Jeeps Canada - Jeep Forums - {OT} -- Computer Problem

c wrote:
> Mike Romain wrote:
>> c wrote:
>>> Mike Romain wrote:
>>>> bllsht wrote:
>>>>> On Sun, 21 Jan 2007 15:03:05 -0500, Mike Romain <romainm@sympatico.ca>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Earle Horton wrote:
>>>>>>> "noneofyourbusiness" <top.secret@needtoknow.org> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:25k6r2plclf4t4ea9216gvphp7b7lra6ft@4ax.com...
>>>>>>>> On Sat, 20 Jan 2007 09:50:51 -0700, "Earle Horton"
>>>>>>>> <el_anglo_burgues@usa.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Gamers don't like the built-in video cards that you get with a
>>>>>>>>> lot of
>>>>>>>>> motherboards, because they are "cheap" and not as "gnarly" as a
>>>>>>>>> $300.00 AGP card that comes with its own cooling fan. On the
>>>>>>>>> other hand, you rarely get compatibility problems with built-in
>>>>>>>>> cards.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Earle
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On-board video rarely supports the *features* most modern games
>>>>>>>> require...THATS why most gamers don't use on-board video :o
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Features" = "gnarly". Mike no doubt has a card that requires an
>>>>>>> initialization sequence that is not being done properly by the
>>>>>>> driver that
>>>>>>> he has installed. In that case, it is trying to emulate
>>>>>>> everything in
>>>>>>> software, with the results that he has posted. Unless he is
>>>>>>> actually a
>>>>>>> gamer (rhymes with lamer) I would recommend pitching it in the
>>>>>>> trash and
>>>>>>> sticking with the old PCI card.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Earle
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> Yup, I am not a gamer and my PC has never rocked so fast than
>>>>>> with the straight 4M pci card. It will even multi task for the
>>>>>> first time!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am happy.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am thinking it might be a monitor issue. It is an NCR with no
>>>>>> available drivers, but still the boot issue... Oh well.
>>>>>
>>>>> Since it happens during POST, when drivers aren't loaded yet, I'd
>>>>> suspect a hardware compatiblity issue. Or maybe a problem with the
>>>>> MB's AGP slot.
>>>>>
>>>>> Just did a quick Google on your motherboard and came up with this:
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.digit-life.com/articles/a...dls/index.html
>>>>>
>>>>> Near the bottom is a section on Nvidia problems with this MB. May help
>>>>> if you haven't seen it already.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks, I have the single CPU with the VIA Apollo Pro133Z chipset
>>>> instead of the one mentioned and tried a 2005 VIA update with an AGP
>>>> fix in it also. Original drivers were 2002. Worse if anything with
>>>> the 2005. It would only stay stable for one boot with that one, at
>>>> least the old drivers worked for years, just slow as a pig. I
>>>> haven't seen a performance increase since my P200 upgrade from my 486.
>>>>
>>>> I am happy now with the 733 mhz board and 1G ram, it isn't worth
>>>> messing with until I upgrade hardware. I have never used anything
>>>> so fast as it is now!
>>>>
>>>> Mike
>>>>
>>>
>>> Did you check the ground strap on the PC?
>>>
>>> Chris
>>
>> LOL!
>>
>> Yes, as a matter of fact, the ground strap were one of the first
>> things checked, and it did indeed need one for one of the drives to
>> work well.
>>
>> I actually have a set of jumper cables here for making sure the
>> grounds aren't an issue with these strange cases I get. The case I am
>> now using looks like a penguin. Seriously...
>>
>> Mike
>
> Of course I was joking with you, but it does bring up an additional
> thing you could check sometime. The newer video cards require more
> watts, and being that your PC is older, I wonder if you have a power
> issue, Maybe the power supply is not sufficient to power the newer video
> card. This would be especially true if you are running multiple hard
> drives or a lot of USB devices. Many PC problems have been traced back
> to a weak or insufficient power supply. The need for a ground wire tells
> me that something might be amiss there. The PC components should all
> ground through the black wire on the Molex plug. In fact, you should be
> able to run all the PC components laying out on a table and hooked up to
> the PSU. Unlike a vehicle, a PC should NOT need the chassis to provide
> ground. In fact it is not recommended.
>
> Chris

There is a reason I have the set of 3' jumper cables with alligator
clips on them.... Back when I was working in computer hardware, things
had to be grounded. You could not run a PC on a table without the
ground straps added.

I had to solder a ground strap onto my last ASUS motherboard to chassis
ground it. Th that case's standoffs were plastic and the board required
a ground from one standoff screw hole to the chassis to work. I believe
my current one also uses a standoff ground.

All the older systems worked best with a direct chassis ground to the
components. My current CD writer has to be chassis ground with a
mounting screw or it only gets seen every second or 3rd boot up if it is
loose in the slot.

My current power supply is a new one and I tried just firing up one HD
with the stupid AGP video card and a microcrap serial mouse to make the
power draws minimal. No go, I could still go make coffee while the BIOS
was loading.

Mike