2x PC's, numerous issues....

[MereKat]

I currently have 2 PC's, one works, one doesn't...

 

Both are made up of various bits from different computers, and *seem* to be of an OK spec.

 

The working one (I'm using at this very moment in time!):

 

All i can tell you is it has a 2.8Ghz CeleronD Processor and 256mb Ram, with a 2GB Memory stick acting as 'fake ram' (?), don't know what you call it really. It has a video card with a fan on it (GeForce 6200A D128M), an 80GB HDD and a DVD-RW that doesn't show up!

 

With this one, it was in my mums garage for a number of years, and suffered slight damage while in said garage, main bit being the VGA output socket on the motherboard (?) being broken off, and the current video card being given to me by a friend. Although it seems to work fine, it keeps coming up as an unknown device and Windows wants to find the drivers for it, drivers are installed from somewhere (can't remember where from, but it worked), so want to stop it coming up?

 

Also, i imagine it's RAM related, but it is extremely slow to start up, i've checked the 'msconfig', and there appears to be minimal items in the startup tab, but that's all i know!

 

I know for any issues a more detailed spec of the PC would be needed and i remember a website/programe that would scan the PC/Laptop/whatever and give a full report on whats what? Can't remember what it was called...i keep thinking Emerald? Can't find anything online for it though....

 

The second one...

 

This was given to me as an 'almost complete' build, again from various bits. All i can say about that is that it has a 1.8Ghz P4 procesor, 512mb RAM, currently no HDD and a similar video card (GeForce 6200 DDR2 128mb AGP). It also has a 'Zalman' fan on the processor? Previous guy said it was one of the 'good bits'?

 

I have a HDD, that was also given to me, but it doesn't load anything past the BIOS screen, just restarts continually, so i'm guessing it was used as a second HDD by the last user and as such no OS on it. I have tried it in both PC's with the same outcome, so guess it's an issue with either the HDD or software?

 

I have 2 IDE cable's in the current (1st) PC, one is marked MOTHER BOARD, the other is marked Master and Slave CD-Rom and Motherboard. Are both essentially the same thing? I connected both HDD's using the CD-Rom IDE cable, with the working HDD on master and other HDD on slave, but in the BIOS it didn't recognise either HDD's?

 

The first one i'd like to use as the main home desktop for web, emails and photo editing, and probably a lot of YouTube viewing of silly cats etc (I have an 8yr old son...that's my excuse anyway!)

 

The second one i'd like to use as a kind of 'media center', as it's smaller and looks nicer, so ideal for putting near a TV etc, but not sure if it would be capable? Mainly for watching stuff on Netflix, DVD's and Music. Netflix works fine on our Wii, and i don't think the Wii is as 'Powerful' as the PC could be?

 

More RAM can be put it both if it'll help with speeding things up, but anything more complicated than taking something off, or putting something in, i'm i little clueless about! Solving software issues is a little sketchy, but can follow instruction quite well :o

 

anyway, sorry for the long post! I'm sure if i read it back to myself in an hour i'll wonder what on earth i've put this all up for!

 

Main question at the moment is, what would the website/program be to give a diagnostic on whats what with the PC?.....

[KenB]

Hi and welcome to ExTS :)

 

Firstly - as this is two different problems - could I ask you to create a new thread for the machine that doesn't work please?

Just copy what you have written here about it and post a new thread in the same forum.

 

========

 

The software that will give you an analysis of your system specs is Speccy ( there are others ....Everest for one )

click here

 

========

 

The slow machine -

256mb Ram, with a 2GB Memory stick

Never heard of "fake" ram.

If your system is running just 256MB RAM then this certainly is a major part of the problem.

Speccy will confirm what the system is seeing.

 

=======

 

Regarding the drivers for your Video Card:

Start > Run > Type in .....devmgmt.msc ......ENTER

Click the + next to Display Adapters > right click on the device > Update Driver Software

Use the auto option and let Windows search the net for an updated driver.

[MereKat]

Everest! That's what i was thinking of! I'll run that and Speccy this evening and see what come up.

 

The 'fake' ram is this: http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_6054256_use-usb-memory-ram-xp.html - Virtual Memory. Seems to work a little quicker since having it in place?...

 

I've ordered a 1gb stick to replace the 256mb to see if that speeds things up by much, if it does, i'll get another 1gb of the same make/type to join it :) I've heard/read the USB method doesn't give much help due to the differing write speeds, but a new stick should see a much better improvement...

 

I'll edit the first post, start a new one :) Didn't know if it would be easier on the forum to have 1 thread or 2!

[MereKat]

Hi Ken,

 

I have bought a 1gb stick of RAM to go in, but the PC just beeps if it's put in. Ive read that a BIOS update may solve this? The current BIOS is an American Megatrends (AMI), and they link me to a 3rd party scanner/updater which wont update it unless i buy their software, which, i don't want to do! Fair enough if i want to upgrade, i should pay for the pleasure, but if things don't work because the BIOS is out of date, i don't think i should have to pay to update it...is there anywhere i can update this for free? It shows the current version being from 2005!

 

Video Card - I have tried letting windows search for the drivers...it's currently looking for them, has been for the past 10-15mins or so

 

I have now got both HDD's recognised! For some reason the 2nd HDD is known as 'Betty', must be the last owners desired name...has a lot of stuff on it (various games and software, 65GB out of 80GB used), so may take a while to format!) When i do format it, would it need to be done in a certain way to use in the non-working PC?

 

It's taken me about 10 minutes to type this with the search from the video driver, so given up on that...if 20 minutes isn't long enough i'll deal with pressing Cancel on startup for a while!

 

The new RAM i have bought has the following on the sticker:

 

1GB DDR 333 CL2 5 ECC Reg PCR2700R-25331-CO

 

The current 256 has this on Speccy:

SPD

Number Of SPD Modules 1

Slot #1

Type DDR

Size 256 MBytes

Manufacturer Micron Technology

Max Bandwidth PC3200 (200 MHz)

Part Number 8VDDT3264AG-40BGB

Serial Number 20230821

Week/year 20 / 05

SPD Ext. EPP

JEDEC #3

Frequency 200.0 MHz

CAS# Latency 3.0

RAS# To CAS# 3

RAS# Precharge 3

tRAS 8

Voltage 2.500 V

JEDEC #2

Frequency 166.7 MHz

CAS# Latency 2.5

RAS# To CAS# 3

RAS# Precharge 3

tRAS 7

Voltage 2.500 V

JEDEC #1

Frequency 133.3 MHz

CAS# Latency 2.0

RAS# To CAS# 2

RAS# Precharge 2

tRAS 6

Voltage 2.500 V

 

 

Speccy has this for the The Motherboard/BIOS:

 

Motherboard

Manufacturer NEC COMPUTERS INTERNATIONAL

Model P5S800-VM (Socket 775)

Version PB13310501

Chipset Vendor SiS

Chipset Model 661FX

Chipset Revision 11

Southbridge Vendor SiS

Southbridge Model 964

Southbridge Revision 36

System Temperature 39 °C

BIOS

Brand American Megatrends Inc.

Version 0159

Date 04/25/2005

Voltage

CPU CORE 1.368 V

VIN0 1.784 V

AVCC 3.408 V

+3.3V 3.392 V

MEMORY CONTROLLER 1.208 V

VIN2 1.624 V

VIN3 0.040 V

VIN4 0.040 V

PCI Data

Slot UNKNOWN

Slot Type UNKNOWN

Slot Usage Available

Bus Width 32 bit

Slot Designation AGP

Slot Number 0

Slot PCI

Slot Type PCI

Slot Usage Available

Bus Width 32 bit

Slot Designation PCI1

Slot Number 1

Slot PCI

Slot Type PCI

Slot Usage In Use

Bus Width 32 bit

Slot Designation PCI2

Slot Number 2

Slot PCI

Slot Type PCI

Slot Usage Available

Bus Width 32 bit

Slot Designation PCI3

Slot Number 3

 

Slot UNKNOWN is the AGP slot the video card is in, and the voltages are constantly changing (not by much though).

 

So, question now is: Will the new RAM work in this old girl, of is it the wrong type? And Can i update my BIOS with no moneys needing to be transferred?...

[KenB]

Hi

 

Will the new RAM work in this old girl, of is it the wrong type?

You have bought ECC RAM - [server RAM]

 

1GB DDR 333 CL2 5 ECC Reg PCR2700R-25331-CO

 

Your motherboard specs suggest

PC3200/2700/2100 non-ECC DDR SDRAM .................. (from the motherboard specs)

click here

 

1. Some motherboards will allow the use of ECC in non-ECC slots and some will not.

 

2. Some m/boards will allow ECC and non-ECC to be mixed .......some will not

 

3. RAM have an operating voltage ( e.g. 1.5v / 1.65v ) if this isn't correct then the RAM will not work in the slot.

 

Either way - you are always best advised to buy the recommended Ram at the correct voltage.

 

Put the old 256MB back in and run the Crucial Scan from here:

click here

 

Let me know what it says.

 

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With regards to "Fake RAM" ..........I do know about Virtual Memory and this is no substitute for RAM.

( not heard it called "Fake RAM" before :) )