How to proceed? Motherboard? 1

[stumpinator3]

Three years ago I put together a machine, as carefully as I could. (Everything was double-checked, static precautions observed, all connections secure.) I didn’t get to the point of installing an OS, because the computer had intermittent problems. Right at that time my girlfriend ripped me off of all my money and left, so I got really depressed and just kept using my old machine.

Now I want to fix the problem, but I’ve forgotten almost everything I knew about putting computers together. Plus it’s been a long time, in computer years, and technology marches on. But I’m hoping someone could give some advice.

The machine shows no problems at all if started cold, with 15 minute breaks in-between. (I tried 25 times yesterday, to be sure of this.) When warm – and by that I don’t mean overheated, just not turned off for long -- I do get intermittent problems. When I start up using the power button, the monitor gets no signal maybe 1 time in 4. (This almost never happens when I use the reset button.) The power button doesn’t always work the same way. Also, the machine sometimes goes to Setup and complains that it’s now in safe mode because the last time it was booted the speed settings for the processor were inappropriate. (I never altered any speed settings.) I also seem to remember it complaining three years ago that I had the wrong processor, but that was a long time ago, I don’t remember the exact message, and I can’t duplicate the problem.

Any ideas about what I should do? Replacing the motherboard seems like an obvious step to me, but there might be a better idea than that. And if I do replace it, does anyone have any suggestions about what boards to get? As I said, it’s been a long time.

Below is a list of the parts. I don’t know what I had in mind, putting so much in there – I can’t remember why I thought I needed so many drives (and both types!), or what scheme I had for partitioning them. I’ll have to take something out, as the temps get too hot when the ambient temperature gets up there. Thanks for any help.

- Dave

Asus P4G8X Deluxe motherboard
Pentium 4 3.06 Ghz
2 meg pc2700 DDR ram from Crucial
PC Power and Cooling Turbo-cool 510 ATX power supply
Matrox Parhelia video card
Adaptec SCSI card 29320LP
Seagate Cheetah 36.7GB SCSI drive ST336753LW
2 Seagate Cheetah 18.4GB SCSI drives ST318453LW
Asus DRW-0402P DVD-R / RW Drive
Generic diskette drive
Viewsonic 19” VX900 LCD display (plus two old Trinitrons, if I ever get this thing working)
Western Digital WD2000JBRT drive
Big case with lotsa fans

 

[satrow]

Strip it to the bare minimum and try to load your OS using one stick of RAM, one IDE drive, the Parhelia and the DVD/RW drive. If it installs ok, thrash it for a few hours - games, benchmarks ...

If it's still ok, add one component at a time, testing hard in between, until you find the culprit.

It may be as simple as the SCSI card being in the wrong slot!

 

[one4thumb]

The blank monitor problem could be caused by the video card improperly seatd in the AGP or PCI slot. Pull the card out and reset.

The Improper Speed settings of the processor when in the BIOS load the defaults and this should take care of that problem.

If the system was not plugged into an AC power source for even part of the year that it was not used the battery that is on the board to maintaine the BIOS information my need to be replaced.

Hope this helps