Memory/Mobo

[Sorcos]

i have been having a problem with my computer booting up - getting slower and slower. but just recently it really got bad. it used to just be slow but now it takes an ungodly amount of time to get to the desktop. i did virus scans and spy/adware scans and found nothing. i eventually reinstalled windows with no results.

i ended up speaking with someone who said it might be the ram. now, before i get into what i did, here are my specs:

-Windows XP Home Edition
-420 Watts PSU
-AMD Athlon XP 2800+
-Ati Radeon 9800 pro 128mb
-1 Gig PC-3200 DDR-400 (2-512's)
-Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe NForce2 Motherboard

Now, the motherboard has dual-channel ram (3 slots - A1, A2, and B1). since i was told it might be the ram, i tried different configurations with the ram to find the bad one. i came to the conclusion that when there was no ram in the B1 slot, the computer ran faster. regardless of which ram it was. but now, with no ram in the B1 slot, it is not dual channel. and it still runs slow anyway.

im assuming the motherboard is bad correct? i do not know much about the motherboard, so i looked around wanting to just buy the same exact one and replace it so there is no confusion. however, i do not think they even make it anymore. i did find some on e-bay but i am wondering if there is a better motherboard that is compatible with my computer. any help is apprecited. thanks.

[saphalline]

Before you dump the mobo, there are some things you can try. First of all, on a system that old, I would suggest replacing the mobo battery (the little CR2032 button cell). Take your old one out, wait 10 minutes, then put a new one in. Then go into your BIOS and re-do your BIOS options. See if that helps.

Also, you might want to check Asus' website to see if your BIOS version is at least recent enough for your other parts. Don't worry if you don't have the latest version, but you should be only a version or two behind. If not, see if there are any compatibility or other fixes with the latest one.

Finally, have you tried a different vid card? The vid card is critical to get any system up and running, so if it's dying or anything like that, it could cause slow operation. Try a different AGP vid card (borrow a friend's) and see if that helps.