Major problems, need help!

[Xiode]

Ok, I'm extremely pissed off. I was just trying to play my daily share of World of Warcraft (ok, so I'm an addict), and my computer starts getting *** on me. Blue screens, specifically, and often times WoW would have a critical error and would exit. This has been going on for quite a while, but the problem really isn't that bad nor frequent, so I've put up with it thus far.

However, I'm about so mad I could spit nails right now. My computer has given me a blue screen no less than 10 times in the past hour (probably more), trying to get it to work. See, up until this point, the problem wasn't that frequent. I would get a random restart or error every so often... restart my computer, no big deal. It's weird though, the errors seem to happen all at one time. I can go a week with no problems, and then have several restarts all in one day, and then be fine again for another couple of days.

Now, though, it's not even working at all. After trying for around an hour and a half, changing settings in the BIOS, swapping RAM slots, removing a stick at a time... which all yielded no results. The problem isn't with my settings, I've gathered that much. I throttled the CPU all the way down to 235 x 9, tried every vdimm voltage from 2.6 to 2.9, and even increased vcore all the way to 1.52v at 235 x 9. However, none improved the situation.

A friend of mine was helping me find possible solutions way back when (when it wasn't nearly as big of a problem), and he suggested that maybe my power supply was overheating. However, once I got my computer down laying flat on the floor, I could see that the fans were working. CPU cooling really isn't an issue either, I have a SP-90 with a 92mm Tornado running full speed 24/7, and some Arctic Silver 5 in applied in between. The temps are fine, I guess it's just a hardware issue.

The thing that gets me is, I've had this hardware configuration for well over 5 months, and it really hasn't given me a problem (a big problem at least) until today. Now, when I try to boot it.... I hit power on, it comes alive... only, nothing comes on the screen and it just lets out several long, drawn out beeps. That can't be good.

I suppose I could try resetting the CMOS jumper, I forgot to try that. Anyone have an ideas to what the problem might be?

[Major_A]

http://www.memtest86.com/
Let this run while you sleep one night or while at work/school the next day. Don't let it run a pass and say everything is fine. I've had it pass for 4 hours then find a problem.

[Axylone]

Check the motherboard manufacturers site or your manual for the beep codes. It should tell you what the problem is, but i suspect the motherboard or power supply.

[Xiode]

http://www.memtest86.com/
Let this run while you sleep one night or while at work/school the next day. Don't let it run a pass and say everything is fine. I've had it pass for 4 hours then find a problem.

Well, I got the beeping to stop by inserting the other DIMM (I only had one in, when it was beeping). Other than the beeping going away, nothing is different though. My system will power on, but it doesn't post at all. I get a black screen, no BIOS or anything.

So, in turn, I can't even run a diagnostic tool or similar program.

Any ideas?

[Xiode]

Check the motherboard manufacturers site or your manual for the beep codes. It should tell you what the problem is, but i suspect the motherboard or power supply.

Also, when I still had the beeping problem... I checked the manual, but all it showed was what the diagnostic lights meant, not the actual beep codes. I checked DFI's website too, but all it said was "this data is under construction" or something like that.

[Major_A]

Check to see what BIOS it is, ie... Phoenix, etc.. Then go to google and look up "Phoenix beep codes" or "AMI beep codes". Usually long beep codes over and over mean memory.

Put the memory back in, unplug the computer from the wall, swap the CMOS clear jumper, go walk the dog, put the jumper back and run everything at stock.

Hell it could be a simple BIOS issue with your memory modules. Isn't there over 50 BIOS' for that board?

[Xiode]

I tried clearing the CMOS jumper multiple times yesterday, but I'll give it another shot today. If I can't get past this black screen, then what should I do?

[Major_A]

If you can try the essentials in another computer to rule them out, RAM, video card, etc.... If you rule out it's the motherboard and can't get it to POST then RMA that sucker.

[Xiode]

Problem is, I'm a 15 year old on a budget, so in upgrading parts, I had to sell my old ones. I don't have any compatable parts on hand.

I suppose in that situation I'll just end up having to RMA everything.

[RistoEe]

How about to borrow from your friends?

[Xiode]

I don't have a single friend that knows a thing about computers, much less has an extra part.

I guess you could say I'm a little ahead of the crowd.

[Major_A]

If that's the case I'd go ahead and RMA the board.

[Xiode]

Ok, I just got home from school and examined the board, and there are no obvious bad caps. I think the problem is the RAM, here's why:

I have G.Skill PC4400 LE's, which are guaranteed up to 2.5-3-3-7 and 2.7v at DDR 500. I can't even get near those settings (this is when the system was working and I was able to overclock it). I was doing 3-4-4-8 with most of the other settings loose, and at 2.9v. Even then, I'd get frequent errors, both in applications and system errors (reboots, blue screens, etc). I guess they just gave out now though. It would explain all the symptoms I'm having, right?

I need a new pair anyway, they were holding my overlock back.

Also, I took one of the DIMM's out today in order to try to interpret the beeps. There was no given number, I let it beep for about 2 minutes straight before I powered off. Of those 2 minutes, I got a constant beep of about 1 second, and then 2 seconds in between.

I tried having 1 DIMM in and not the other, and vise versa (trying to see if the problem is 1 and not the other), but the beeps occured with both sticks. Like before, putting both in at the same time stopped the beeping but I still can't get to the BIOS.

[i found nemo]

2.9v's is alot for tccd me thinks you blew a stick possibly?

[Xiode]

Doubt that I blew it, it was actively being cooled by my SP-90 with the 92mm Tornado above it running full blast.

Did find out that the problem is the RAM though, so I'm gonna RMA it tomorrow and hopefully increase my clock on this X2 to 3.0 (that's my goal).