Atlon 1.3Ghz and a lil bit of Voodoo

[technet101]

This weekend I was playing on my pc and it froze up on me. No moving the mouse, no ctrl+alt+del option, nothing. So I rebooted. This happened a couple times. Then a get a loud beep beep beep a nd my computer shut off. I had had it opened (waiting on memory to come in) and was gonna check everything out. Well, my voodoo 3 3000 card was extremely hot. The beeps indicated I had a video problem. I took the card out and made sure that the computer starts up. It did. Phew!
I popped out the power supply and it is a 300 watt. I thought for a 1.3ghz motherboard you had to run a bigger power supply?
I ordered a 450. but I'm wondering if it is the video card that caused all this. or should i put in the new power supply. will I put a shock to my system and fry everything? what should I run on my system?

I have a atlon 1.3ghz
398 meg
20 gig hd
voodoo 3 3000
cd burner
cd rom
3com network card
creative labs mp3 card

[BigBlue66]

Hi and Welcome

Definitely try a different video card. You may be able to send the new power supply back for a refund. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

300 watts sounds like plenty for what you have in your computer. But the next question I would pose is: Is it AMD certified?

Is your CPU fan working correctly? Is the heatsink and processor cool or warm but not hot? Do you have case fans? If so, are they working?

First, make sure every fan is running and blowing air around and your processor is cool or warm. You should be able to hold your finger on it. Second, try a different vid card. If it turns out to be the video card, then you can probably stop, unless your 300watt power supply is not AMD certified. If not, consider whether the new 450watt is and whether or not you want to use it or return it. Check www.amd.com (http://www.amd.com) for a list of acceptable power supplies.

Cheers,

Big Blue 66


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Yes Sir, Occifer!

[technet101]

This is what I purchased:P4 Ready UL FCC CSA 400W HIGH QUALITY POWER SUPPLY

Supports the Latest 1.7Ghz Intel/AMD CPU

One Year Warranty


High standard of quality with FCC, UL, CSA, certification.
Passed Intel's Pentium 4 power supply testing
Automatic FAN SPPED CONTROL in response to temperature level
Wake-on-LAN Support
One Free Power Cord included!!!!
One Year warranty
Recommended IT Magazine

OVER VOLTAGE PROTECTION (OVP)
OVER POWER PROTECTION
SHORT CIRCUIT PROTECTION
400 Watts -- Continous Load.
Passed Intel's Pentium 4 power supply testing
Automatic fan speed control in response to temperature level

[YODA74]

TECK: this is what i come up with, three long beeps-key board card prob.
two or three beeps-a memory prob. remove your ram and plug the moduels back in clean contacts blow out dust in mem. sockets if that don't do it try different ram. what is exact sequense of the beeps.this has to do with your BIOS telling you somthing correct code of beeps is nessary? i don't know much about bios . ther are a few here that do or go to BIOS central there in and out of here quite a bit sorry if this does not help? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/cool.gif

[technet101]

well, I went home during lunch and put in another video card. Booted up the pc and I get one long beep followed by two short beeps. No video. The monitor light stays orange. Sooooo, it's not video.

What else should I try?

[YODA74]

[ONE LONG TWO SHORT http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gifISPLAY adapter problem]
1.no beep:dead power supply or prob. sys.board
2.contiuous beep key board power s.or sys.board
3.one shortb.:OK
4.one long one short:sys.board prob.
5.one long two short:display adapter
6.one long three short:enhanced graphics adapter
7.three long:3270 key board card
hope these help i'm out of ideas http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/cool.gif

[technet101]

5.one long two short:display adapter

ah I feel like screaming! I changed video cards and can't get anything. How am I to switch display adapters?

[YODA74]

i'm not sure i've never done it. but the days not over just hang in there every one here will ad there opinion this may not be total prob.take a deep breath it's just a machine i'm gonna keep scratching here. we'll figure it out http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

[ranchdog]

technet... I use the Voodoo 3 on one my boxes. The chipset really gets hot on these even tho there is a heatsink. Try putting your finger on the backside of the chipset! So I took a fan off a spare CPU heatsink, used Artic Silver Adhesive, and attached the fan to the voodoo heatsink. No more problem. No more hard freezes.
Sounds like you didn't uninstall the voodoo 3 and it's drivers before changing to a different video card. After you removed the voodoo 3 your system booted up because you have onboard video on the Mboard. Did you install any drivers or anything for the video card you tried to use the last time around? Things can be PnP but there has to be a method to the madness.
The new PSU isn't going to send ugly shock-waves thru your system and fry anything. The system is going to say thank you.
Display Adapter = Video Card (and drivers)

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......Indecision may or may not be my problem......
...... Kickin' A Rock....

[This message has been edited by ranchdog (edited 08-20-2001).]

[technet101]

I went home last night and put in another agp card. It did the same thing, beeped. I put in a pci video card and it came up fine. I took out the memory and reseated them. I get one short beep now.
I also loaded cpu cooler and motherboard monitor. This is what happened:

after 20 minutes I get an alarm. It said that sensor dropped to 0Cel. and shut down. I rebooted, went into the bios and it told me that the current cpu temp was 42Cel/109 farenheit
and that the current system tem was 35cel/95 farenheit

I let it go into windows and ran both programs for an hour. The temp then read as

CPU COOLER
temp 1 24.9C/76.6F after an hour it went to 75.7F
temp 2 40.5C/101.1F after an hour it went to 97.5
temp 3 37.0C/96.3F after an hour it went to 93.6


VIA Hardware monitor
cpu current 41c/105F after an hour it went to 95F
system tem 95F after an hour it went to 93F

and in the bios it went to 46c/114F
soo... i guess the voodoo card really overheated. I could not try out to see if it fried my agp port as I have no other card. I put the voodoo card in another machine but it beeped then too. I did not load drivers for it before installing.

[Rick]

technet101

You have over heated your Video card.
It may be trashed. If it doesn't work in another system.

Your temps are about normal for the AMD Tbird

You should however check and possible make a few changes before you install another AGP card.

Check for air flow into and around the cards.
Allowing the AMD to get air is a must. That is the reason for the second exhaust fan at the back of the case. (Draws air over the HSF and CPU)

However this same fan can cause the fresh cool air to bypass the card slots.
I have the voodoo5 installed in a system for the wife and kids to use.
It required so much air I have to leave the PCI slot next to it open.

Rearranging the placement of the cables will also help move air into and over the card slots.
If you have an exhaust fan and an intake fan.
Make sure the intake fan is not reducing or blocking air flow.
Remember that you power supply also has a fan so your intake fan must move more air than the two exhaust fan combined.


Also using a Power supply with more watts than required will not hurt anything.
Except maybe the electric bill.
I have 2 Tbirds and the smallest Power supply is 350 watt.
That little extra ensures that my fans have all the power they need.


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To ERR is HUMAN
To REALLY screw things UP, YOU NEED a COMPUTER !