SOLVED New Build Problems

[JamesPG]

Just completed a new build (components listed at the bottom) and I am encountering some issues that I would like to be a little better informed about. After putting the system together, I installed the software/drivers in the following order. OS (Win 7 Premium x64), Update OS, mobo drivers (from included disk), wireless USB NIC adapter (latest driver when compared to website), graphics drivers (266.66 I believe from Nvidia Website), sound card drivers, Win Security Essentials.

After installing the netgear USB adapter I noticed that I was not getting a good signal from where I had it plugged into the mobo. I moved it to a USB slot right next to it and was met with a BsoD. After a reboot, I moved the adapter to a USB on the front/top of the case, and then back several times to the mobo USB slots to see if there was an issue with the USB slots. The system remained stable through about 15 usb disconnect/reconnects though (allowing each time for full connection).

I then installed Dragon Age 2, and got about 85% through with the install and was met with a "Installation Failed" error. I installed again and was successful but I am now having Securerom issues (I believe I know what that problem is being caused by).

I have run the Win Mem Diagnostic Tool with no errors reported, and the system has otherwise been stable. My questions are:
1) Am I on the road to a significant hardware failure, and if so
2) What should I be on the lookout for
3) Is there a way for me to stress test my system to look for a weak link

Thanks for reading my wall of text (my first post! woot)

i7-950 Bloomfield @ 3.06 gig (strangely @ 3.46 in mobo bios..I have not overclocked it)
Asus Sabertooth x-58 mobo
6 gig G-skill ddr3 (3x2 gig Triple Channel)
Thermaltake Frio CPU Fan
Seagate Baracuda 1 TB 7200 Sata 3gig/s OEM
EVGA Geforce 560ti 1 Gig
Coolermaster GX 750 PS
Coolermaster Storm Sniper Mid Tower ATX Case (1x120mm fan, 2x200mm fans)
LG Sata DVD Burner OEM
Win 7 Premium x64 OEM

 

[Theocnoob]

Just completed a new build (components listed at the bottom) and I am encountering some issues that I would like to be a little better informed about. After putting the system together, I installed the software/drivers in the following order. OS (Win 7 Premium x64), Update OS, mobo drivers (from included disk), wireless USB NIC adapter (latest driver when compared to website), graphics drivers (266.66 I believe from Nvidia Website), sound card drivers, Win Security Essentials.

After installing the netgear USB adapter I noticed that I was not getting a good signal from where I had it plugged into the mobo. I moved it to a USB slot right next to it and was met with a BsoD. After a reboot, I moved the adapter to a USB on the front/top of the case, and then back several times to the mobo USB slots to see if there was an issue with the USB slots. The system remained stable through about 15 usb disconnect/reconnects though (allowing each time for full connection).

I then installed Dragon Age 2, and got about 85% through with the install and was met with a "Installation Failed" error. I installed again and was successful but I am now having Securerom issues (I believe I know what that problem is being caused by).

I have run the Win Mem Diagnostic Tool with no errors reported, and the system has otherwise been stable. My questions are:
1) Am I on the road to a significant hardware failure, and if so
2) What should I be on the lookout for
3) Is there a way for me to stress test my system to look for a weak link

Thanks for reading my wall of text (my first post! woot)

i7-950 Bloomfield @ 3.06 gig (strangely @ 3.46 in mobo bios..I have not

There's your problem. You have an unstable inadvertent overclock. Set everything to where it should be according to spec. CPU and RAM, in bios.

Run Prime 95 in Blend and run memtest bootably from a USB stick not in windows.

 

[JamesPG]

Ok. I got into my bios and looked around and all appears to be well.
--Target CPU Frequency is 3059 Mhz
--Target DRAM Frequency is 1066 Mhz

In my original post I mistakenly reported that my bios showed my cpu set to 3.46 when in fact it was the Dragon Age 2 auto config app that gave this number. My apologies. I will run the Prime 95 and bootable memtest however to see what I can see.

A quick question though, is the 1066 Mhz of Dram all it is capable of? Or is that just a stock setting of the mobo?

 

[psionic98]

That is the stock mobo settings. Without a link to your ram its a guess. Though most folks do buy 1600 ram. If you set your timings to factory specs (9-9-9-1t etc) it will still show as 1066 until you force it to overclock (compared to default mobo settings) into what its designed to do. This is usually done with a memory divider and a base clock overclock.

The memory divider is usually a ratio of 2:6, 2:8, 2:10, 2:12. For stock clocks using a 2:10 will already increase past 1066, but not quite up to 1600 (if thats what your ram is slated to run at) We can easily get in to overclocking, but lets get you stable @ stock settings first!

 

[JamesPG]

I just read the guide to stability testing here on the site, and I plan on running the 24 hour prime95 and memtests over the next 2 evenings.

A quick link to my ram--http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231225

I bought this setup to do a little overclocking, but your right about the stability first.

My mind still goes back to the BsoD happening at the exact moment I was flubbing around with the usb wireless adapter. Hopefully I can get the testing out of the way with no problems as it is a really fast system in comparison to what I upgraded from.

 

[Theocnoob]

I just read the guide to stability testing here on the site, and I plan on running the 24 hour prime95 and memtests over the next 2 evenings.

A quick link to my ram--http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231225

I bought this setup to do a little overclocking, but your right about the stability first.

My mind still goes back to the BsoD happening at the exact moment I was flubbing around with the usb wireless adapter. Hopefully I can get the testing out of the way with no problems as it is a really fast system in comparison to what I upgraded from.

24 hour prime is overkill IMO. You only really need 6. 24 is stressful for your system, and I'd only do a 24 run on a board with top end components that was going to be used under permanent load, ie, SETI, FOLD, etc.

As far as the USB Wifi causing a BSOD, sometimes certain components dont like eachother. Run windows update and get all the hotfixes on your OS, make sure everything is totally stable, no other problems, then try the wireless USB again. If your computer just plain doesn't like it, which is odd.. worst case scenario you can buy a cheap PCI wifi card or something...

Also have you tried this thing on several different ports? Maybe the port was defective and undervolted the thing or something..

 

[JamesPG]

The adapter is acting weird for sure. It is not auto starting like it did on my last system. I am having to d/c and reconnect to get windows to recognize it. Then it starts working fine. The usb port it went into was a 3.0 also. I now run the adapter from a 2.0 port in the front.

I have noticed I did get an insane download speed increase with the system upgrade. I do not know where this came from though as my last system had USB 2.0 on it as well.

I am testing each port tonight with a 3 gig file transfer from an external HD to see if any of the ports stand out. So far all has been stable. I will be running the stability tests tonight.

 

[Theocnoob]

Sounds good. If it keeps giving you trouble just get an internal wifi. It isn't worth this headache when you can knock a $30 card in there and be good to go IMO

 

[JamesPG]

A final update on this thread. The system completed all tests with 0 errors, and has been really stable throughout some pretty stressful gaming since. Next weekend I'm going to try and overclock it and see what I can get out of it. Thanks for all the help and tips.