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#1751921 - 09/15/05 07:36 AM OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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SkinnyCyclist Offline
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Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
I can't manage to get in contact with either ATI or Sapphire support, so I really appreciate any help from the community…

I've never seen this before…



I use a 350W PSU with the following hardware (roughly…):

- ASUS P4B MB
- P4 2,4GHz 400MHz Bus
- 1024MB RAM PC133
- 40GB HD
- 80GB HD (Installed a couple of weeks ago.)
- Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB
- SB Audigy ZS
- DVD-ROM
- CD/RW
- USB 2.0 PCI Card
- Network/Modem PCI Card
- Saitek X52
- Wacom Graphire 2 Tablet
- Diskette drive (which I never use… Maybe I should unplug it and gain a couple of watts!? ;\)
- One (small) extra cooling fan

One interesting note is that I did reinstall the Catalyst 5.8 drivers and when I restarted the computer a got that horrifying ;\) beep-beep-beep sound and a screen telling me that the Radeon power cable wasn't connected – but it was connected…

PS. I'm not over clocking!

Thanks,

\:\)

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#1751922 - 09/15/05 08:36 AM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  

**DONOTDELETE**
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Bad video RAM?

#1751923 - 09/15/05 09:42 AM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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suntrace1 Offline
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Yup, your graphics card is:

a - overheated or
b - bitting the dust

Open the case and touch the RAM to see, how hot is it. Then get a house fan and direct the air-flown into your opened case.

If you don't know where video-RAM is located, leave it alone and go the the local service shop. It could be fixed with some extra cooling (bigger fan for GFX card and ribs on RAM), if not, then prepare to spend some $$$.

#1751924 - 09/15/05 10:53 AM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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SkinnyCyclist Offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by suntrace1:
...if not, then prepare to spend some $$$.
My wife’s gonna kill me...

;\)

#1751925 - 09/15/05 10:58 AM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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SkinnyCyclist Offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by suntrace1:
...If you don't know where video-RAM is located, leave it alone and go the the local service shop...
I've modified a Geforce card a long time ago, so that should not be a problem!

Thanks for the suggestion.

\:\)

#1751926 - 09/15/05 11:36 AM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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EMAPhil Offline
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Thats what wives are for!
Tell her its a vital part of you researching her next birthday/anniversary/Christmas present, or your next roantic trip somewhere.
She won't believe you but you'll get points for invention.

OR Try bribery--flowers work really well
OR Do'nt tell her.


Pessimists are rarely disappointed.

Phil
#1751927 - 09/15/05 11:42 AM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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Novum Offline
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the gafik maybe a littel glapp ore you monitor has fått tok spel

;\)


Peace Means Practis
#1751928 - 09/15/05 12:13 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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SkinnyCyclist Offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by EMAPhil:
...OR Do'nt tell her.
I like that one! ;\)

I don't think I should tell her that it’s not a Geforce2 GTS PRO card sitting there anymore, or a Geforce4 4200, or a GeforceFX 5600 – It’s a dying (hopefully not…) Radeon 9800 Pro… One day I will show here the cardboard box under the bed in our home office – "Hey Darling! Look! A box filled with wonderful - but old and crappy! - computer components."

\:\)

#1751929 - 09/15/05 12:18 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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SkinnyCyclist Offline
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Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
Quote:
Originally posted by Novum:
the gafik maybe a littel glapp ore you monitor has fått tok spel

;\)
You could be right actually… I was gently jerking (is that the right word!?) the power cable that goes in the card around, and the vertical bands disappeared…

#1751930 - 09/15/05 12:23 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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Tails Offline
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Hickam AFB, HI
The power cable might not do that, but moving the card around in it's slot might of knocked some dust loose on the connectors.

Something you may try, that I used to do with old NES games, is to take a Q-tip and dip the end in isopropyl alcohol. Not rubbing alcohol, mind you, because that leaves a film when it evaporates. Anyways, use the q-tip and alcohol to clean the connectors on the card and in the socket, and see if that helps any.


Aces High 2: Our fanbois can kick your fanbois' a--es!
#1751931 - 09/15/05 12:51 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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Yossarian1369 Offline
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Start with the simple stuff...Open the box up, clean out all the accumulated muck from the box and on top of the card...Pull the card out and re-seat it, and check all your connections...Overheating can be simply dirt, and dirt can short stuff...Start there...

#1751932 - 09/15/05 12:51 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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Yossarian1369 Offline
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Oh, and clean your fans...

#1751933 - 09/15/05 12:53 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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Dude, those Sapphire 9800Pros are really crap. Within one year it smoked two of em in my machine.
Waiting for my third atm.

#1751934 - 09/15/05 01:15 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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Huey52 Offline
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Really? Been running two of them in family daily-use machines since they were first introduced. 9700Pro's before them. No problems here. Sapphire is ATI's primary manufacturer.

Quote:
Originally posted by kRush:
Dude, those Sapphire 9800Pros are really crap. Within one year it smoked two of em in my machine.
Waiting for my third atm.

#1751935 - 09/15/05 02:35 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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SkinnyCyclist Offline
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OK – Thank you all for the advices!

About dirt and dust - I'm actually one of those guys who vacuum clean the inside of my computer on a monthly basis. So it's pretty clean there…

This is what I have done:
- Cleaned the connectors with alcohol.
- Robbed my old Geforce card on its memory heat sinks and attached them on the front and back of my Radeon instead.



- Prayed to the almighty Good of Computer's that this will work… ;\)

#1751936 - 09/15/05 03:18 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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Joe Offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Tails:
take a Q-tip and dip the end in isopropyl alcohol. Not rubbing alcohol, mind you, because that leaves a film when it evaporates.
Isopropyl alcohol is rubbing alcohol...

#1751937 - 09/15/05 11:12 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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Tacman Offline
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Artifacting like that can be from inadequate power to the device, if you have a more powerful psu i suggest trying that.

Ive seen that happen many many many times in customers machines, 9 times outta 10 its because of not enough power or too much heat. Bad ram / defective cards are not rare and can cause similar results but in most cases other things happen.


When someone says ACK! i duck..
#1751938 - 09/16/05 04:53 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  
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SkinnyCyclist Offline
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Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
News Flash Friday Evening!
It's more than 24 hours since a cleaned the connections and installed some heave duty ;\) memory heat sinks – and everything is OK!

Now – some red wine and then perhaps The Falcon…

\:\)

#1751939 - 09/16/05 06:16 PM Re: OT - Could this be a case of an insufficient PSU?  

**DONOTDELETE**
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"I’m actually one of those guys who vacuum clean the inside of my computer on a monthly basis. .."
Don't think that's always a good idea.
BTW It may be one of the best ways to actually kill your PC (if you don't do it properly/carefully) !
Plz Have a look...
http://www.pcmech.com/show/troubleshoot/827/1/
I have NEVER cleaned any of my PCs and (until now) never had to.
If you have a filter in the case (like the Antec Sonata has) it's much better to clean only that AFAIK.
Anyway, I'm very glad you got things sorted out !
Good Luck.


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