Problematic Pc

[Azreil_2]

Ok need your help guys , My mate got a pc off of Ebay a few months ago and he has problems with it just freezing while trying to playing games, opening WMP or just randomly when its doing nothing, requiring him to restart to regain control. I suggested reinstalling mobo drivers, Graphic drivers etc, which he says he has done.

The weird thing is, after reinstalling mobo drivers, he said that he could actuality play a game (Supreme Commander) for a few hours, then it would freeze, but now its returned to just freezing when hes loading it up :S.

His spec is:

Mobo: AS Rock 775DUAL-VSTA

CPU: Pentium D 3.4Ghz

Ram: 1024mb ram

VGA: GF6200 "TurboCache" 512mb

Any ideas ... if i had my way id format the whole thing and install upto date drivers myself... but he insists he has so not sure what else the problem could be? maybe over heating?

Also he said that when trying to load up Half life 2, it said that his card isn't DX9 compatible?

 

[deathwish]

check the rails on the power suply with a multimeter

 

[Thanh55]

How about temp of your friend rig? gfx drive up to date? I got somethings similar before because gfx drive. Make sure it not over heat as well.

 

[Azreil_2]

... he just told me he used the CDs for the driver...and then said that it was the same one as he got off the website...

the fact he got the pc last year... so that was a physical impossibility...

so I think im gonna have to go round and do it myself... he's useless

he's installing new Graphic drivers as we speak

 

[Bogel]

I have had similar problems, but this was because lack of voltage for my cpu. But if he could play supreme commander for a few hrs after mobo driver install, throughs my idea out tha winda! But if worst comes to worst you can always check.

 

[Ham]

Make him run a few FULL loops of memtest and some S&M memory test runs.

If it all passes that'll rule out the ram. I had the exact same problem (+ BSODs) and it was my patriot.

 

[Azreil_2]

Will Do, he's getting annoyed... atm he's thinking about just getting a new pc

... which im sure ill convince him to build one this time lol.

but yea, want to get it working for him so i can at least nab it for a spare pc

if he wants rid of it lol.

 

[Azreil_2]

Sorry to double post but.

Just got a call from my mate, he measured the voltage, and its 14-15v on the GPU?

he said he wasn't sure where to measure the voltage tho.. and tbh

I don't have a clue... but im sure there's only one voltage to measure...

and isn't it meant to be 12V not 14/15?

and the graphic driver update didn't help.. its using the latest version...

 

[Ham]

i dk what the hell hes measureing.

Assumimg he knows how too use a DMM properly:

Measure the 12v and 5v there.

Use the other type of molex (female). The yellow wire should be circa 12v and the red circa 5v. ground too which ever.

 

[mrapoc]

Check rails in bios - this will be 12v, 5v and 3.5v? Or something

Check temps of everything (speedfan is good of this)

As ham said...Memtest 86+ full test for as long as possible

TBH - format and get latest drivers for everything!!