[Spookyashell]

OK This is kinda a long story but this problem is driving me mad so here goes.

I had a AMD X2 socket 939 system **** out on me, the motherboard died. So I bought:

Asus P5N32-E SLI (Nvidia 680I chipset)
http://www.asus.com/...amp;modelmenu=1

Intel core2Duo E6750 (2.67Ghz/1333FSB)

4x1GB Crucial BalistiX PC8500 DDR2 memory

Other than that my system is:
GF7900GT
650W Power Supply Unit
4 HDD's (2x sata, 2x P-ata)
USB DVD burner

Other parts used for testing:
560W Power Supply Unit
GF 6800 GT

Now this new system keeps crashing when I watch video files like tv series or movies ( divX, Xvid ). Total crash, hard reset needed. sound from video looping. IE: " I have to go to go to go to go to go to go"

I have tried different media programs, media player, media player classics, winamp. And different codec packs. Klite, FFshow ++

I have tried 2 diffrent Power Supply Unit's, 2 different video card, 2 diffrent sets of memory sticks. The only hardware that has stayed the same is the Cpu and the motherboard during testing. Drivers has been updated and the Windows install was fresh (one week old)

I can watch streaming through sopcast or watch videos on youtube without the computer crashing, but with any file using a media program like mediaplayer and codecs the computer crashes. It has been like this since I put it together a week ago.

Also, Its more unstable with 4 Dimms than with 2. The memory is PC8500 and should do 1066Mhz, but with 4 dimms I can't get it over 833. But with 2 Dimms the computer is stable except during DivX/Xvid playback. Like I said, I have tried diffrenet packs and packs that worked fine on my old computer.

I suspect the motherboard is the problem, but I was wondering if anyone has experienced something like this, It's so wierd it only crashes when I play videos, never during 3D gaming. So it could be software.
I really don't want to send the Motherboard or CPU back, coz then I will be without a computer for about 8-10 days.

CPU temp: 32-45 C
sytem temp: 28-34 C

It's also stable during stresstest programs and don't give errors even at 3.6Ghz, 1800Mhz FSB and memory on 1040 + overclocked timings (with 2 Dimms). But if I start up a video even underclocked (CPU:2400, FSB:1200, RAM:600), Freeze within 30 mins.

Also, I installed WinXP64 first but had so many bluescreens that I abandomed 64 bit, even with Windows and drivers fully updated.


HELP please!

Edited by Spookyashell, 09 December 2007 - 12:00 AM.

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First, welcome to the forums.

I realize that you've tried other media players, but I'd like for you to try VLC (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/). It has all of the codecs built into the application. It's a long shot, but easy to test.

Also, have you ran a memtest? If not, lets try that next. http://www.memtest.org/

Download and burn one of the bootable isos, then use it to boot your machine.

Edited by Gravity Gripp, 09 December 2007 - 12:41 AM.

[Gravity Gripp]

First, welcome to the forums.

I realize that you've tried other media players, but I'd like for you to try VLC (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/). It has all of the codecs built into the application. It's a long shot, but easy to test.

Also, have you ran a memtest? If not, lets try that next. http://www.memtest.org/

Download and burn one of the bootable isos, then use it to boot your machine.

Edited by Gravity Gripp, 09 December 2007 - 12:41 AM.

[Spookyashell]

I have tried VLC, chrashed aswell.

I ran Orthos on Blend test cpu pluss memory stresstest, I could keep it on overnight with no errors. But play a movie and it crashes within 30 minutes.
New development however, since I posted this it has frozen once in Football manager 2008 and once in sims 2, so it doesn't seem to be codec related. It just crash alot easier during video playback than other operations.

I am starting to suspect compatabillity issues between the MB chipset and my memory modules coz there is a warning on the MB box about the Nvidia 680I chipset being very demanding on the memory and when I check the Quallified vendor list at Asus.com my crucial Ballistix Dimms are not on the list.

But I have seen others with my MB and BallistiX memory and they haven't complained. And the machine is more unstable with 4 dimms than with 2 Dimms. But all 4 Dimm sticks pass tests, but I guess they fail at certain operations not tested in testprograms, maybe related to sound.

[Gravity Gripp]

It may be that your computer is over heating. You might want to take a can of compressed air and blow out the inside of your computer, paying special attention to the CPU heatsink and fan.

[The Skeptic]

Use this link to Crucial Ballistix. Each product details the latencies in which the modules work. Enter the BIOS and set the parameters manually. Run the 4 modules. If still no good try to take 3 out and run the computer on module. Let us know what happens.

[Spookyashell]

Computer is not overheating. It does not crash during hard stabillity testprograms. Never see over 45 C on the cpu. I have even tried underclocked the the puter. It is PC-8500 ram 1066Mhz, I have even tried to run it at 600Mhz and higher/slower timings, but still froze during videos. This was with 4 sticks. and the cpu and fsb was underclocked too.

With four sticks I can't get the computer to post with ram settings over 833, I just get a long continious beep from the internal pc-speaker.
With 2 sticks I can run it at 1066 with overcloked (lower) timings, well until I try to watch a video. But like I said yesterday it froze during a game, so it's not video only. It's just that it crash easier during videoplayback.

I have not tried with only one memory module, but I have moved them around using 2 and 2 at a time. And the computer always act excactly the same no matter which of the dimms I have in it.

[kenichi_kun]

I had the same problem sorta before, I just reinstalled my OS and that solved it. You can try that route as your last resort, but it seems that your overclock is good and the ram should easily be able to push 1066MHz, so hardware seems to be fine based on what you have said thus far. I thought that the 680I chipset had a limitation when trying to run all 4 dimms, doesn't it just drop it down to 2T? With all 4 slots taken up it will be hard to have them all run at 1066MHz because of the chipsets limitation. Well get back to me if you solved your problem. Good luck!

[The Skeptic]

Please try what I suggested. Set latencies according to specs and try to run the system with one module only.

I tried to search in Assus but their site is so slow that I gave up. I have seen in another asus manual that there are conditions that must be met to enable top ram speed. Have a look at the manual that you got with the motherboard.

[Spookyashell]

I have set them manually before they are supposed to have 5-5-5-15 and I have run them on that manually many times before.

I have tried all the bioses before, but I have now had an interesting development. I updated to 1205 bios again, but this time through EZupdate inside the bios instead of using AWDflash from dos. Now the machine hangs a long time after the startup beep. It stops for a long time after it list the CPU, then it takes about 30 sec before listing Ram and HDD's. (it's not quick boot disabled)

I Have to wait those 30 secs to enter bios too. it just say entering BIOS for 30 or so sec. But I don't care. I have now watched 9 episodes of House MD in a row without a crash and the computer is as fast as it should be as soon as it starts booting and in Windows.

[The Skeptic]

Thanks for letting us know. I am glad it worked for you.