New Build Problems - Q6600 / GA-P35-DSP3

New build - spent 4 days on it... had it what I thought was done until I
started adding usb devices - once I add more than 1 it will hang at the
Testing Memory prompt - usually getting to "Testin " - then pause for 4-5
seconds and either recycle/reboot or go into vista which blows up and
reboots the machine.

Here are the components:

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P Rev 2.0 LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Ultra Durable 2, Ultra
Cooling Intel Motherboard - Retail

XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT XXX 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI
Supported Video Card - Retail

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model
BX80562Q6600 - Retail

Rosewill RX850-S-B ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91 850W Power Supply - Retail

(2) Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA1065 - Retail

Also - I have 2 - Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial
ATA150 Hard Drives - in RAID 1 on GB SATA Raid ports.

The memory populates all 4 slots for 4gb.

I have tried every combo of bios settings (using F I can think of - does
not matter - once those usb devices are plugged in it is done. Could it be
the MB, memory or PSU? Which would you guess?

Sometimes (keyword here - I can get it into Vista (at stock, 3G and 3.2
even) and plug in the USB devices - all work fine... until it reboots.

I have bumped all voltages across the board. Any thoughts please? Even
without any usb devices plugged in it still is flaky - even with mem running
at 800 instead of 1066.

Thanks in advance for any help...

'Withheld at Owners Request' wrote:
| New build - spent 4 days on it... had it what I thought was done until I
| started adding usb devices - once I add more than 1 it will hang at the
| Testing Memory prompt - usually getting to "Testin " - then pause for 4-5
| seconds and either recycle/reboot or go into vista which blows up and
| reboots the machine.
|
| Here are the components:
|
| GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P Rev 2.0 LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Ultra Durable 2, Ultra
| Cooling Intel Motherboard - Retail
|
| XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT XXX 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI
| Supported Video Card - Retail
|
| Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor
Model
| BX80562Q6600 - Retail
|
| Rosewill RX850-S-B ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91 850W Power Supply - Retail
|
| (2) Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2
8500)
| Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA1065 - Retail
|
| Also - I have 2 - Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM
Serial
| ATA150 Hard Drives - in RAID 1 on GB SATA Raid ports.
|
| The memory populates all 4 slots for 4gb.
|
| I have tried every combo of bios settings (using F I can think of - does
| not matter - once those usb devices are plugged in it is done. Could it be
| the MB, memory or PSU? Which would you guess?
|
| Sometimes (keyword here - I can get it into Vista (at stock, 3G and 3.2
| even) and plug in the USB devices - all work fine... until it reboots.
|
| I have bumped all voltages across the board. Any thoughts please? Even
| without any usb devices plugged in it still is flaky - even with mem
running
| at 800 instead of 1066.
|
| Thanks in advance for any help...
_____

Well, pretty clearly this is a USB problem. Changing the BIOS settings,
'bumping voltages', lowering memory speed, etc. is just flailing around.
You must first diagnose the problem, THEN make APPROPRIATE changes.

Have you ever built a system before? You must reset your entire system to
default, and then very methodically check the system, make only ONE change
at a time, then restore that change and try another. It helps to have SOME
idea of what is likely wrong. In your case it is almost assuredly NOT

* the operating system installation
* the CPU
* any cards in slots
* voltage settings
* memory speed settings

The problem COULD be with motherboard or the USB devices attached or a USB
cable or a USB hub (if one is used.)

Get someone with more experience to help you. Otherwise you are on the way
to damaging your system.

Some suggestions:

* Try with only one memory module (and swap out that memory module with each
of the other three.)

* Use the Vista boot function to boot into safe mode.

* Use the Vista boot function to boot in safe mode with logging.

* Use the Vista boot function to boot with logging.

* Use a system health monitor to check the voltages with and without the USB
devices plugged in.

* Boot with only one USB device connected, then try that for EACH USB
device.

* Boot with only two USB devices connected, then try that fore each pair of
USB devices.

Your choice of components seems a bit strange; the 850 watt power supply is
vastly more than you need with just a GeForce 8600 GT display adapter, 4
GBytes of memory is more than you can use with a 32-bit Vista installation,
a 2 X 150 GByte 10,000 rpm RAID 1 seems like a lot of money to spend for
something that will basically only improve load times, etc.

Get someone more knowledge to help you on-site. Diagnosing your problem
should be very easy sitting in front of your system, but much more difficult
to do via newsgroup postings. I'd guess that some of the people in this
newsgroup could, if sitting in front of your system diagnose the problem in
an hour or less - but that ability comes with years of system building and
experimentation (or equivalent experience in other areas of electronics or
engineering.)

You should post additional information to help diagnose the problem
at-a-distance:

* Vista version
* Identification and description of EACH USB device
* Results of any one-change-at-a-time tests you make
* Voltages from a system health monitor applet

Phil Weldon





"Withheld at Owners Request" <noaddr.DeleteThis@isp.com> wrote in message
news:o_ednYXfm_yvz-PanZ2dnUVZ_oimnZ2d@giganews.com...
| New build - spent 4 days on it... had it what I thought was done until I
| started adding usb devices - once I add more than 1 it will hang at the
| Testing Memory prompt - usually getting to "Testin " - then pause for 4-5
| seconds and either recycle/reboot or go into vista which blows up and
| reboots the machine.
|
| Here are the components:
|
| GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P Rev 2.0 LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Ultra Durable 2, Ultra
| Cooling Intel Motherboard - Retail
|
| XFX PVT84JUDD3 GeForce 8600GT XXX 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI
| Supported Video Card - Retail
|
| Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor
Model
| BX80562Q6600 - Retail
|
| Rosewill RX850-S-B ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91 850W Power Supply - Retail
|
| (2) Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2
8500)
| Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA1065 - Retail
|
| Also - I have 2 - Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM
Serial
| ATA150 Hard Drives - in RAID 1 on GB SATA Raid ports.
|
| The memory populates all 4 slots for 4gb.
|
| I have tried every combo of bios settings (using F I can think of - does
| not matter - once those usb devices are plugged in it is done. Could it be
| the MB, memory or PSU? Which would you guess?
|
| Sometimes (keyword here - I can get it into Vista (at stock, 3G and 3.2
| even) and plug in the USB devices - all work fine... until it reboots.
|
| I have bumped all voltages across the board. Any thoughts please? Even
| without any usb devices plugged in it still is flaky - even with mem
running
| at 800 instead of 1066.
|
| Thanks in advance for any help...
|
|