problems with computer i built

[mastrduke]

i built this computer about 2 years ago now...its been working fine until recently...it crashed so i reformatted it and it worked for about 2 months...then i got back from vacation and it will no longer run world of warcraft and when i try to scroll on the internet its a laggy scroll..dont know how to describe it....also feels slower...ive run lots of antispyware and virus programs all said comp is clean.....could my ram be dead? when i tried to run wow the first time it didnt work it said my computer hardware had changed...but i hadnt changed anything...im very frustrated atm...plz help!

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Run memtest to check your ram, and Prime95 to test your CPU, I would also run scandisk on the hard drive. Most likely since you've already had to refomat the drive, it's the drive going bad

 

[mastrduke]

i tried to download memtest...how do i run it? sorry im an idiot atm

 

[ColemontHD]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
Run memtest to check your ram, and Prime95 to test your CPU, I would also run scandisk on the hard drive. Most likely since you've already had to refomat the drive, it's the drive going bad

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: ColemontHD

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
Run memtest to check your ram, and Prime95 to test your CPU, I would also run scandisk on the hard drive. Most likely since you've already had to refomat the drive, it's the drive going bad

Download Memtest, then run it overnight. Then, download SpeedFan, and have it running while you run SP2004. Run SP2004 @ Priority 8. Watch the cpu temperature (Temp 1), because it almost sounds to me like you're overheating.

 

[goobernoodles]

Not sure why the previous posters didn't tell you...

You have to burn memtest to a cd, then boot from the cd.

 

[mastrduke]

how long should i run the sp2004 test for? cpu temp at 39C after 8 mins so far...was at 36c before i started the test....thanks for explaining memtest...ill do that tonight

 

[mastrduke]

the 2 things that say temp are at 127C and have a flame next to them... does that mean im overheating?

 

[beemercer]

Unless the probe is not working correctly, 127C is overheating.

 

[vhx]

Extremely overheating.

 

[mastrduke]

the temp monitor that came wiht my computer the asus one...says that the cpu and motherboard are both below 40C just like the speedfan does...the only things that are hot are the 2 things that say temp....temp1 the cpu...is fine it says.....


on a side note ive had memtest 86 running for 2 hours now and it has shown 48 errors....how do i find out if the problem is ram or harddrive? should i let it keep running or should i try to fix it now since i know it has problems already?


and thanks for all the help




just turned memtest off and cpu and mobo temps are up around 59C i knokw that isnt good...but i have no idea where to start trying to fix this computer....with overheating and memory errors....plz help

 

[mastrduke]

any suggestions on what to do now?

 

[mastrduke]

help plz

 

[Paperdoc]

Looks like you have stong indications that ONE of your problems is overheating. (There might be others, too, of course.) So start with the simple stuff:
1. Check any and all FILTERS near fans. They try to keep out the excess dirt from outside, but they get plugged up and have to be cleaned. Otherwise they will stop air flow. While you're at it, look closely at the grills that keep fingers out of fans - any of them clogged?
2. Check the fans themselves. Any simply not working? Any seem to be running oddly slow?
3. Check the CPU fan. Is it working well?
4. More subtle and not-so-likely problem: some motherboards allow you to specify in the BIOS Setup panels the temperatures at which fans turn on, or go to high speed. IF those settings got changed somehow your fans could be running slow when they need to run fast.

 

[mastrduke]

i cleaned out a lot of the dust the other day...im getting some compressed air to do a better job within the next few days hopefully....the results ofthe memtest are making methink i have bad ram and need to buy new ram....does anyone think that would help? ive been wanting to upgrade to 2gb or ram anyway


thanks for all the help so far

 

[mastrduke]

so memtest runs fine when there is only 1 stick of ram in at a time so far...did about 90minues of each stick by itself...when i put them both in at once i get error after about 15 minutes....any ideas?

 

[Paperdoc]

That's a very good clue, but I don't have answers - just places to look. Read the forums on overclocking, especially memory. I recall advice in some of them for when you're first starting out to ramp up your memory speed. They said: install only one stick of RAM at a time, which forces the system to run in single-channel mode. Play with the memory timing parameters until you find its limit. Do the same for the other stick, using the same RAM slot. THEN put them both in (now we're back to dual-channel operation) and you probably will find that you cannot run it at the fastest setting you found for one stick. You will have to slow down the memory speed a bit (or slack off on the timing parameters) to run this way. It almost sounds like your RAM is OK, but the timing needs adjustment downwards a bit.

Another possibility: maybe one of the RAM slots has gone wonky. When you run only one stick at a time, do you always use the same slot? As a test, is it possible to run only one stick in the SECOND slot (the one used when you put both sticks in)? That way you could test the second slot.

 

[mastrduke]

when i run only 1 stick at once they both work in both dimm slots...but when i put both in at once it fails the test...however even when 1 stick is in it passes the memtest but it still fails to run wow and moving windows lags and scrolling lags...could it be a software prob? should i reformat?

 

[mastrduke]

when i put the cd in my computer to reformat it it took about 5 minutes for the screen to load....i remember reformating before when it was instant...this leads me to believe it is a hardware problem correct? any ideas on what it could be? also when using winfan it shows my cpu usage up aron d90 to 100% with only aol running...is my processor crap now?

 

[mastrduke]

im thinking this could be a motherboard problem...anyone else think that may be correct?

 

[betasub]

Based on your memtest results, source of problem (in order of decreasing probability):

1. RAM - try underclocking it i.e. running at the lowest speed in BIOS (e.g. 133MHz).
2. Motherboard - faulty slot or poor voltage regulation (vDIMM).
3. CPU - contains the memory controller, but unlikely to be faulty if it's getting enough voltage (vCore).

 

[mastrduke]

i was given the suggestion of underclocking my computer to see if that helps anything...ive never overcllocked before...im assuming underclocking is just the opposite....how would i go about underclocking? my computer is stillthe same one that is in my signature