New system not working like it should be

[dj_dn]

For the past week I have been working on my computer because it keeps on freezing in windows from time to time. In the past 3 days it froze a total of 11 times : twice after booting in windows, 3 times on the internet after 2 hours of doing nothing but reading forums, twice while using Maxtor diagnostic burn in tool (dos), twice on the internet after 5 minutes, nurton virus check once, installing new drivers once.

System specs:
Case: Antec TX1050B Super Mid Tower Case
PSU: 500w SmartPower2.0
CPU: AMD Opteron 165 CCBBE 0610
Mother board: ASRock 939DUAL-SATA2
Ram: Mushkin XP PC4000 2GB 2X1GB DDR500 CL 3-4-3-8
Video card: ATI Radeon X800 Pro AGP8X VIVO moded to 16pipes
HDD 1: Maxtor 80GB DM9 7200RPM 8MB SATA HDD
HDD 2: Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 300GB SATA
Sound Card: AuzenTech HDA X-PLOSION

All drivers are up to date, all hot fixes, running win xp pro sp2.

Cooling:
Hsf: Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro
CPU duct: Antec TriCool 92MM
Front case fans: 2X Zalman ZM-F1 80MM
Back of case: Antec TriCool 120MM
HSF for VC: Zalman VF700-CU-LED
HDD Fan: Thermaltake A2376 Aluminum Hard Drive Cooler
Thermal paste: AS 5

Temps: using Speedfan
Stock (CPU 1.8GHz, CPU voltage 1.375, Multiplier 9x, HTT 200, RAM 200MHz 3-4-3-8, Command rate 1T, RAM voltage 2.7)
CPU Idle: 32C
CPU Load: 45C
Case Idle: 21C
Case Load: 32C

OC (CPU 2.6GHz, CPU voltage 1.4, Multiplier 9x, HTT 290, RAM 237.3MHz 3-4-3-8, Command rate 1T, RAM voltage 2.7)
CPU Idle: 35C
CPU Load: 52C
Case Idle: 26C
Case Load: 41C

Temperatures were varying a lot these three past days out side ( no air con in the house) this may explain why the temps are so varied ( one days its 25C out side and the other its 32C)

Voltage: using speedfan
Stock
Load Vcore A: 1.39V
Load Vcore B: 1.41V
Load +3.3V: 3.33V
Load +5V: 5.13V
Load +12V: 12.28V

Idle Vcore A: 1.38V
Idle Vcore B: 1.39V
Idle +3.3V: 3.34V
Idle +5V: 5.11V
Idle +12V: 12.40V

OC
Load Vcore A: 1.38V
Load Vcore B: 1.41
Load +3.3V: 3.31V
Load +5V: 5.13V
Load +12V: 12.28

Idle Vcore A: 1.38V
Idle Vcore B 1.41V
Idle +3.3V: 3.34V
Idle +5V: 5.11V
Idle +12V: 12.40V

Test results:
I used Seagate’s and Maxtor’s utility to scan my hard drives.
Seagate’s utility
Seagate: failed with critical errors, -One or more errors were found in the index, -One or more errors were found in metadata file records. Quick test was passed.
Maxtor: failed with critical errors, -One or more errors were found in the index, -One or more errors were found in metadata file records – other errors.
So I defrag/scandisk/chkdsk both drives.

Maxtor’s utility
Maxtor: burn in test passed
Seagate: burn in test passed

Memtest 86+
Stock: passed 9 times all tests (1 to 10), ran for 8h30
OC: Passed 14 times, failed 35 times, ran for 9h. They all failed at test 8.
Test Pass Failing Address
8 5 00017368b90 – 371.5mb
8 8 000173d2910 - 371.1mb
8 12 00056f74280 – 1391.2mb
8 13 00057bf6ee0 – 1403.3mb
Are a few examples.

Prime 95
Prime stable 4h stock and OC.

Wow if you are still here after all this thanks. In windows my computer isn’t stable all the time; it will just freeze when ever it wants, from 10 seconds to 8 hours. Is it because my ram isn’t getting enough voltage, needs 2.8 but only feeding 2.7 because of my mobo. If so why is it freezing even when I brought the ram lower then stock (ddr500). Can it be something else like my rails? Are they normal by the way 12.4V idle and 12.28V under load? My HDD or having to many fans??

Thanks for all you’re help.:respect:

[Alec§taar]

Wow if you are still here after all this thanks.

LOL, yes... I survived that length of your posting, but I often post ones that long & read ones that long (so, used to it): Details, in this field? MATTER HUGELY!

Albeit, they do tend to "bloat posts", I know... speaking from experience, on my own postings no less, including this one as an example. So, please, do read it thru!

(Even though it is basically elementary stuff I am suggesting imo @ least, & probably yours too, because you never know when you're "preaching to the choir" on forums, especially new ones where you aren't aware of everyone's "range of knowledge" & what-not yet, as I am still @ that point w/ folks here still (don't know everyone that well yet))

I have a question @ the bottom I'd like YOU to answer, as it has been "perplexing me" some, lol... tia!

Is it because my ram isn’t getting enough voltage, needs 2.8 but only feeding 2.7 because of my mobo.... My HDD or having to many fans??

Thanks for all you’re help.:respect:

I think you have the RIGHT idea... underpowering your RAM like that might lead to what you're seeing, especially if you overclock (typically, you have to BOOST your RAM power for that right?).

You could feasibly try to pull those extra fans on the disks, but I still think you are closer to a solution in your idea on the power to the RAM there...

QUESTION: Have you EVER "added up" your pieces in your system that actually use electrical power & seen if they exceed your 500w PS upper limits? I don't know HOW "overboard" you may have gone here, so it is something to ask (since you state what you did on the fans on the HDD).

* Here is a page to help you possibly, in THAT regard:

http://www.distortionwave.com/Power.html

We had a discussion here not too long ago, about Power Supplies & what makes a good one etc. & I posted a table of power consumption, by component, that might be a bit more accurate today than that page here:

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=13861&page=3

Power Consumption Table, by component type (more, MORE modern components than that page above):

AMD Athlon XP/64 or Pentium IV CPU = 20-40 watts
Motherboard = 60-90 watts
RAM = 20 watts (per each 256mb)
PCI card = 5-10 watts
AGP video = 20-50 watts
CPU case fan = 2-4 watts
5,400 rpm diskdrive = 5-10 watts
7,200 rpm diskdrive = 5-15 watts
10,000 rpm diskdrive = 5-20 watts
Floppy drive = 5 watts
CD-DvD drive = 10-20 watts
Cold cathode lights = 3 watts
LED lights = < 1 watt

(Now, admittedly/imo @ least, I am definitely NOT in the league of some of the guys here in THIS area, but imo, you are on the right track... power, CLEAN POWER, makes a diff. especially for o/c'ers!)

I would suggest the POSSIBILITY of your System EventLog & looking over it, but since it is just a systemwide "freeze" w/out stopcodes & such being generated? It will probably yield "0" info. on this account (probably never even gets the chance to write the errors period)...

APK

P.S.=> Good Power Supply, I have the same type here... love it! It's excellent having "pluggable" power harnesses imo! The Antec SmartPower 2.0 500w series is a 'step-in-the-right-direction' & an evolution of sorts for the better, imo...

QUESTION (off topic): How do you do those "attached thumbnails" photos? apk

[bigboi86]

I'm pretty sure those CPUs use more watts than 40.

[Alec§taar]

I'm pretty sure those CPUs use more watts than 40.

Could be, but I used info. I got from "Maximum PC" issues I have laying around here!

:)

* I figure they're a respectable source & all that (one of my fav mags there is out there, since their days as BOOT magazine) imo, mainly for hardware & gamers/pc performance enthusiasts-fiends, etc. et al.

APK

P.S.=> Could it be I typed that info. in wrong on the CPU power consumption? It's possible!

I should/will "double-check" that by all means, & perhaps others can "sound off" on that account as well... apk

[GLD]

Confused? I read from your post you are running 1.375v on vcore at stock settings? Am I correct? As per AMD's specs. stock vcore is 1.3 V/1.35 V. Are you having the problems running at stock settings or only when overclocked? Maybe manually set your cpu vcore to desired settings, instead of auto settings? I think this as I have my 939 cpu overclocked and have better results setting/locking my vcore (to stock vcore in my case) in bios. I see from your post your vcore varies, so I guess it is not set/locked.

[dj_dn]

Confused? I read from your post you are running 1.375v on vcore at stock settings? Am I correct? As per AMD's specs. stock vcore is 1.3 V/1.35 V. Are you having the problems running at stock settings or only when overclocked? Maybe manually set your cpu vcore to desired settings, instead of auto settings? I think this as I have my 939 cpu overclocked and have better results setting/locking my vcore (to stock vcore in my case) in bios. I see from your post your vcore varies, so I guess it is not set/locked.
I am having trouble with overclocking and stock settings. All my settings are manually set.

QUESTION: Have you EVER "added up" your pieces in your system that actually use electrical power & seen if they exceed your 500w PS upper limits? I don't know HOW "overboard" you may have gone here, so it is something to ask (since you state what you did on the fans on the HDD).
Yes i did and i have more then whats needed.


Sorry for short responses, i need to go to work. :(

[gR3iF]

http://www.meisterkuehler.de/cms/energieverbrauch.html


just search your parts togheter

[gR3iF]

finally after reading your post 0o


i can say that some rams are only working good@ 3.0 volt like my ocz that i had vbefore this ones


can you may check it? get a 512mb thing from soemone? friend maybe?


that what about your bios? newest version?
is the cpu longer then 4 hours prime stable?


is evereything stable without oc?

[dj_dn]

Bios is updated, running my system at 250 fsb and ddr 500 but using a command rate of 2t seams stable for the moment, no errors in memtest for 8 hours.

[Zebbo]

AsRock 939Dual-SATA2 boards are known to have issues with 1T command rate above ~225MHz (memory clock), funny thing is that this doesnt happen with all the Dual-SATA motherboards but with most of them.

[dj_dn]

Thank you all for you’re help. I did a full low-level format (writing 0000000...) of my main drive and the problem seams to have gone. And the system is overclocked: fsb 280, ram ddr 460, 3-4-3-8-1T. The only thing I changed with my new install was not installing the AMD dual core optimizer drivers.