KWSN Orbiting Fortress

Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 7:36 am Post subject: Bad Cpu?

Ok, so here's the deal...

I moved last weekend and when I shut down the farm everything was good.
when I started to hook back up my main box ( 940 Deneb, 4 gig ram, 2 video cards, 9800 & 8800, and 2 sata Hd's 400gig & 640 gig running 32 bit XP with a Wubi Ubuntu 9.04 install ) started to have random BSOD's

I made sure that everything was properly seated in the slots and dusted it out, still crashing. Upon further inspection the "F" drive was not visible in windows but it was in Bios... Then the Usb mouse and Keyboard started falling off after boot... literally no power, they worked until windows came up....

I ran Check Disk and it crashed half way thru the 3 test...
I reset the bios to stock settings and the same thing...
I booted into the computer using a BartPE XP windows Usb stick and ran Check Disk and it crashed at 51% of test #5

So I booted into Ubuntu and it crashed after about 5 min.....

after a while I had to disconect the power in order to get it to restart....

So I figured the MSI board was done... I swapped it out with a DFI 790 Fx board I have as a spare, I know it works, I get the exact same problem,.... So it's not the board Confused

I have never had a CPU fail but I think that this may be the one....

How can I check the Cpu to see if it is working properly before I contact AMD?

This sucks,........ this is my best comp...........
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Pooh Bear 27 · Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 8:53 am Post subject:

Try it with one video card, or the other? What about different memory configurations? PS changed?

Usually a fried CPU won't allow boot, unless it's dying after a certain temperature. Have to monitored the temp while trying some of the tests, etc.?

Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:26 am Post subject:

I think I spoke too soon....

I left it disconnected from power all night and I am making progress now...

I am having problem getting ethernet to work but I think I am just using the wrong drivers....It took about 2 hours to find the board drivers in my multiple download folders... I guess I need to organize my stuff Embarassed

I will still need to flash the bios after I get the net up...
Looks like the MSI board may be toast, but I am still not ready to admit that yet, I really like that board, it has 4 double slot 16x pcie slots Cool

EDIT: I don't beleive it.......................

As I was typing this message it crashed and I had to interupt the power to get it to restart and it ran for 10 seconds and crashed again. It won't restart again #Mad

I guess I will check Ps, then Memory........Damn, DAMN, DAMN
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a.k.a. Licentious of Borg.........Resistance Really is Futile.......
and a Really Hoopy Frood who always knows where his Towel is...

ohiomike · Prince Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 858 Location: Sometimes

I had the exact same thing happen to me. I saw both auto-reboots and having to unplug to get the system to reboot.

I was running 2 NVidia 8800GTS cards. I ran for several months and then started crashing (re-booting) every 10 minutes of so.
After MUCH screwing around *, I found that the load the GPU's were putting on the PS was to much (although it was with-in spec). I replaced the PS and promptly blew up the replacement. I removed one GPU and put in a third PS and it has been fine for 6 months since.

*
1: Replaced CPU- fail
2: Replaced MB- fail
3: Replaced RAM- fail
4: Removed 1 GPU- fail (and replaced after test failed)
5: Replaced PS- fail
6: Did steps 1..5 all at the same time- it ran.
7: Started backing out new parts, re-installing the originals.
When I re-installed the 2nd GPU, the replacement PS blew up.

PS- The only up-side to this was all the spares built a nice new system.
PPS- The bad PS's will start a system, but only run for a few minutes before the system re-boots.
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Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 3:38 pm Post subject:

well, It's been running for a couple of hours now, BUT, GpuGrid won't give me work. The Ps is a 850 watt $130.00 Ps. I think it may be over heating...
I no longer have an air compressor and I used to clean out the comps with that, the cans are just a little better than useless....

I might take it to work and use their air hose to blow it out. If it can put on a lug nut for a semi it should be able to blow out my box sufficiently.....

I think that when I do get work for GpuGrid it will crash..... Confused

_________________
a.k.a. Licentious of Borg.........Resistance Really is Futile.......
and a Really Hoopy Frood who always knows where his Towel is...

Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2009 4:14 pm Post subject:

I reinstalled the 190.62 drivers and I got work from GpuGrid....

Only time will tell.......... #ni-1

_________________
a.k.a. Licentious of Borg.........Resistance Really is Futile.......
and a Really Hoopy Frood who always knows where his Towel is...

Pooh Bear 27 · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 6:16 am Post subject:

Any new news? I'd like to hear what finally was found to be the culprit and see how close I was.

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Crashes from disk intensive work are hardly ever CPU related, they're usually more related to the controller on the drive itself. Make sure your hard drive(s) aren't hot for some reason.

Also, what errors are/were you getting when it BSoDs? Should have a message and a numeric code. If it's too fast to read there should be a minidump it's leaving on the drive and I'll find you instructions on how to get useful information out of it. Camera phones are also useful hehe, for catching the screen.

If you've sorted it out, I'd like to know what it was too.
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Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 8:30 pm Post subject:

Well it has been running stable for 24 hours now, the only issue is that is has errored out 20 GpuGrid Wu's in a row.... the other box is doing the same thing.

I am not sure what it was.....the bsod's would freeze and not print all the words, odd I know....it got to the point that there would only be one letter on the screen....

I just started it up yesterday and I kept trying new things until it didn't crash anymore.

I put Amd overdrive on last night after it was fairly stable and it crashed the machine immediately. Upon reboot it would crash as soon as Aod started, I had to boot into safe mode and delete the folder because it would not run long enough to uninstall it. I figured that maybe I could monitor memory timings and voltage with it, I guess not.......

So all in all it is a mystery Confused

_________________
a.k.a. Licentious of Borg.........Resistance Really is Futile.......
and a Really Hoopy Frood who always knows where his Towel is...

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

You have more than one machine right? Might be worth looking into kernel debugging. Not sure how its setup "in the real world," but I know everything you need is available publicly. Might help figure it out.

I forget, did you say you'd already run it through a round of memtest?
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Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:37 am Post subject:

Well,........ I woke up this morning and it was off......

I had to shut off power strip to get it to go and all it did was flash power for a second and then shut off. The fans didn't even do a full turn.....

Long story short I pulled the Rosewill 850watt ps and tested it, 4.1 on the 3.3, 10.0 on both the 12's no power good signal and both fans are not functioning Confused

I guess 16 months at 100% cpu in a antec 900 case with 9 fans and the last 6 months running 2 9800GTX+ cards wasn't bad....
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a.k.a. Licentious of Borg.........Resistance Really is Futile.......
and a Really Hoopy Frood who always knows where his Towel is...

ohiomike · Prince Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 858 Location: Sometimes

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

I think the difference between a good PSU and a bad PSU is how much goes down with it. If the PSU suicides and there are no other casualties, that was a good PSU, regardless of what it cost.

I've seen PSU take the motherboard and CPU down when it went. I've also seen one leaking capacitive fluid through the vent holes. Seen several that were plugged into the wrong voltage (set to 110/115 and plugged into 208/240), they blow up nicely.

I've never, however, actually had one die on me. The old system (X2 3800) was acting weird enough that I suspected the PSU, also a Rosewill, but didn't have the inclination to replace it. The case is really weird, and takes a crapton of effort to get a PSU into, plus wiring it is very tedious.

My Q9300 is running a crappy 550 watt PSU that came with the case. It's been running 24/7 at 100% load (which is considerable from this CPU, and the twin Kama scythe 3k rpm fans) with an HD4870 vid card for like 18 months now. Maybe more.
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Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 1:07 pm Post subject:

I found a 450 watt ps that I forgot I had, I got it a couple of years ago and it was in an old case...

It runs the comp but if I try to play a game it bsod's. I am sure it won't run a GpuGrid wu.......

I have spent the last couple of hours OCing the thing... I can get 3.65Ghz but it is not stable for long, so I backed it down to 3.5 for now. I finally took the time to set the memory timings manually and now I am finally getting 1066 out of the memory Very Happy

and I flashed the bios so it recognizes the Deneb, I will have to get another power supply, I sure could think of something else to do with $100.00 Confused

EDIT: The Rosewill has a 3 year warranty Very Happy

I'm gonna RMA the damn thing and get a nice spare...... Wink

_________________
a.k.a. Licentious of Borg.........Resistance Really is Futile.......
and a Really Hoopy Frood who always knows where his Towel is...

JerWA · Prince Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1497 Location: WA, USA

Well at least you're pretty sure that was the issue now, especially since another under powered PSU is causing similar behavior.

I'd just wait for something to go on sale. When I'm waiting for a part I'm not picky about the brand of, I just watch Newegg for sales. That's how I got both my cases, one with 500 watt and one with 550 watt PSUs, for under $80 shipped, and with a $20 mail in rebate too. Every once in awhile a nice PSU, one that's normally $200+, will be down around $100 and have free shipping and sometimes even a mail-in rebate so the total is down to like $70.

I'm just gonna run my crappy included PSUs until they blow up.
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Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:09 pm Post subject:

I went out and bought a new Ps. I got a Antec 750 Earthwatts for the same price as the Antec 650 Earthwatts... Gotta love MicroCenter Very Happy

I am back to running GpuGrid on both cards...Finally Rolling Eyes

I should hit 10,000,000 tomorrow with this.......I should have hit it 2 weeks ago except for the move and the failures

Btw: Rosewill has authorized NewEgg to RMA my fried 850 and I will have a spare 850 watt Ps for my next build Very Happy

I think that one will have 4 Video cards and a Phenom 965 Black or better Twisted Evil

Whadada think?? How about 4 295 X2's #evil

_________________
a.k.a. Licentious of Borg.........Resistance Really is Futile.......
and a Really Hoopy Frood who always knows where his Towel is...

bpowe · Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:35 pm Post subject:

Just as an aside... I don't have an air compressor here, but my leaf blower works pretty well as a dust bunny killer.
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braddblk · Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 12:19 am Post subject: PS tester

I subscribe to a tech log of a guy in Malaysia and he recommended this tester I got one and while I haven't had call to use it yet I think it would save time when a ps is iffy. Here's the link,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digital-LCD-PC-Computer-PC-Power-Supply-Tester-20-24-Pin-4-SATA-HD-HDD-Testers-/300881771083?pt=US_Computer_Power_Supply_Testers&hash=item460df37a4b

By the way I'm not the seller. #ni-1

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PhastPhred · Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 1:51 am Post subject: Re: PS tester

Gemjunkie · Posted: Fri May 31, 2013 1:42 pm Post subject:

I have this one, it's been useful a couple of times.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/266741/DrPower_Power_supply_Tester

That one looks better though.
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