Computer problems

[LA_MERC_Drax]

1st problem:

I think i have a bad ram chip, but is there any kind of scan i can use to check them? I'm about to pull one out and run it, and then swap them and run the other to see if i can find which one is bad, if not both. The problem i get is when i try to copy a large file from my computer to my external hard drive, it blue screen crashes on me everytime. It locks up in games after awhlie, and even sometimes when i wake up in the morning, i'll come into my office and find my computer shut down(and i don't turn my computer off at night).

2nd Problem:

I think i have a bad ground somewhere in the case. I'm catching alot of electrical interference through my speakers, and even worse when i use the expansion plugs on the front of my case. Any ideas on how to fix this?

[LA_MERC_Spark]

for the grounding problem check everything piece by piece. For the mem test I use Trinity rescue kit. It includes memtest. get it here and burn the image to make a bootable cd.

http://trinityhome.org/Home/index.php?wpid=93&front_id=12

If you just want memtest iso get it here

http://www.memtest86.com/download.html

[LA_MERC_T4rg3T]

for the grounding problem check everything piece by piece. For the mem test I use Trinity rescue kit. It includes memtest. get it here and burn the image to make a bootable cd.

http://trinityhome.org/Home/index.php?wpid=93&front_id=12

If you just want memtest iso get it here

http://www.memtest86.com/download.html



Spark, Do you get a commission from Trinity?

[LA_MERC_Drax]

So im running this memtest, and its found 8 errors now....

This means what?

[LA_MERC_Spark]

Spark, Do you get a commission from Trinity?


lol.. when you find something that works as good as it does you have to spread the word.

[LA_MERC_Drifter]

Depending on who made the ram the next step would be to RMA it or order some new ram.

[Ab1dab1]

Drax,

Are you using an on-board sound card? If it is amplified, it may be the reason why you are hearing static through the speakers. In some instances the front side speaker jacks require you to run a pass thru cable to the back input of the sound board (unless your board has dual inputs). That cable running inside your case may be bad or may be lying on top of transistors/capacitors on your motherboard. Check the cable is routed around your mobo.

Static could also be coming from unclean power going in to your PC. Do you have your PC plugged in to a UPS? Depending on how big your rig is (good god Andy must nead a terawatt UPS) would determine the size for your UPS. A good rule of thumb is to use your power supply. If you have a 600watt PSU, use a 600watt UPS. Static can be caused by spikes small surges in the power. Your PSU attempts to clean some of it up, but it isn't perfect. A UPS will convert the AC to DC (battery) back to AC so that the power curve is clean and filtered.

I'm a clean power nut.....I think I'm the only person who actually brought a UPS to the LAN -g-

Abi

[LA_MERC_FragFood]

When it comes to a UPS, bigger is always better. Runtime is always good. I run an APC 1400VA unit to run my server (4x 10K SCSI drives and CD-ROM) and gaming rig (2x SATA, DVD-R, Geforce), 24" LCD, cable modem, primary switch, router and KVM. Total draw under normal load is ~450-500 watts. Holds it up and running for around 40 minutes. Plenty of time for me to finish a round and shut everything down properly... :) Matching KVA capacity to PSU wattage isn't that good a rule of thumb. Close to double is probably a better bet - you don't want to have it at full draw when it kicks in or your run time will be really short - like a few minutes.

As to type of UPS, the filtering you refer to only takes place in an "online" UPS, where all power is rectified and then reinverted to power the load. Most consumer level UPS' are the "offline" type, where the PSU of the computer is expected to hold the load for the couple of milliseconds it takes for the UPS to switch over. Modern PSUs don't have any problem with that.

Re: the noise - Did you build your own PC? If so, did you happen to use any of the little red fiber washers on the metal standoffs under your motherboard? If so, take 'em out. You've got a multiple layer motherboard in there, and some of those layers are ground planes. They rely on connectivity from the standoffs to ensure proper operation and stability. Everything else grounds through the chassis. You can take the cover off of your PSU and make sure that the ground wire (green, possibly w/ yellow stripe) is firmly attached to the PSU case. The rest will take care of themselves.

Hope that helps.

[LA_MERC_Drax]

Yea, i built my computer myself, i think the main issue is the cable leading from the sound card (not onboard) , to the front of the case. I checked out the path, its routed pretty far around the mobo, but its lying on the bottom of the case, and when it enters the front panel, theres alot of cables going in the same hole with it(a few power cables for lights, gauges and switches on the front panel). With that cable unplugged, sound is much better. I'm thinking it could be something with the power, i can hear noises coming through the speakers when moving the mouse around and clicking stuff.

As far as the ram, gonna be calling up corsair when i get back in to get that ram replaced.