• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

EMI is screwing me? Please help!

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

Spanko

Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2002
Location
Bay Area
Ok i recently put together a comp for my aunt using my old stuff. Namely a MSI KT3 Ultra rev1.0, 2x256mb samsung pc2100, XP2000+, maxtor 30gb hard drive, 52x liteon cdrom, floppy, and a msi tnt2 m64 32mb. After putting it all together, i installed windows xp, and everything. All the newest drivers, bios etc etc. I only have 1 monitor, so i have my computer unhooked and sittting on the floor.

Now everything works and is stable. But when i have my aunts new computer turned on and hooked up to my KDS VS 190is monitor the screen shakes back and forth, and my external dsl modem cuts in and out, resetting and barely working at all. But if i hook my computer back up, everything works fine on the same monitor/modem. Now here is the messed up part... ALL the components in my aunts pc, were in MINE, eg in my Chieftec full tower case. And i never had this problem! The case im using for my aunts is a newly bought Raidmax seen here

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduct.asp?description=11-156-007&depa=1

Now im wondering if the Raidmax isnt shielded or whatever... and its letting EMI through to cause my problems? The only other explanation is that the TNT2 is screwed and causing my monitor problem, and that my dsl modem had coincidentally kept resetting over and over for a few hours and they coincidentally stopped after hooking my pc back up.....

One other thing... On my computer i have fsb spread spectrum set to .25%, actually its locked at that on my A7N8X Deluxe. On the other computer spread spectrum is disabled.... But when i set it to .25% it didnt help at all....

Anyway if anyone can help or give me advice id really appreciate it...
 
I have a TNT2 M64 card that gives a slightly wiggly picture unless I turn down the speed of its graphics chip clock or memory clock. But this wiggle is tiny and not that fast, maybe 2-3 times a second. Monitor shake is usually caused by a nearby magnetic device, like a speaker or electric motor (fan), but I've also had wiggle when the video card's refresh rate wasn't compatible with the monitor's, and changing the display setting from optimum refresh to adapter default helped. Have you tried 60 Hz refresh?

I don't think the PSU's lack of an EMI filter causes the monitor to wiggle or the DSL modem to disconnect because I had a rock-solid picure my no-filter Maxpower (several cheap Fry's cases have them); on the other hand AM radio was drowned out completely, and that was definitely from the lack of an EMI filter because after I installed one, the interference was gone.

I would swap one component at a time between the computers until the problems go away.
 
I guess i will do some swapping tomorrow, one thing i did notice is that the changing the refresh rate did affect the shakiness, but never got rid of it entirely, and this is no small wiggle. Its easily identifiable, first thing my aunt says when i show here windows xp on her new computer is "why is it shaking?" :(
 
Back