CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive somehow turn off machine!

[adellario]

This problem is quite amazing...

Here are my hardware specs:

Motherboard: MSI 865 Neo2 P
RAM: 1GB 3200
Video: GeForce 4 ti4200
Power: 400 watt supply
Hard Drive: 10GB drive for OS, 40GB drive for storage
Processor: P4 2.6gHz HT

Now, I've tried this with two different CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drives. One, a Samsung SM-348B, and the other, a BTC 52x24x52x/16x combo drive.

Now for the problem. Every time I try to play a DVD or burn a CD, the computer turns off. It doesn't shut down, it behaves just as if I switched the power supply off or unplugged the box.

As a test, I put the Samsung drive in my other machine, with the following specs:

Processor: 1.4gHz AMD Athlon
Video: ATI Fire X1-128
Motherboard: Epox 8KHA+ (or something like that)
Power: 350 watt supply, or possibly 300 (I can't remember)
RAM: 512MB PC2100
Hard Drive: 20GB

Do any of you have ANY CLUE as to what could be causing these odd complete shutdowns?? Please, PLEASE in the name of all that is good and pure, HELP ME. Thank you all so much.

 

[Lemon13]

try the system with only one stick of ram, do a intensive ram check (memtest86/prime95 24h).
try another psu.
when playing a video from hdd you dont have probs?

 

[satrow]

Did the Samsung behave in the Athlon system?

Aspi layer, codec problem, memory, cable, PSU........?

Andy.

 

[bcastner]

I strongly suspect a RAM issue, which can be tested:

http://www.memtest86.com/#download0

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

In any case, let it run overnight.

 

[adellario]

I ran videos from the hard drive without issue. I played DivX encoded video from CD-ROM's without issue. The Samsung behaved properly in the Athlon system.

 

[bcastner]

I wanted you to test your P4 system RAM.
I do not think the problem is the CD/DVD Rom drive.

 

[ANFPS26]

If the RAM checks out okay, I'd suspect that 400 watt power supply. It could be bad (or cheaply made) and when you play or burn a disk it can't take the additional load.

Jim