loading unless moused over everywhere. I rebooted again and now everything seems fine.

I don't really know whats causing these problems, i suspect interferance from ide cables or something, but have never had that problem before.

So to summarise my problems:

Newly installed 64 bit CPU and Motherboard.
Sometimes at bootup screen has artifacts,
Sometimes windows starts displaying artifacts

PangingJr · Apr 14, 2006, 02:43 AM

improper settings in the BIOS or too much heat inside computer case -- so, leave BIOS settings at default, and leave the computer case opened for testing.

your system's power supply might be going bad, or it's too weak to cover all of the new hardwares, and that is killing the computer system -- try replacing the power supply with one from your friend, then test the rest of current system. and see?

also, it's not a bad idea to run a thorough test on all of the memory module that you have installed on the system.

check these items also anyway, your monitor cables both power and signal, and also test it on another computer system, try different vid card on your current system, take apart and rebuild the computer system again if you've not done this... and lastly, try updating the motherborad's BIOS.

about the hard drives detection problems i'm not sure what did you mean by that (on your above post regarding this problem) i'll see if i can help you answering the question later.

misguided · Apr 14, 2006, 03:41 AM

Deadwing:

The arifacts definitely sound like a driver problem or a bad cable .

Try test your ribbon cable with a known working one to see if they go away.
Did you download all the current bios and chipset drivers for your mobo.

Also try manualy setting the master and slave settings on the drives by setting the switches on the back of the drives and make sure that the master drive with your operating system is at the end of the cable. If you have an operating system on the boot sector of both hardrives this could also confuse windows extremely.

As to the last part which I think you found out, Windows is very finicky and actually likes to recognize each and every device as its added. When it has to recognize drivers for soundcards, graphics, ide controllers, printers,scanners, virtual drives, mouse drivers, and through the myriad of complexity in those drivers and several others sometimes Windows either gives up or runs erratically.

Best advice: add one thing at a time, make sure its enabled and working then add the next one. Never let your hardrives fragment too much especially when adding drivers to components or installing several programs. Hope this helps your troubleshooting.

Deadwing · Apr 15, 2006, 04:25 AM

Seems to me that my 300w PSU is probably the culprit, im going to go and buy a 550w psu or something close to it thats cheap when the easter holidays are over, and hope that resolves it. Well thats Occam's Razor for ya.

Thanks for your help so far and if i still have problems you'l hear from me son

misguided · Apr 17, 2006, 09:45 PM

Hey Deadwing:

Looking for a cheap PSU? Try TigerDirect and look for HEC Orion 585watt HP585DR under server power supplies. Bought one a week ago for $31. Can't find a cheaper one anywhere else. I looked around for quite awhile and found this one.

Deadwing · Apr 17, 2006, 10:44 PM

Thanks but id rather not ship from america to australia

misguided · Apr 18, 2006, 12:36 AM

Sorry Deadwing, this Canuck had no way of knowing you were an Aussie

Deadwing · Apr 18, 2006, 05:33 AM

No worries :P