next »

[Elf]

A friend has a computer that freezes while it is at the desktop. This computer is used for surfing the net and instant messaging (MSN & Yahoo).

Computer Specs are:
Pentium 4 2GHz (Northwood core), Gigabyte GA-8IRX motherboard, 1GB DDR ram, Geforce MX 4000 AGP, 30GB Maxtor HDD, 30GB Quantium HDD, DVD RW, CD-RW, 350W Antec PSU, Windows XP SP3.

CPU temp is around 44C/111F
50% of the cpu is used for folding.

It can be running for hours with no issues. I turned it on last night at 9pm. Updated anti virus, anti spyware, downloaded IE8 through Microsoft updates. Left it going during the night and when I arrived at her house around 1pm the next day the screen was frozen at 6:43am.

It only freezes while you are not using it. I typed this post using the computer in question.

Things I have done:
Wiped the C drive (Maxtor) using dban and installed a fresh copy of XP.
Ran Memtest86+ and Sea tools hard drive diagnostics. Both reported no errors.
Swapped the old video card (ATI Radon 9200) with a known working one (Geforce MX).
Red this thread. http://www.h-kon.net/index.php/topic,34.0.html That gave me the idea to swap the video card.

I don't have another motherboard to try. 

[H-kon]

Hmm. Check the motherboard for bulging caps. I have found recently during my job that there are some of older boards that does this now.

Got a stick of memory to test with? How long did you run Memtest+?

The PSU could also be the culprit. Does it have readings in the BIOS?

[Elf]

I will check for bad caps next time I'm at her place.

I ran Memtest86+ for 15 passes (took around 10 hours) with all 3 sticks installed.

Don't know if it has voltage reading in the BIOS. Will check.

How accurate are the online PSU calculators? http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp
I got 293w with the above setup.

Time limit has passed, I can't edit my first post.

[clifton]

Time limit has passed, I can't edit my first post.

Hi Elf;
If you check at the top of your post, you should see the option to "modify".  Click that and it will let you "edit". At least, that works for me. 

[H-kon]

The online psu calculators are pretty accurate. 293w sounds high enough to suspect the psu.

I'd disconnect the quantum hd and the cd-rw and let it run for a while.

[Elf]

Hi Elf;
If you check at the top of your post, you should see the option to "modify".  Click that and it will let you "edit". At least, that works for me. 

Thank you clifton. It worked for me as well. 

The online psu calculators are pretty accurate. 293w sounds high enough to suspect the psu.

I'd disconnect the quantum hd and the cd-rw and let it run for a while.

I guess PSU's starts to degrade after a while. I knew Antec was a good brand back then.

I did disconnect the quantum hdd for a while when I formatted it and it still froze. It connected it back up before I left. I didn't disconnect the cd-rw. I will add them to the list of things to do.

I used the online psu calculator again with 1 hdd and the dvd-rw. Got 239w

[Elf]

I was at her place today. I disconnected the 2nd hard drive and the cd-rw. I left it running when I left and should return in around 5 hours.

The PSU could also be the culprit. Does it have readings in the BIOS?

Voltages in the BIOS are:
Vcore: 1.490v
Vcc18: 1.800v  <- not sure what that one is.
+3.3v: 3.136v
+5v: 4.972v
+12v: 11.58v

I also have voltage readings from Everest Ultimate.
Cpu core: 1.44v - 1.46v
+18v: 1.79v
+3.3v: 3.10v - 3.15v
+5v: 4.97v
+12v: 11.52v - 11.58v
+5v standby: 4.97v - 5.03v
VBat Battrey: 3.17v - 3.23v

Correct me if I am wrong but I think they are all within the ATX standard.
I don't know what that VBat Battery is. 

[H-kon]

The vbat is the readings from the CR2032 battery for the cmos.

The readings do look like they're within the atx standard, but i personally think the +12v is a bit on the low side, but it should not affect the computer when it's idle.

i do remember that i had a similar situation a long time ago, but i cannot for the life of me remember what i did to fix it.

Any bad caps?

[Elf]

I went back to her place today, after 6  hours of the computer being idle it is still working. I know it's shorter than the 9 hours 43 minutes it took to freeze in my first post but she didn't want it turned on during the night.

I forgot to bring a torch with me and she didn't have one so I didn't check for bad caps.

[Elf]

I went to her place today and 3 caps around the cpu looked like this

When I got there is was running for around 6 hours with no issues. I am leaning towards the psu as the cause as I have disconnected the second hard drive and cd-rw and it hasn't frozen since.

[H-kon]

Any more freezing?

I hate motherboards with bad caps. Sometimes they keep on working, other times the caps just burst/leak and everything goes wrong.
Make sure she has a recent backup

[Elf]

I may call over there on the weekend to see if there is any more freezing. This is a second computer and isn't on 24/7.

A backup was done when before the last clean install of Windows and there isn't anything important on there now.

[Elf]

I was there yesterday and this computer was on for 1 day and 23 hours. It didn't freeze so I think this one is solved. It wouldn't last a day before.

Thanks guys and girls.

[H-kon]

Still solved?

[Elf]

Still solved?

I think so. The owner hasn't said anything to me about it freezing.

[Elf]

Still solved?

I spoke to my friend tonight and she said it froze on her twice yesterday.

I haven't changed anything hardware with with this computer lately. Maybe it's time for a new PSU.

(changed a typo)

[H-kon]

It's either the motherboard or the PSU.

Thats whats left to replace it seems?

[Elf]

I hope to change the PSU on the weekend. If the motherboard is the problem then I will have to build her another computer.

[H-kon]

What make and model is the motherboard?

[Elf]

Gigabyte GA-8IRX