My new computer should arrive Thursday

Published on March 1, 2005 By JavaScout In Personal Computing

To give a little history my main computer died in January.
This was a fairly nice system with a 3.2GHz P4 cpu 1GB of ram and a NVidia FX5900 video card.
My thought was the motherboard had died because I was getting a error code related to the keyboard controller.
I replaced the MSI X975P Neo motherboard with a ASUS P4PE motherboard.
Was a lot of messing about to replace the motherbaord mainly because the cpu is mounted with the headsink 90 degrees offset on the new motherboard from the way it was on the old motherboard.
That meant I had to carefully remove the heatsink. Remove the old thermal paste. Apply some thermal grease and getting everything lined up. Everything went reasonable well but the computer would not start up. Finally narrowed it down to a bad memory stick (Which might have been the problem all along). So I managed to get back up and running but with only 512MB of ram.

I did not noticed that much of a performance difference except when playing World of Warcraft and then it was only in Ironforge.
But I ordered 2 matched pair of 512MB DDR400 memory anyway so I could get my system back up to 1GB.

When the memory came I installed it no problem.
The system was running great. Less load time when I entered Ironforge.
Then after getting home one evening around the end of January the system would not come up at all.
I tried removing all the cards. Removed the CD-ROM, DVD and hard drive cables. Swapped the memory around. The system just would not come up. The only thing I could think of was the power supply (i had power to the motherboard but not to any of the drives or video card) but at this point I decided to just order a replacement system.

I looked around for a new PC.
I decided on a system from Monarch Computer based on the Hornet Pro.
This is a small form factor pc but looks really cool.
Link

Intel P4 550 (3.4GHz) cpu
2GB of DDR 333 memory
GeForce 6600GT (PCI-E) video card.

I decided not to re-use the dvd and cd-rw drives but decided to replace them with a CD/DVD rewritable drive and also added a 250GB SATA hard drive.

Well the system should be arriving on Thursday. My wife will be pleased as I have taken over her computer for the past month.

Should be fairly easy to get up and running. I just need to install my old ide hard drive and Audigy sound card then mess around getting Windows XP to start up which will probably involve calling Microsoft to get the operating system re-activiated.

Comments

Double Zero

on Mar 02, 2005

Just a guess, but it sounds almost as if your old system was shorting out the MB...like you forgot to add a standoff somewhere or maybe a portion of it was touching the rear?..

I have dealt with similar circumstances, the same symptoms and have found it to be a short..

Zero.

Danny Bassette

on Mar 02, 2005

Sounds like your getting yourself a nice computer, enjoy it

Kobrano

on Mar 02, 2005

Little light on the graphics card there. I'd of gone with a 6800GT-OC from BFG.. That 6600 is a bit on the lean side for upcoming games. I'd of saved the money, got your other system (which was fine) up and running, and spent the money on a 6800GT for that system instead. Processors mean almost nothing to most games once you get past the 2.4Ghz mark in my experiance, its all about Ram and Graphic card.

Sounds like you needed an oil change, and threw out the car! Doesn't make much sense to me man. You needed a $30 powersupply, so you purchase a new system thats not much better anyway?

kona0197

on Mar 02, 2005

Sounds like a nice system...

But I would have gone with something different.

JavaScout

on Mar 02, 2005

DoubleZero - checked all those things but thanks for the info.

Kobrano - yep I went with a slightly lower graphic card but most games even the high ends ones run fine with a 6600GT. The only real need to go to a 6800GT is if you want to run at 1600x1200 with aa and af. I usually stay 1 version behind the latest with both cpu and gpu as you pay a big premium going with the latest.

Also true I could have got a new power supply and I probably will. I was just concerned that something more than just the power supply had gone south and I had already replaced the motherboard and memory.
This was just a good opportunity to get a new system.

NthetiX

on Mar 02, 2005

Well you really should have got an AMD Athlon 64 if you are going to be gaming alot. The P4 just doesnt perform...(except in spreadsheet) and a radeon graphic card is also better than nvidia btw.

i got a Athlon 64 3500+ and a radeon 9800 Pro. Plays any game out there today on highest setting flawlessly.

kona0197

on Mar 02, 2005

Well you really should have got an AMD Athlon 64 if you are going to be gaming alot.

My thoughts as well. Or an AMD FX-55 CPU.

I'll have to disagree about the ATI card. I run nvidia cards.

JavaScout

on Mar 02, 2005

I was definately considering an AMD cpu.
It was a close call but I decided to stay with Intel.
(One factor is I plan to take my old hard drive and use it in the new system. Switching between amd/intel can be a nightmare. Usually Windows XP will not even startup. Staying with an Intel cpu makes it a little easier).

I have not had much luck with ATI cards. The drivers have in the past caused problems with games that I played regularly.
I know the ATI drivers have got better but I just prefer NVidia cards.

kona0197

on Mar 02, 2005

(One factor is I plan to take my old hard drive and use it in the new system. Switching between amd/intel can be a nightmare. Usually Windows XP will not even startup. Staying with an Intel cpu makes it a little easier).

Hate to break it to you but this is not true. Every time you change a MOTHERBOARD you must reinstall XP. Has nothing to do with the CPU - matter of fact I could take my AMD Athlon XP 2000+ CPU out and install any other socket A CPU and wounld not have to re install XP>

Looks like since your getting a new motherboard your going to have to re-install XP anyhow...

Double Zero

on Mar 02, 2005

::SIGHS:: Kona, Please, if you are going to give out advice, have at least a shred of fact to back it up..::just shakes his head::

This is a tip from TweakXP.com
Hope it helps..

This is not mine so I cannot take credit but Andy-S in the Hardware and Drive Support forum passed this one on to me - a must know tweak.

Before you swap out the current motherboard go to device manager and select the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controller and select your current storage controller. Right click, select update driver and select install from a list or specific location. Click don't search I will choose the driver to install and select the standard dual channel IDE controller.

This will prevent the inaccessable boot device blue screen. I have done this multiple times on different platforms with no problems.

Also I found that booting the first time with the new motherboard is best done in the Safe mode where XP will install the drivers it needs and at the same time you can install the new motherboard drivers from its CD.

This saved me doing a repair or a reinstall of XP. My whole system came right up and worked great and very stable.

Zero.

kona0197

on Mar 02, 2005

::SIGHS:: Kona, Please, if you are going to give out advice, have at least a shred of fact to back it up..::just shakes his head::

I do - years of PC builing experience. I was just pointing out it had nothing to do with the CPU. Sorry...

JavaScout

on Mar 03, 2005

Actually what it has to do with is the motherboard and the HAL layer.
I had hyper-threading enabled which uses a different HAL.
This is what would cause the problem switching motherboard and cpu.
Gone are the days of being able to switch a cpu between AMD and Intel without switching motherboards.

Also I have switched motherboards quit a few times and have only had to re-install XP once and that was because I had a special IDE driver for the boot drive.

MasonM

on Mar 03, 2005

I had to laugh while reading the comments to this article.

Not only comments about how "I would have done it different" and "I wouldn't have gone with that one" but even the reasons for doing it in the first place. Leave it computer people.

I also would have made different choices, rebuilding the machine to be what I wanted it to be, but it isn't my machine. I prefer to build myself as to buy from someone, but that's me. I enjoy the process itself.

I'm happy for you, it's always fun to get a new computer.

I'm looking forward to building my next machine in the near future. Have fun with yours.

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