Long time to get POST

[lonig]

*First, I'd like to thank everyone for the excellent posts on this board. It is by far the most useful I have ever used. Can't believe I went this long without ever bothering to register*


Comp In Question:
MB: ASUS A8R32-MVP Deluxe 939
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego 2.4GHz Socket 939
Hs: Thermaltake CL-P0257 Blue orb II
RAM: CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 DC
OD1: ASUS Black ATAPI/E-IDE DVD-ROM Drive
OD2: PLEXTOR 18X DVD±R DVD Burner
HD1: Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD 74GB 10,000 RPM
HD2: SAMSUNG SpinPoint P Series SP2504C 250GB 7200 RPM
Sound: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic 7.1
VC1: SAPPHIRE 100145L-GN Radeon X1600PRO 512MB
VC2: SAPPHIRE 100145L-GN Radeon X1600PRO 512MB
PS: COOLER MASTER RS-550-ACLY ATX12V / EPS12V 550W
OS: WinXP Media Center


I'd like to get some advice on this problem before I head out there... Its a 2 part problem, and I'll post my "assumptions" after each, and hopefully get some feedback on how you all think I should take it.

Side note: I have searched for this here... even on google.. but it seems I am just wording it wrong to find the answer.

Part 1) The long time from power to post

Steps: Hit power button -> LEDs/Fans kick on -> 3-4 minutes pass -> computer begins to POST -> OS loads fine

Question: Why?!?!? I cannot seem to figure this one out.. It literally (timed twice) takes around 4 minutes to even start the POST or send anything to monitor... Only thing that happens when I press the power button is the LEDs and the FANs kick on, nothing else makes a noise. Then about 4 minutes later the rest begins booting up like normal.

Current Troubleshooting Idea: Remove all parts but minimum, see if same thing happens. If it does, flash bios. If it doesnt, add pieces back until it does.

The system specs(as you can see below) are fairly dated, and this issue has been present for almost a year aparently. (nearly since it was built). It did not have this issue when I built and ran it for a day or so prior to sending(drove in my car, not shipped).

I am thinking since its been that long, perhaps it needs a better power supply. Since the one I put on it was his request (I had little to do with that part selection.. just helped a kid build his first with his Mothers money) and I felt like it was a bit low for a Crossfire. Also, those cards are the type that DO not require extra power, they run soley off the MB PCI-E slots.

So... Anyone else have ideas on Problem 1?
- Bios update (already turned off all OC options, even tried once with Optimized Bios Settings)
- Powersupply


Part 2) Certain games freeze for 5 seconds every 10 seconds
I thought this problem was a bad OS/Driver, or whatever else he might have downloaded. Rather than try to clean the system, I just formatted and put newest drivers on. I also ran MEMTEST+ for several hours thinking possible RAM issue, but it came back no errors(perhaps needed to run it longer, but I didnt have the time on that trip due to schedule). After the format, it still doesnt seem to matter, about 5 minutes into CS or WoW, his comp will freeze for about 5 seconds(est) and then about 10 seconds(est) later it will do it again. Neither of those games are graphic intensive, or even CPU for this computer spec. Ideas...?

Current Troubleshooting Idea:
Same as above really... thinking they are both related(the long period before POST and this) to maybe the bios or the power supply. Maybe even a HD for this specific issue... I havnt run Prime or anything(never have, so weary need to run it on my own first) other than Memtest+, whichas I said before, came up no errors after several passes. We did run WoW with the -nosound to see if that'd help it, but it had same issue still. I did not disable the hardware however, just used the -nosound. So I guess that could be it... I'd just think it'd happen in all games or even just in regular usage. (Sims2 runs fine btw)

So... Anyone else have ideas on Problem 2?
- Bios update
- Powersupply
- Faulty HD
- Vid cards?


Thanks in advance to any responses. Sorry for my long winded nature, I tried to edit it down for posting. Also, I'd never claim to be an expert, so please post even simple idea's or basic steps. I'm just now getting back into sales/support again, so I am VERY rusty.

 

[Rav]

Welcome to the forum!

You seem to be on the right track with your troubleshooting. I would definitely try a BIOS update, as well as a minimal hardware setup. You could also try setting the memory timings manually instead of SPD, in case it's hanging up on that. you are also right about those 2 video cards drawing a lot of power from the motherboard. Can you check the voltages in the BIOS and let us know? It may be a good idea to swap those two mid range cards for one higher end one with dedicated power. You would achieve the same or better performance with a lot less hastle.

 

[lonig]

Just updating this thread.

The issue with "Certain games freeze for 5 seconds every 10 seconds" was fixed by a BIOS Update and a good cleaning of all internal parts/cable rearranging. I did both at the same time, although I'm 99% sure it was the BIOS, and all the canned air was simply for show


The LONG time to POST issue is still a mystery. I removed everything but PSU and CPU/MB, and I couldnt even get POST errors or anything. I'm just assuming its a MB problem(didnt have spare PSU, but again, removed all components so it can't be total power, could be slowly failing I guess... just doubt it). However, the user is satisfied as the random freezing has been fixed.


So, thanks to Rav for backing me up on my original assessment, and I'm still open to ideas about the LONG time to POST, but not too concerned. Its just baffled me

 

[djrussell]

i agree. it probably is the power supply causing those issues. they have to die some time. cooler master isn't known for making psu's either.