Computer shuts down on XP install

[nyf]

Hi folk

I'm experiencing a strange problem with my new system. As soon as
reach a specific point in the Windows XP install, the system simpl
shuts down, as if someone pulled the power cord. The part of the X
install in question, is the part you reach after the disk has bee
formatted and the files have been copied and you have rebooted, i.e
the first time Windows runs (where it says "30 minute
left" and starts telling you how great an OS it is, etc.). Afte
5 or 10 seconds in this part of the install, it shuts down. I jus
think it is really odd that it is at this exact spot every time. Lik
something special happens here that triggers it

I've tried different XP installation cds, but to no effect. So
figured it must be a hardware problem

I noticed that the CPU temperature is pretty high immediately afte
each shut down (65-68C). I checked this in the BIOS. So could it b
CPU overheating

My second guess would be that it is a PSU problem

My specs

Athlon 64 X2 3800
Asus A8N-SL
eVGA 7800 GT C
2x1 GB Kingston ValueRA
Hitachi T7K250 SATA 250 GB HDD (On which I intend to install XP
Maxtor DiamondMax 9 ATA 80 GB HD
Antec TruePower 430W PS

Note: The PSU is a couple of years old, so it does not have a 24-pi
EATXPWR plug. So I corrected this by getting a 20 to 24 pi
converter. Don't know if this matters, but the more information th
better

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Davy]

There's power supplies and power supplies....
Yes the wattage is important, but more so is the quality because o
the CPU speed

Imagine a lower speed CPU, the clocking pulses will be drawing powe
from the PSU at a slow rate thus the regulation has bags of time t
recover in between the loading, this puts a ripple on the suppl
lines, the main culprit are the electrolytic capacitors that smooth
the rectified supplies

If you increase the CPU speed dramatically the loading is heavier an
the ripples are greater, thus what should be a DC supply may contai
a substantial amount of ripple supperimposed on the DC voltage tha
vary in sympathy with the clocking pulses

Faster the CPU greater the heat produced which means greater th
amount of power taken from the power supply

I would try another PSU but get a high quality one, your problem coul
also be due to a driver problem since you tried a differen
installation disc, the CPU temps does appear to be on the high side
are the FSB's set correctly and have you checked the voltages i
bios, it does seem alittle worrying, trust you are using th
recomended fan for your CPU which is equally important....

I seem to recall reading somewhere that power supplies can be fickl
with AMD2000+ and above cpu's, usually those that come in empt
computer cases you get, they work no probs with say a AMD1800 bu
anything above 2Ghz is asking too much for some of them

Dav

 

[nyf]

Davywrote
There's power supplies and power supplies....

Yes the wattage is important, but more so is the quality because o the CPU speed

Imagine a lower speed CPU, the clocking pulses will be drawing powe

from the PSU at a slow rate thus the regulation has bags of time t
recover in between the loading, this puts a ripple on the suppl
lines, the main culprit are the electrolytic capacitors that smooth
the rectified supplies

If you increase the CPU speed dramatically the loading is heavie

and the ripples are greater, thus what should be a DC supply ma
contain a substantial amount of ripple supperimposed on the D
voltage that vary in sympathy with the clocking pulses

Faster the CPU greater the heat produced which means greater th

amount of power taken from the power supply

I would try another PSU but get a high quality one, your proble

could also be due to a driver problem since you tried a differen
installation disc, the CPU temps does appear to be on the high side
are the FSB's set correctly and have you checked the voltages i
bios, it does seem alittle worrying, trust you are using th
recomended fan for your CPU which is equally important....

I seem to recall reading somewhere that power supplies can be fickl

with AMD2000+ and above cpu's, usually those that come in empt
computer cases you get, they work no probs with say a AMD1800 bu
anything above 2Ghz is asking too much for some of them

Dav

Thanks for the reply

I see your point with the power supply. But I always assumed tha
Antec PSUs were pretty decent though.

The voltages look ok in the BIOS. And I am using the AMD stock HSF
I'm going to try reseating the HSF with some new thermal paste an
see if that doesn't do the trick

Alternatively, could it be a problem with the SATA HDD

 

[Davy]

Electrolytics do dry up, the ESR also could increase with aging an
heat, this will not only cause increase ripple on the supply lines i
will also cause the component to heat up, hence swollen tops an
leaked gunge

A capacitors ESR (Effective Series Resistance) needs to be as low a
possible to prevent this from happening, imagine putting
resistance in series with a capacitor - the higher the resistance th
less the ability to decouple the supply

The power supplies may well be top-grade but that does not sto
capacitors from deteriorating - heat is the real enemy here whethe
from other components or heat generated internally due to increase
ERSR, you use a standard type capacitor it's not gonna last very lon
plus the fact that it's liable to explode or leak gunge that ca
corrode the copper tracks on the mobo after eating away th
protective lacquer

Try a Google and see if you can find the running spec for that CPU,
the operating temp does seem a little high to me and would certainl
be the first thing I would work on, solving this may well solve th
installation problem

Davy

 

[skotl]

I doubt it's the power supply because, as you state, it happens at the
same point every time.

So it could be a duff install CD / CD-ROM drive but I would have
expected you to get some very obvious data read errors.

My money would be on duff RAM. I had a similar problem a while back
where I looked for all the complex reasons, and it was actually a
faulty DIMM.

Download memtest86 from http://www.memtest86.com/ and write it to a CD.
Boot the CD and let the test run for 24 hours. If you get an error any
time, then you can stop the test cause the RAM is definitely stuffed.
If you don't see any errors over 24 hours then the RAM is probably OK
and you are still in the dark!
Cheers,
Scott

 

[nyf]

While I was reinstalling the heatsink, I noticed that locking the ca
handle twisted the spring and clips on the heatsink. Is that normal

Pic
http://img506.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc005006hz.jp

As you can see the clip is pushed hard to the left. I just fear tha
it might prevent proper contact between the HSF and CPU. Thoughts
Anyone have experience with socket 939 HSFs

 

[Davy]

Yep think you are right a power supply wouldn't cause it to shut dow
at the same point every time

Dav

 

[Davy]

Difficult for me to tell, but would explain the high temps and shu
downs the CPU should be flat in the socket and the heatsink mounte
squarish and centrally on top

The lever in mine is pushed down flat after inserting the cpu to loc
it, when I mounted the sink I had to sprise the retaining spring
with a screwdriver, in case of slippage and damage to the board
laid a peice of thick card down in case the driver did slip

Dav

 

[nyf]

Yes! Finally it works

It was the heatsink as I suspected. I unhooked the handle so i
doesn't force it to the left and voila, it runs like a dream

Thanks for all your replies! You've been helpful

 

[skotl]

Well, at least you know more about electrolytic capacitors now ;-)

Glad you got it working.
S.

 

[DaveW]

Your CPU's MAXIMUM rated temperature is 70 C. Beyond that it shuts down.
That is apparently what's happening.