Official "Computer Troubles" Thread

[spjt07]

I have a bit of a problem, which I think may be related to my power supply.

At the moment I have Windows 7 ultimate 32 bit but I am getting Windows 7 64 bit soon, just have to find some way of getting a hdd to back my stuff up first.

At the moment my specs are
Asus 5770
4gb ddr II 800 ram
Athlon dual 245
500gb hd
Biostar A770 mb
Coolermaster 500W power supply (don't know exacts but it isn't the best of them since it came inclusive with the CM335 elite case).

So the problem is I bought another 1 gig of ram (Kingmax DDRII 800) and put it in. Computer registers 5gb on startup but the computer doesn't really get past the 1st screen. It comes up with some error, technical jargon that I wouldn't understand. Could it be that my power supply doesn't have enough power to power it?
When i turn on the computer it gives 2 or 3 quick beeps, but the pc does turn on normally, I just cannot get into windows?
Is there any program that I can download that will measure how much power my pc is using and tell me exactly how much I have left? Not an online calculator, but something I install and it checks the power draw automatically?

[Toxxyc]

Yeah it's probably the PSU. Try using this: Antec PSU Calculator. It's not the best of tools, but it'll give you a general idea.

Also, generic PSU's (the ones that come with cases) are generally **** to say the least. It says 500W, but the rails can't handle anywhere near that, so it just dies off. Remove the optical drive, extra fans and one RAM chip and see if it starts up then. If it does, then you have the answer. If it doesn't, get back here :D

Oh yes and I almost forgot why I came here...

The cooling issue - I just installed my new cooler (Cooler Master Hyper 212 +) yesterday before a big LAN (that we won, BTW). I installed an additional Cooler Master 120mm blue LED fan, and set it to run ar 800~1000RMP. Now, the good part:

I run a Core 2 Quad Q8400 @ 2.66GHz reference. Idle temperatures on this CPU dropped from 41'C to 30'C with the new cooler. Load temperature dropped from 56'C to 34'C.

Then, I decided to OC. I overclocked with a 20% OC Profile (ASUS motherboard) to 3.2GHz, and now this is what happens: Idle temperature for the overclocked CPU sticks at 34.5'C. Load temperature for the CPU peaks at 47'C. These temperatures are all measured from Everest and compared to my BIOS readings, and they seem accurate (the cooler's heat pipes stay cool). This is while I keep the primary fan running on Auto, so it sticks to 1800RPM~2100RPM, with the upgraded fan I installed never exceeding 1000RPM. Also, the case I bought (together with the cooler), the Antec DF-30, is running with the two front intake fans on minimum, the top intake fan at High and the rear extraction fan at High. Reason is simple - Top intake fan blows DIRECTLY into the fins of the cooler, like it was made for it, and the rear extraction fan lines up perfectly with the extra fan on the CPU cooler, taking all hot air out immediately.

I'm extremely impressed by these figures, I honsetly didn't think it would be as good as this. Not too bad at all for a cooling upgrade that cost me R350... :D

*extremly satisfied*

EDIT: Oh yes, and the case with the HDD cooling fans works - my HDD temps dropped from around 60'C under full load to 51'C under full load. I'm happy now!

[spjt07]

Nah it's probably the PSU. Try using this: Antec PSU Calculator. It's not the best of tools, but it'll give you a general idea.

Also, generic PSU's (the ones that come with cases) are generally **** to say the least. It says 500W, but the rails can't handle anywhere near that, so it just dies off. Remove the optical drive, extra fans and one RAM chip and see if it starts up then. If it does, then you have the answer. If it doesn't, get back here :D

Well thats the thing, with 4 gigs of ram it works fine, but when I put the extra (5th) gig in it wouldn't get into windows at all.
How much power could 1 gig really use up, can't be that much surely?

[Toxxyc]

Well thats the thing, with 4 gigs of ram it works fine, but when I put the extra (5th) gig in it wouldn't get into windows at all.
How much power could 1 gig really use up, can't be that much surely?

It takes one drop to make the bucket overflow doesn't it...?

[spjt07]

I have a bit of an annoying problem, I have a few games where the sound is working properly.
Diablo 2 - LOD - patched to the one on December 2010 dvd.
Bards Tale
Hitman - Blood Money

Music works fine but when I talk to a npc there is no speech in it. Other sound works fine its just the speech. If I go into the settings the audio settings seem fine, is it a problem with the games or is it my computer being weird. Has anyone else experienced these problems or knows how to fix it?

I have Windows 7 ultimate.

[Chevron]

Well thats the thing, with 4 gigs of ram it works fine, but when I put the extra (5th) gig in it wouldn't get into windows at all.
How much power could 1 gig really use up, can't be that much surely?

It's not the powersupply. The 5770 sips power. Most likely you are trying to run the 1gig module in dual channel mode with the a 2gig module. I'd just leave the 1gig out anyway till you get 64bit as 32bit only uses about 3gigs anyway.

[spjt07]

It's not the powersupply. The 5770 sips power. Most likely you are trying to run the 1gig module in dual channel mode with the a 2gig module. I'd just leave the 1gig out anyway till you get 64bit as 32bit only uses about 3gigs anyway.

I tried both free slots, The one that was easier to put in gave the error. The other one I really sukkled to get it in. I put it in more to see if the ram worked as I bought it second hand (for 50 bucks it seemed a good buy). The slots are 2 orange and 2 green. I have each two gig in each colour. So if I were to put the 2 ram chips in matching colours does that then mean they will then be in dual allowing the 5th gig to work?

[Toxxyc]

I tried both free slots, The one that was easier to put in gave the error. The other one I really sukkled to get it in. I put it in more to see if the ram worked as I bought it second hand (for 50 bucks it seemed a good buy). The slots are 2 orange and 2 green. I have each two gig in each colour. So if I were to put the 2 ram chips in matching colours does that then mean they will then be in dual allowing the 5th gig to work?

really sukkled

Seriously LOL'd @ that one.

But back to topic, I'd think yes. Populate the same colour with the matching chips, and then install the 1GB chip in one of the left over slots. You'd not not know if it's working or not, seeing as how you cannot see more than about 3.2GB (3.4GB if you're lucky) on a 32-bit OS...

[spjt07]

Its 3.25. No the 32 bit tells you how much is installed and how much is accessible. At the moment it says 4 gigs installed and 3.25 used.

Any idea on the audio problem anyone?

[Cranky]

Chevron you are actually wasting our time with the 5th Gig . I run 6GB as i need it for my I 7 Tri Channel but i never use more than 4Gb always around 2- 3 Gb

[Cranky]

- Try re installing your drivers . also those games are quit old it might be that they don't work properly with WIn 7

What sound card are you using? on board or an add on audio card ?

[spjt07]

- Try re installing your drivers . also those games are quit old it might be that they don't work properly with WIn 7

What sound card are you using? on board or an add on audio card ?

Its the onboard soundcard, I think its a realtek one. It might be a sound card software issue, but I will probably only reinstall that when I put windows 7 64 bit on. Just wondering though if it is the problem or if it is a setting that needs to be changed.

[Cranky]

Sounds like software .. IF it was setting you'd have no sound rather than a broken playback

[Toxxyc]

Sounds like software .. IF it was setting you'd have no sound rather than a broken playback

Not always. Badly set up channel settings and driver configuration can lead to some audio missing or disappearing. I know this happened to me before - I'd had very funny settings on my Media Player Classic, and when I turned down the master volume of the program, the rear speakers would keep playing full-blast, whilst the subwoofer and fronts silence. Changed channel settings and all was well after that!

[spjt07]

Thing is I use a 2.1 speaker system, most games of that era will be set up for stereo/mono. Even tried headphones. I asked my brother to try Bards Tale on his computer (Windows Ultimate 64 bit) to see if it is a software or driver issue.

[Toxxyc]

Thing is I use a 2.1 speaker system, most games of that era will be set up for stereo/mono. Even tried headphones. I asked my brother to try Bards Tale on his computer (Windows Ultimate 64 bit) to see if it is a software or driver issue.

I'd guess if it was a game issue, it would've come up in games everywhere, and it would've been more known. Have you reinstalled the drivers yet?

[spjt07]

I'd guess if it was a game issue, it would've come up in games everywhere, and it would've been more known. Have you reinstalled the drivers yet?

No not yet, been working all day every day so haven't had the chance. Hoping that the experiment with my brother's computer will solve or shed some light on the matter.

[hAwk2323]

I've got a slight problem. A friend of mine had a virus on her portable hdd. I told her I'd fix it for her. I plug it in and scanned it, cleaned it and gave it back to her. A week later my dead space 2 game executable reports as a win32 heur virus. WTF. What should I do? Do you guys think it would have spread to my other hard drives in my computer?

[Legion]

Can anyone tell me why my gpu 5870HD is missing textures in game.
This seems to happen when certain shader combinations come into play.

Some of the guns in bullet storm are missing textures.
In AVP2 the predator's mask does not get shaded "it's just a solid white model" and that makes fighting preds in MP mode way too easy.

I tried changing my drivers and messing with parameters in the control panel.
I think the card may have a bug.

[Toxxyc]

Can anyone tell me why my gpu 5870HD is missing textures in game.
This seems to happen when certain shader combinations come into play.

Some of the guns in bullet storm are missing textures.
In AVP2 the predator's mask does not get shaded "it's just a solid white model" and that makes fighting preds in MP mode way too easy.

I tried changing my drivers and messing with parameters in the control panel.
I think the card may have a bug.

Reinstall your drivers. Remove all old drivers (don't just update, completely remove from "Add and Remove Programs") and install the newest one available.

Also, if you are overclocking, it may simply be that you are stressing your card too much. Drop the core/memory clock speeds a little and see if it helps.

But try the complete driver reinstall first. Most probably the problem.