ATIX800 vs PC Not Working

[Pilot]

Hello,

I've become desperate here for some advice about how to get my GPU working again with my PC. I'm running out of things to try.

the problem is, after upgrading to an X800 and using it without problems for half a year, gpu showed signs of trouble. however, my PC works fine on my old GPU, and the X800 works fine on another similar computer. when the card is in the pc on booting, it shows no display and computer is frozen, or it loads a little, even windows fully, then screen turns off or colored vertical lines and pc freezes. no beeping no errors nothing.

WindowsXP SP2
AMD AthlonXP +2800
Asus A7N8XE-Deluxe
Antec 380W PSU
2x 512MB Ultra 400Mhz(@333Mhz) RAM
WD +7200 120GB SATA Hard Drive
ATI X800XT AGP AIW


Here's what I tried so far (many many times):
-Clean old drivers with utility in safemode, install new ones, video failed upon dxdiag test or 3D application
-use older ATI drivers (never tried OMEGA)
-use older nForce drivers for MOBO, use no drivers for MOBO (HD started clicking...but HD is fine)
-Format computer (at least twice)
-Disconnect everything except the basics
-Try out 2 separate fan-power connections

-*Flash update BIOS twice-reset CMOS* windows stopped booting on both versions, had to use backup of original bios...will try card if Flash+Format works (and if the PC isn't for breakfast)

Other Details: PC is stable and reliable, nothing OC'ed
CPU runs a bit hot @60 degrees C at 100% load
SATA drivers gave me random blue screens until I updated them
case seems well ventilated, (fan spins fine on X800)

I dont have warranty on anything. I've wasted 240 dollars (!!!!!!!!!!) on this card already, don't want that number to go up in vain.

any suggestions? any feedback?

[mjc]

Antec 380W PSU

That may be a tad on the low side...especially if it is not clean of showing signs of wear...

If you don't have a method of actually monitoring the video card's temps and the CPU is hitting 60 C under load, then heat could still be a problem.

[Pilot]

thanks for those tips...

as for updates, I had 3 capacitors on motherboard dead..replaced them at an electronic shop, as well as battery. the x800 worked fine, dxdiag worked on full-screen just as it did before problems started, system stable for ~6 hours. then, screen corrupts with multicolor vertical lines, frozen, won't restart or boot to even bios. I waited a while and booted again, it worked, but a few seconds though bios it froze again. My old videocard (GeForce FX5600) is keeping it running now except hard drive clicks+spins up and windows barely loads, even in safemode.

Will send computer in for another diagnostic, and if it's not repairable, will have to buy a new one and just deal with the huge losses. Next time, no more donating idle cpu time (even to worthwile causes) and leaving it on 24/7.

Socket A (AthlonXP) has gone deadend, and I won't risk buying a used motherboard, so only options are...new core components or no pc.

[mjc]

Leaving it on 24/7 wasn't the problem...many boards from that time period (a couple years back...especially Socket A/370 boards) suffered from bad capacitors. So if the caps are starting to die...then that is that.

[rond36]

Is your ATI A-I-W X800 on the same power lead as your hard drive?

I think my A-I-W X800XT AGP card in my old PC draws more power then one of the X1950XTX PCI-E cards in my new PC. Your A-I-W X800 uses a small 4 pin floppy drive molex connector for auxiliary power, make sure that there aren't any hard drives, CD-ROM drives, or fans plugged into the big 4 pin molex connectors on the same lead that supplies the cards AUX power. I agree with mjc a 380W PS isn't enough to power that card.

[Pilot]

Well a new computer fixed it....

I did see the capacitors dying before but never thought I should maybe replace them ASAP.

I still want to get my old computer working (got all the core components) but if as you say mjc the capacitors from that time period are bad, I'll need to find a mainboard for Socket A AGPx8 w/o that problem.

[saphalline]

I had 3 capacitors on motherboard dead..replaced them at an electronic shopThat was your main mistake. If you're going to get any replaced, you need to replace all of them. There was a huge batch of bad capacitors used, and it was never one of those things where 3 on a mobo were bad and the rest were fine. It's an all or nothing type of thing. So if you don't mind paying to get the caps replaced, then replace all of them. And I mean all of them again. Those 3 new ones from before could well have been damaged by the others on the mobo at this point.