We did get a new MoBo (MotherBoard), an ABIT NF7-S, nice, but won’t work … due to … I think …. the Power Supply.
The PSU, as it will be called from here on out, is what came with the ATX Case we already had. I was only upgrading the MoBo, but new that new Memory was needed evencually, but what we had would work alright for now. I had a clue that the power wasn’t all it was snuffed up to be and should be replaced, but that task of choice is a harder one, it’s quite a hard choice, and since it’s step by step as can do upgrading, the puder is on hold until we can get a new PSU for it.
Well, this is probably the reason for other bad stuff on that puter with the old MoBo, and also that MoBo was holding us back anyhow. This new MoBo screams at me after being turned on for just a few seconds. It started to boot, I can get into BIOS, but then it shuts off singing an alarm. There is also a CMOS checksum error on boot-up, but that’s just that BIOS needs to be set-up still. I can’t stay in BIOS long enought to get anything done. Fine anyhow, as PSU is important.
I knew that before, but am MORE aware of HOW VERY VERY important it is to have a GOOD PSU installed.
It’s a tale to tell, that my VAIO [the laptop] problems are all related to the Coke Spill of July 2003, but other than that it has ran like a dream … where as the ‘puter we built from a case kit [came with case, MoBo, PSU, Floppy, etc. only] has had problems of BSD [those wonderful Windows Blue Screen of Death errors] over and over that I could not get rid of, so just “re-install Windows” every so often was the temporary fix that has lasted oh so long.
Live and learn. I’m glad for upgrading the MoBo of the desktop, makes me very aware of WHAT is so very importent, to get a GOOD PSU, brand name, good warrantee, and rated well in tests. [Sigh] It’ll be nice to day we have this Desktop running nicely. PSU, 3200 memory, just to start with.
So here is what I have now on the desktop system:
Abit NF7-S [rev.2] -MoBo
Athlon XP 2100+ -Processor
ThermalTake TR2-something-or-other -Fan & Heatsink w/external speed control
512 mb K-byte PC2100 -Memory
Radeon 7500 64mb -AGP video card
TDK CD-Rom R/RW 40x12x42B
plain jane floppy drive [which I’ve never really used, I can’t recall I have!]
Once we can get a PSU, the next thing will be Memory, and that’ll be branded as Corsair.
It will be that the desktop is not running at all until a PSU is obtained, since I can’t boot up long enough to get into Windows at all, and can only go fiddle in BIOS for a few or up to maybe 30 seconds of looking before being shut down. I’m done with the trying of booting-up since I know it’s not a problem that will go away without PSU replacement, and I have my hopes up that that is exactly what is the problem and nothing more. I’m 90% sure it’s the PSU, as we did take the first MoBo purchased back to the store and exact-exchanged it, and the second board does the same thing exactly, and the reading I’ve done on ABIT’s usa forum has shown me that the PSU is more than likely the culprit of the troubles.
A really good PSU is relative to about $100 more or less. I want to be sure to get something “stylish” since we do plan on having a new case one day, or at least opening this present case up and putting a window in it’s side. So I want to find a good fan that is BLUE or had BLUE LED light in it … I’ve seen two such kinds, but I digress. Whatever we get, when we get it, needs to work right, and look right. The more expensive fans are mostly styled nicely, it’s not that we’ll look for an expensive one, just that the higher powered PSU’s are usually more expensive and the more expensive ones style their PSU’s nicely, but the two things: expense and style, are not the reasons to by any certain fan, it must meet spec’s that we require first, then the style is considered, then price. For the cheap ones USUALLY are not as well rated … it comes with the territory of “You get what you pay for”. $50 and up is the price range I’d look for a PSU in, relative to what I could afford to spend at that time. Like right now, can’t afford to do it at all. 🙂 Well, that’s really a 🙁