Question:
Hey guys,
Yesterday my PC packed up on me, and I've come to the conclusion that it might be the motherboard which has broken.
Basically, it was re-starting itself and when it re-booted, an American Megatrends screen came up which said "Overclocking Failed - Press F1 to enter setup, F2 to load default settings". I've not overclocked my computer, so this stumped me. Having googled it, I thought that the problem could be my BIOS, so I downloaded the newest version and flashed it. A new error message then came up, saying "CMOS checksum bad. Press F1 to run setup. Press F2 to load defalt values and continue".
I've re-set the CMOS settings by moving the jumper to the other pins and then replacing it, and nothing seems to be working now! The computer SOUNDS like it's booting up, but it's not coming up on the screen - about 1/3 times it will actually boot, but then the error messages come up and Windows never loads. Having googled this, it seems my motherboard is not the only one to have this problem!
If anyone can suggest anything I can do to fix this then please let me know! Otherwise, I'm looking for a new motherboard. Which one would be best to get, if I wanted to keep my RAM, HDD and processor? It would be nice to get something I could upgrade as then at least it will seem worth it! Lol! I could buy a new processor etc as well if it wasn't too expensive. What do you guys think?
Thanks!
Here are my specs:
Asus K8V-SE Deluxe S754 VIA k8t800 Motherboard
2 x 512MB Geil PC3200 RAM
AMD Athlon 64 2800 processor
Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 200GB SATA HDD
Answers:
I'd go for another asus board they are generally very reliable. First though I'd try changing the battery on the motherboard.
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Thanks,
Where's the best place to buy a battery? I've never had to do it before!
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Thanks,
Where's the best place to buy a battery? I've never had to do it before!
Many pound shops sell watch batteries etc, usually in packs of different types as well. I think most motherboard batteries are something like CR2032 but my memory is pretty poor so best to look for yourself.
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My computer is now saying "System failed CPU test" when I switch it on, with nothing else happening. I have tried to flash the bios again, by pressing "Alt + F2" when it loads, which worked once, but on restart it just did the same thing again - and now I can't get it to load the flash program again!! AAah! I've tried re-setting the CMOS as well, to no avail! I'll try the battery thing soon as well, but I'm not too hopeful!
Answers:
My computer is now saying "System failed CPU test" when I switch it on, with nothing else happening. I have tried to flash the bios again, by pressing "Alt + F2" when it loads, which worked once, but on restart it just did the same thing again - and now I can't get it to load the flash program again!! AAah! I've tried re-setting the CMOS as well, to no avail! I'll try the battery thing soon as well, but I'm not too hopeful!
Doesn't sound too hopeful unfortunately. Oh well on the bright side an excuse to upgrade your pc anyway .
Answers:
I'd go for another asus board they are generally very reliable. First though I'd try changing the battery on the motherboard.
Would definitely be cheaper to try that first. I agree with sticking to Asus, although my next motherboard is likely to be asrock 4coredual just because I don't need to change all my components at once and then I may after upgrading everything over time go back to an Asus.
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FOXCONN 760GXK8MC-RS SOCKET 754 MOTHERBOARD WITH ATHLON 64 2800 CPU. bundle. new.
on ebay at 45 quid buy it now.
get a spare cpu eh?
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Would that work with all my other bits and pieces? Thanks!
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depends on your graphics card if any?
the foxconn has an agp slot. it also has onboard graphics. (SiS 760GX)...that may suit you, or not?
your memory and sata drive should be ok though.
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I have a graphics card but it's a bit naff! Lol!
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Id do what superscaper said and go for .
You'll be able to use all your old bits and will be able to use a whole load of the Intel CPUs.
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Id do what superscaper said and go for .
You'll be able to use all your old bits and will be able to use a whole load of the Intel CPUs.
but then the op has to spend £170 on a new cpu and motherboard compared to £40 or so on just a motherboard. If they aren't doing anything intensive with their computer then what they have is more than enough.
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but then the op has to spend £170 on a new cpu and motherboard compared to £40 or so on just a motherboard. If they aren't doing anything intensive with their computer then what they have is more than enough.
Why £170? The motherboard is £50 inc. and he can get a 3Ghz P4 for £50 or so, and as hes said,
"Otherwise, I'm looking for a new motherboard. Which one would be best to get, if I wanted to keep my RAM, HDD and processor? "
and this one would also let him keep his graphics card, it seems to make sense. He could also upgrade to a Core2, which is generally accepted to be the best CPU atm. Personally I dont see the point in keeping an AMD CPU when you have the opportunity to use such a large range of the Intels, and can stll upgrade the memory and graphics later on. The only other part he might need is a PSU, but Im not sure.
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Just a suggestion mate but i had same problem a while back and after changing cmos battery it was still the same so my brother suggested a new psu as the psu charges the cmos battery so if your psu is fried the battery will die he changed these for me and everything was fine.
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thought this was a money saving site and the OP is on a budget?
hence my suggestion/s.
if we enter into the world of an upgrade, then thats a whole new ball game.
yes it can be done with a budget of say 100/200 quid.
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Looking at the original post, it sounds more like the CMOS hasn't accepted the reflashing properly. Try looking on the manufacturer's website to see if they have a program/bootdisk that will repair the failed reflashing. Resetting the CMos won't work because the BIOS image is corrupt and this has nothing to do with the PSU, battery, etc.
Worth a try since it's free and it it works then you can sell it on EBay for a bit more since it works and still upgrade whilst you are at it!
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Hey guys, I got the Asrock board which you guys recommended, and now I just need a processor (as mine was AMD and this one only takes Intel). It supports the following:
LGA 775 for Intel Core 2 Extreme
Core 2 Duo
Pentium XE
Pentium D
Pentium 4
Celeron D
FSB 1066/800/533 Mhz
I'm thinking of getting the Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 (2.13Ghz) Socket 775 FSB1066 4MB Cache, however the mobo only supports it when the bios has been updated with the newest version. Would the best bet be to buy this processor and try and get a cheap Celeron D which it supports to update the bios with, and then switch to the new processor? Or is there a better processor I can get which avoids all of that?
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[...]Or is there a better processor I can get which avoids all of that?
Yes, the Intel Core 2 Duo . The E4300 is the best value for money CPU currently and doesn't differ much performance-wise from the E6420. It overclocks like a dream too. Core 2 Duos totally outperform Celerons, so it's well worth spending that little more to get a Core 2 Duo. More so now since Core 2 Duo prices have come down to sub £75 levels.
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Hiya, thanks, but I wasn't going to get a Celeron, that was just to update the bios, then switch to the Core 2 Duo.