so heres how it is

[dcprenti]

So heres how it all started.....

I recently bought my brother some new computer components from
nameless cheap internet sit

The computer specs are:

Memory - Kingston 512MB 400MHz DDR Non-ECC CL2.5 DIM
Motherboard - Asus A7N8X-X
Processor - AMD Athlon(1m)XP2800MHz
Graphics card - GeForce6 6600GT 128 Mb GDDR
PSU - Antec True Power 350

After plugging everything in, the first thing i did was switch th
power supply on.........which resulted in the smell of burnin
plastic coming out the PSU

So i switched PSUs with an older one i had lying around. This tim
the computer switched on but i got the following error message

Memory frequency is at 200MHz, single channel mode.

I also noticed that the processor only counted 1200Mhz rather than th
2800MHz which im sure it is

Then then computer goes completely dead. None of the keys work. Th
computer is stuck on that screen.

After checking out the kingston website i noticed tha
although ddr 400 memory should work with this motherboard kingsto
dont support this. Aha....i thought. It must be a memor
problem

So i replace the ddr400 memory with a Kingston 512MB 333MHz DD
Non-ECC CL2.5 DIMM

Now i get the following error message

Memory frequency is at 133MHz, single channel mode

I am at a loss about what to do and i think i am at the stage where m
very limited computing knowledge is out of its depth. I dont know i
the PSU fried some components or the memory frequency needs to b
reset or the older PSU cant handle powering the whole computer

I would very much apreciate any suggestions about what is wrong o
what to do or some error checks i should perform on the system.
Thanks for any help, in advance

 

[JAD]

reset the cmos jumper

and if there was a 'smell' and no power from the PSU then there may have
been damage to the components of the mainboard or hardware peripherals

strip the machine to the bare minimums for booting

I'm not sure that the memory cmos line is an actual 'error' but rather info
on memory configuration.

 

[dcprenti]

The computer is set up with the motherboard, graphics card, CPU,
hard drive and 1 stick of RAM. I think this is stripped to it
minimum for bootin

Could you tell me how exactly i reset the cmos jumper on m
motherboard

From the motherboard manual the only jumper i can find with a relatio
to RAM is the "clear real time clock ram" jumper. Is this the 1 tha
i need to reset

I would appreciate you spelling this out for me as simple a
possible

Thank

 

[JAD]

The computer is set up with the motherboard, graphics card, CPU, 1
hard drive and 1 stick of RAM. I think this is stripped to its
minimum for booting

Could you tell me how exactly i reset the cmos jumper on my
motherboard.

From the motherboard manual the only jumper i can find with a relation
to RAM is the "clear real time clock ram" jumper. Is this the 1 that
i need to reset?

I would appreciate you spelling this out for me as simple as
possible.

Thanks

Take the hard drive out of the equation its not needed to boot(post).

The CMOS jumper has nothing to do with the RAM directly.
It does reset timings and such to a 'bootable' setting.

The placement of the jumper varies from board to board,
your manual should point it out.

If not you can pull the wafer battery out for 5 minutes or so after
unplugging the power.

This will accomplish the same thing.

 

[johns]

That Kingston ram stick is weird. You have to know how to install it,
or you will short it out in the ram slot ... which you probably did.
The way you install it is: open both levers at the ends of the slot.
put the stick in as well as you can and try to seat one end so that
the lever lifts up and swings in to the detent in that end of the
stick.
Then ... the tricky part .... you have to press the other lever down
a little harder than you would like, or that end of the stick will
not drop down into the slot. You can't just press the stick down
into the slot because the lever has a piece that sticks out and
prevents the stick from seating. You have to press the lever out
and then push the ram stick down. Only then will Kingston ram
seat properly. If you take a magnifier and look at the lever and
side of the ram stick you will see why. Once you've done it right,
it will seem simple after that, but seems Kingston could warn
people about how damned difficult it is to seat their stupid ram
sticks .. the first time.

johns

 

[Ruel Smith]

The computer specs are:

Memory - Kingston 512MB 400MHz DDR Non-ECC CL2.5 DIMM
Motherboard - Asus A7N8X-X
Processor - AMD Athlon(1m)XP2800MHz
Graphics card - GeForce6 6600GT 128 Mb GDDR3
PSU - Antec True Power 350W

Nice Athlon XP system.

After plugging everything in, the first thing i did was switch the
power supply on.........which resulted in the smell of burning
plastic coming out the PSU.

Sounds like you need to RMA the PSU.

So i switched PSUs with an older one i had lying around. This time
the computer switched on but i got the following error message:

Memory frequency is at 200MHz, single channel mode.

Did you put 2 sticks of memory in? Did you use one purple and one green
slot? If you answered 'no' to either of these questions, you are in single
channel mode. The 200 MHz can be addressed in the BIOS. You need to adjust
it. See your motherboard documentation on your BIOS.

I also noticed that the processor only counted 1200Mhz rather than the
2800MHz which im sure it is.

No, an Athlon XP 2800+ runs @ 2088 MHz, or about 2 GHz. What you have is
probably a Barton core, which the motherboard needs to be set to run at a
FSB of 166 MHz instead of the 100 MHz it currently is running at.

Then then computer goes completely dead. None of the keys work. The
computer is stuck on that screen.

Your PSU might have fried something when you smelled the burning.

After checking out the kingston website i noticed that
although ddr 400 memory should work with this motherboard kingston
dont support this. Aha....i thought. It must be a memory
problem.

So i replace the ddr400 memory with a Kingston 512MB 333MHz DDR
Non-ECC CL2.5 DIMM.

Now i get the following error message:

Memory frequency is at 133MHz, single channel mode.

You need to check you manual, as this might just be a BIOS info thing, and
not an error message. However, I think the memory should be running a bit
faster.

 

[__spc__]

So heres how it all started......

I recently bought my brother some new computer components from a
nameless cheap internet site

The computer specs are:

Memory - Kingston 512MB 400MHz DDR Non-ECC CL2.5 DIMM
Motherboard - Asus A7N8X-X
Processor - AMD Athlon(1m)XP2800MHz
Graphics card - GeForce6 6600GT 128 Mb GDDR3
PSU - Antec True Power 350W

After plugging everything in, the first thing i did was switch the
power supply on.........which resulted in the smell of burning
plastic coming out the PSU.

So i switched PSUs with an older one i had lying around. This time
the computer switched on but i got the following error message:

Memory frequency is at 200MHz, single channel mode.

I also noticed that the processor only counted 1200Mhz rather than the
2800MHz which im sure it is.

Then then computer goes completely dead. None of the keys work. The
computer is stuck on that screen.

After checking out the kingston website i noticed that
although ddr 400 memory should work with this motherboard kingston
dont support this. Aha....i thought. It must be a memory
problem.

So i replace the ddr400 memory with a Kingston 512MB 333MHz DDR
Non-ECC CL2.5 DIMM.

Now i get the following error message:

Memory frequency is at 133MHz, single channel mode.

I am at a loss about what to do and i think i am at the stage where my
very limited computing knowledge is out of its depth. I dont know if
the PSU fried some components or the memory frequency needs to be
reset or the older PSU cant handle powering the whole computer.

I would very much apreciate any suggestions about what is wrong or
what to do or some error checks i should perform on the system.
Thanks for any help, in advance.

My local component supplier will charge £20 for an inspection/evaluation. I
suggest you get the same...