Rig Shuts down sponatnously.

[UtwigMU]

It's a coworkers rig, I upgraded HDD, RAM added NIC and installed Win2k:

Specs:
Generic Midtower
Meridian technology 225W PSU

Epox 61BXA-M SLOT1 BX board, flashed to lattest BIOS.
Power control by APM
ACPI disabled
PnP OS installed

Intel PII 333MHz
2x128MB PC100@66, 16h of memtest, no errors.

Matrox G200 AGP (255 BIOS, 5.86 drivers)
Rockwell PCI modem PCI (2k drivers)
SB Creative Ensoniq PCI (2k drivers)
Realtek (levelone) NIC (2k drivers)

WD800JB HDD - primary single drive, ATA66 cable, UDMA2

Plexwritter 40x12x40 - secondary master (UDMA4 - ATA33 cable)
Teac CDROM 532A - secondary slave (UDMA 2 - ATA33 cable)

I reflashed BIOS, installed JB and replaced loud as hell Sunon PSU fan with Zalman F1.

Fired up win2k install but it rebooted when it came to finishing loading drivers and before copying files.

Set BIOS settings as above, left it running memtest overnight - no errors.

Next day I installed win2k all was going well, however I saw 2 spontanous reboots, during heavy disk, CD-ROM access.

PSU: voltages are funky:
3.3 = 3.46
5 = 5.11
12 = 11.31
-12 = -10.72

Before that rig didn't exhibit problems WRT to spontanous reboots, however it had Maxtor 6.8GB drive and only 128MB of RAM. Had Windows95 running.

Could be PSU. Could be BIOS.

What do you think?

[UtwigMU]

Sorry, but it was 4am, when I posted this.

It's not Matrox hardware related, so Kruzin, could you just please move the thread, thanks.

[ayoub_ibrahim]

hmm, I'm thinking psu isn't up to the job!

[RedRed]

try an new PSU

[UtwigMU]

Do you think, replacing Maxtor 6.8 with WD 800JB and adding another 128MB stick and going win2k, which is more picky could push it over threshold?

Or could it be something with BIOS?

WRT to PSU: There are no Antecs and Enermaxes in 300W range that are priced normally. 400W is nice, but IMO overkill for PII@333/g200 rig.

Enhance?

[The PIT]

Originally posted by UtwigMU
WRT to PSU: There are no Antecs and Enermaxes in 300W range that are priced normally. 400W is nice, but IMO overkill for PII@333/g200 rig.

Enhance?

Just look at the voltages. Says to me new power supply. They do just die you know. If you got a 400 watt you've got plenty of room for future upgrades.

[UtwigMU]

1st it's a coworkers rig, I'm happy with my Macase 300W.

2nd, he intends to generally leave this rig as is. He'll get a new rig in autumn (Practicing architect in his 50's) and give this rig to his daughter for her office/homework box.

[The PIT]

Originally posted by UtwigMU
1st it's a coworkers rig, I'm happy with my Macase 300W.

2nd, he intends to generally leave this rig as is. He'll get a new rig in autumn (Practicing architect in his 50's) and give this rig to his daughter for her office/homework box.

Not much good for homework box if it reboots just when she's finnishing her assignment. I presume you mean you're going to put in another 300 Watter.

[omegaRED]

1. Give the coworker your Macase 300W.

2. Get yourself a nice 400W Enermax/Antec...

That is, if you want a 400W PSU.

[omegaRED]

And when i say GIVE, i mean SELL, ofcourse.

[UtwigMU]

Well I intend to keep this rig (give and I don't mean sell to my bro).

I have a spare Codegen 200W with which PII350@466 didn't pass memtest with two 256MB sticks of Micron CAS2 - hence I got the Macase.

I'll try to reflash the BIOS and clear the CMOS.

[Wombat]

PSU is most likely culprit. I've totally seen this before (sometimes intentionally). The PSU gets strained, and can't supply enough power to the CPU. The CPU loses state, and this causes a reset.

[Chrono_Wanderer]

imo 300W is enough... for a... 333MHz

My PII 350MHz (100FSB) is 250W... G200 AGP, NIC, Modem, Creative SB Sound, 32x CD-ROM, 5GB HDD, FDD.

However, just to play maybe go for a 350W (but then I used to use 350W on my AMD THUNDERBIARD 1.4 w/A7A266, 2 HDD, 1 DVD, 1 CD-RW, G550 etc etc)

Conclusion: pick up a 35W

[omegaRED]

Hey, if it`s a coworker, SELL. If its your brother GIVE (or sell cheaper)