1st build - keeps crashing and restarting.

Dexy661

this is my first time building a comp so go easy =]

spec
core2duo 2.4
8800gts 640mb oc2
2gb ocz 800mhz dual channel
320gb hd
asus p5n-e sli mobo
hyper 580w
windows xp pro

basicaly i keep getting system crashes and random restarts, ive seen posts on how people have made there new build 'stable' but not sure what to do, ive tried updating the bios but this didnt seem to make much difference.. if you need any more info just ask, any help appreciated. thanks.

Dyre Straits

Greetings and welcome to DriverHeaven!

I'm using this same exact motherboard at the moment and it's quite stable now.

First, you did the right thing updating the BIOS.

Have you also updated the Motherboard/Chipset Drivers?

Are you getting any kind of Error message when the system crashes? (Right click on My Computer, select Manage, then open up Event Viewer. Check under System and Application for any warning incidents.)

When a computer is randomly crashing, it's usually due to either faulty hardware or conflicting drivers/incompatible hardware OR even Overclocking. So, if you're doing any overclocking, reset things to their default timings and see if that helps.

If it doesn't, try taking a look at the Memory Timings compared to what the BIOS has used. If you're using "AUTO" it's possible the motherboard is selecting a wrong setting. Sometimes changing the T1 to T2 makes a big difference. Just check the other settings while you're there and manually select what OCZ has advised for that RAM.

Post back with any results.

Good luck!

Dexy661

i havnt tried updating the chipset drivers yet, as i didnt know i was ment to =S are these on the asus website?

yes i do get an error message (white writing on a blue screen) but it goes of to fast for me to read it =[

jus checked the error thing under my computer, says application hang..

i havnt overcocked anything yet.

im not sure how to set up memory timing etc but il c wot it says on the pakaging and see if i can follow it,

thanks for the help

Dyre Straits

Yes, the updated chipset drivers will be either on the ASUS website for the motherboard, OR here:

http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

You want to select Platform/nForce Drivers -- nForce 650i SLI -- and select your particular OS. This site will have the very, very latest chipset drivers while ASUS may take a while to update their own site.

Now, when you go to install the chipset drivers, you'll be given some options. Unless you've set up a RAID array, you can uncheck anything related to RAID.

Good luck!

Mousey

When you run the rig for a while, does it just randomly restart and say there's been a serious error?
it might be faulty memory if that's the case, 1 stick went bad for me and it constantly restarted, try running it one stick at a time for about 20 minutes or whatever and you should get results

Dexy661

bios has been updated
new gfx drivers
new chipset drivers,

problem now happens less often, but still occurs, the timings for my ram are 4-4-4-15 this is the only info i could find on the pakaging does anything need to be changed in the bios to match this? if not il try wot mousey suggested...

many thanks.

kris23

if you dont have the time to check each individual stick for errors...... try adjusting the timings to 6-6-6-18 2T or higher, only takes a few minutes.... let it run and stress it, if it occurs less often then you know its the memory.....

still better to test each stick using memtest for each one to see errors but just incase you are short of time, adjust the timings and let it run for a while defective chips give off errors when they are set too low

Tipstaff

Pretty much everything that has been said to try has been, however there are 2 things that you might want to look at.

1) Double check that the heatsink is mounted fully. With the socket 775 coolers sometimes the push pins can creep out of their mounting hole if they were not completely set in place. The easiest way to check this would be to push down on the fan mounting (the black area around the fan) in the corners where the mounting pin is. Then, push down on the flat top of the push pin. Repeat this for each of the 4 corners.

Edit: I should mention that you can see the position of the black pin that keeps those push pins in place along the side of the clear part. Take a look at the pic below (courtesy of Intels site).



See where the top arrow is pointing to? It's a rectangular clip, and just above that is a slight ledge. Those 2 pieces are what makes a clicking sound when you push on the pin. If that black clip is not below and slightly into the clear plastic it will eventually creep up, and unlevel the cooler (ie. it will overheat). The biggest problem installing these things is the board itself. In the pic you can see the green PCB of the board. If you push on the pin to install the cooler you push down on the heatsink, and in turn the board, which will then bend. If it bends to far the chasis will keep the heatsink from moving because it will start to touch the pins you insterted into the mounting holes, but the board will keep going, and eventually the pin will come part way out of the hole. This will keep you from getting that black clip below the ledge to secure the heatsink in place.

For more take a look close to the bottom of THIS page, which is where they describe the cooler installation.

2) While it may not be a big thing, what position is the SLI card (the red bridge card inside the system) set to? Is it set to SLI/Dual mode, or Single mode?