Just upgraded my aging P2 300 to a brand spanking new Athlon 1.2GHz with a Gigabyte G7 ZX motherboard. Been having a pile of problems that I think might be related to an insufficient power supply (250w), but I'm not sure....as I'm not as technically knowledgable as I should be about this kind of thing.

When I ran the new PC through 4 socket powerboards with other equipment connected to it I had problems starting up the PC because my 17 inch monitor (which is powered through the PC) stayed in standby mode most of the time and when it did load there was frequent lock-ups.

Now that I have the PC connected directly to the wall the monitor comes on without problem (99% off the time anyway)...but I still have another problem. Namely, the PC's sound system is barely audible....to hear, say, an MP3 at normal levels I have to turn ALL volume settings up full and use headphones. I should mention I'm using the motherboard's onboard sound chip (Creative CT5880) and all the drivers seem to be up to date and working. Using different speakers doesn't have any affect either so I don't think the problem is with them.

It should also be mentioned that NONE of these problems are evident when the PC is run at my computer store...the sound system, etc works fine there! Sigh.

Could the 250w power supply be causing these system problems? Could it be insufficient to power my 1.2ghz athlon, 2 HD's, a 17 inch monitor and sound?

You should be running at least a 300W power supply. Check AMD Recommended Power Supplies (http://www1.amd.com/athlon/power).

Were the same speakers used in the store? Do they have built-in amplifiers and if so, are they powered up?

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reido@my-deja.com

Friends don't let friends install Windows ME

My speakers have no built in amplifier, but I just tried my dad's speakers which *are* self powered and they faired no better so I don't think it's the powersupply causing this problem anymore....though I'm going to get a 300w psu for the sake of system stability anyway.

One interesting thing I've just noticed is that whilst I can faintly hear WAVs and MP3s in my headphones/speakers if I turn everything up full...no matter what I do I cannot hear MIDI files at *all*.

Has anyone here had any experience with the Gigabyte GA-7ZX motherboard with built-in Creative CT5880 sound chip? The Giga-byte site is pretty useless and the Creative Labs site seems to deny the existence of any model CT5880 chip...argh.

...aaaaaaaand now I seem to have got MIDI's working again...well...by working I mean I can hear them as faintly as I can hear WAVs http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Jeff Walters (edited 07-01-2001).]

If you have this sytstem plugged into a "Power Strip" or surge protector, try plugging the CPU directly into a wall socket. If the sound comes up better, it was a faulty pwr strip.

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Will XP save Me ?