So I build computers for a hobby. No certification, but I've been doing this for a very, very long time, and I'm quite good at it. I've built almost two dozen machines in my time, and all have functioned flawlessly for a very long time.
Except one machine.
This machine also happens to be my personal performance/gaming rig.
Its been one issue after another since day 1. Mostly minor issues, but there always seems to be a crisis going on. First, the OS decides it no longer wants to live, and simply offs itself. Great...reformat, reinstall, download eleventy billion patches.
Another repeating issue is that the video drivers occasionally decide not to work any longer. Its an Nvidia card in there, up to date with the most recent stable version, but every few months the drivers get wonky, causing all sorts of boot up issues and can only be fixed by wiping and reinstalling the video drivers.
Also, the CD drive is only detected about half the time. Some days it just doesn't want to be bothered with having a drive. Other days it will actually detect the drive.
One of the more recent issues is that it simply decided it no longer wants to use a PS/2 connection for the old keyboard I had. Wasn't the keyboard itself, the computer just didn't feel like using that port anymore. So, I'm stuck with USB stuff now, which is fine, except that about half the time it won't detect the USB stuff either, at least not until windows fully boots up. Trying to fiddle around with BIOS settings when it won't detect the keyboard isn't very fun.
And finally, just this last week I've been grappling with a most bizarre issue. The sound starts out fine, but after 5-10 minutes of use, the sound begins to degrade. It first gets more and more static in it, then that degrades further into various electronic squeals and garbles which are quite unpleasant to the ear. This can be "fixed" by rebooting the computer or resetting the application currently using the sound, but that only buys you another 5-10 minutes before ears begin to bleed again.
Then just the other day I started getting all sorts of memory errors, with somewhat frequent blue screens due to fatal memory errors, followed by the memory dump and a reboot.
All of these issues are incredibly aggravating since I can't figure out whats causing them nor how to fix them.
* There are no viruses or other forms of malware on the computer. I've checked. Repeatedly. With just about every anti-malware program known to man.
* The hard drives are not failing. I've done all sorts of checks and rechecks on them, they're both in perfect working order and fully defragged.
* Its not entirely a software issue as the problems tend to reappear after wiping and reformatting the OS drive.
* Things are plugged in properly and there are no loose connections. I've checked, spending a great deal of time with a flashlight poking around in there.
* Its not a dust issue. I've used compressed air cans to clean out the dust on several occasions.
* No bursting capacitors. All of the capacitors appear to be perfectly fine.
* Its not a heat issue. The computer is running cool and frosty, even after extended usage at full capacity.
I'm at my wit's end on this. At this point I'm convinced there's some sort of invisible gremlin inside the computer thats just mocking me.
As my CPU is rather ancient and I need to upgrade somewhat soonish, the recent total memory failure has simply moved that timetable up. So I'm going to salvage the GPU, hard drives, power supply, and the case. This means I need a new mobo, CPU, and RAM.
Its an 8800 GTS 320mb PCI GPU, 600w power supply, and both the hard drives and case as generic industry standard.
Any advice on a good CPU/mobo combination for the parts that I do have?
Except one machine.
This machine also happens to be my personal performance/gaming rig.
Its been one issue after another since day 1. Mostly minor issues, but there always seems to be a crisis going on. First, the OS decides it no longer wants to live, and simply offs itself. Great...reformat, reinstall, download eleventy billion patches.
Another repeating issue is that the video drivers occasionally decide not to work any longer. Its an Nvidia card in there, up to date with the most recent stable version, but every few months the drivers get wonky, causing all sorts of boot up issues and can only be fixed by wiping and reinstalling the video drivers.
Also, the CD drive is only detected about half the time. Some days it just doesn't want to be bothered with having a drive. Other days it will actually detect the drive.
One of the more recent issues is that it simply decided it no longer wants to use a PS/2 connection for the old keyboard I had. Wasn't the keyboard itself, the computer just didn't feel like using that port anymore. So, I'm stuck with USB stuff now, which is fine, except that about half the time it won't detect the USB stuff either, at least not until windows fully boots up. Trying to fiddle around with BIOS settings when it won't detect the keyboard isn't very fun.
And finally, just this last week I've been grappling with a most bizarre issue. The sound starts out fine, but after 5-10 minutes of use, the sound begins to degrade. It first gets more and more static in it, then that degrades further into various electronic squeals and garbles which are quite unpleasant to the ear. This can be "fixed" by rebooting the computer or resetting the application currently using the sound, but that only buys you another 5-10 minutes before ears begin to bleed again.
Then just the other day I started getting all sorts of memory errors, with somewhat frequent blue screens due to fatal memory errors, followed by the memory dump and a reboot.
All of these issues are incredibly aggravating since I can't figure out whats causing them nor how to fix them.
* There are no viruses or other forms of malware on the computer. I've checked. Repeatedly. With just about every anti-malware program known to man.
* The hard drives are not failing. I've done all sorts of checks and rechecks on them, they're both in perfect working order and fully defragged.
* Its not entirely a software issue as the problems tend to reappear after wiping and reformatting the OS drive.
* Things are plugged in properly and there are no loose connections. I've checked, spending a great deal of time with a flashlight poking around in there.
* Its not a dust issue. I've used compressed air cans to clean out the dust on several occasions.
* No bursting capacitors. All of the capacitors appear to be perfectly fine.
* Its not a heat issue. The computer is running cool and frosty, even after extended usage at full capacity.
I'm at my wit's end on this. At this point I'm convinced there's some sort of invisible gremlin inside the computer thats just mocking me.
As my CPU is rather ancient and I need to upgrade somewhat soonish, the recent total memory failure has simply moved that timetable up. So I'm going to salvage the GPU, hard drives, power supply, and the case. This means I need a new mobo, CPU, and RAM.
Its an 8800 GTS 320mb PCI GPU, 600w power supply, and both the hard drives and case as generic industry standard.
Any advice on a good CPU/mobo combination for the parts that I do have?
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