mobo woes... :(

[g-relk]

hey, i have just bought an abit fatal1ty F-90HD motherboard, and i am having some funny problems with it

1. when installing windows, just as it gets into the screen that says "press enter to install windows", it just dies, then tries to reboot, but it wont post. only after clearing the cmos will it post again.

2. it detects the cpu temperature to be 2 degress celsius

3. if you press the reset button it will boot, but as soon as it gets to post, just crashes and turns itself off.

Hrdware is as follows:
C2D e6400
2 x 1gb Vitesta ddr2 800
500gb seagate barracuuda 7200.11 32mb cache
silverstone nt06 cooler
SATA DVD RW

so what im asking is: has anyone had any or all of these problems with this mobo, and if so how did you fix (or did you just RA it???)
any and all help appreciated
g-relk

[Stormcrow]

That mobo has had some funny problems, the best bet is to update the BIOS to it's newest version.

[Capper]

If a BIOS flash doesn't work, I'd RMA that board, there are some really strange issues going on there

[PrOLifIC_onE]

My initial gut instinct is to check the cpu and cooler. It's likely that your CPU is overheating, resulting in a system shutdown when it gets to a critical temperature. Re-seat your cooler with some new thermal grease, and clean the cpu and bottom of the heatsink beforehand (70%+ rubbing alcohol will work). If you have a cooler with pushpins make sure they are turned the right way so they lock into place and make sure all four are secure.

2 degrees celcius is obviously wrong readings. Sometimes you can get weird readings like this when you overheat, displaying very low or even negative numbers.



EDIT: 90%+, not 70%+

[Capper]

Always use 90%+ alcohol for cleaning your processor and heat sink, 70% typically has additives in it like scents and lubricants.

Matt is correct, check the CPU and HSF to make sure they are properly mounted.....my concern was the 2C temp reading, but that could easily be an issue where the temperature is extremely high, and beyond the range of the BIOS sensor.

[g-relk]

i think it was overheating.
i was using a silverstone nt06 cpu cooler in the sg03 case, but it was being used passively and only being cooled by the psu fan. i pulled out one of the ram sticks, and held a 120mm fan on the cooler, it booted and installed windows fine.
thanks everyone for the very quick reply, very much appreciated.

do u reckon it mite be worth my wile if i replaced the fan in the psu with the one that i used?? wouldnt be too hard to do, and its only an aud $60 psu (silverstone st350). and the fan came with the case, so no extra cost involved (i bough 2 new, quiter glacialtech 120mm fans for the front of the case, wich btw, are EXCELLENT bang for buck).

EDIT sp00ling

[PrOLifIC_onE]

Oops on the 70%, I did mean 90%+. It was a late night brain fart. I actually have 99% on hand but I use ArctiClean on pretty much everything since I have joined HL Staff.

I actually reviewed the SG03 and the NT06. I got the passive NT06 to cool about the same as the stock cooler, as long as I had a good PSU mounted right next to it moving a decent amount of air. The rest of my setup was far different from yours though. But if airflow was the issue I'd be willing to bet a stock cooler would work fine for now, as long as you don't OC anything.

[g-relk]

dunno wat was going on
but it works now :)
its still giving me funny temps (255 degrees c, -1 degree c) but doesnt seem to be overheating i.e. no hot air out of the back of the psu. I will try with some gaming tonight
it wasnt the ram or the gpu either, as i now have bothe sticks in, as well as using the onboard video, and it boots first time everytime.
im now thinking that the ram may not hav been well seated or something, but im gonna flash the bios aswell just to make sure.
maybe ive been cursed??? i had funny internet problems the other day too... lol
thanks for the input people, again its much appreciated.
Prolific_one: my yr 6 teacher used to call it "verbal diarrhoea", but that reffered to talking....

[g-relk]

okay, i sorted it all now :)
must have been something not seated right, as it works a-o-k now. i updated the bios to the latest revision, and the weird temp readings have stopped (idles around the 41 celsius mark). its not overheating during games (well.. sam and max ep 4 at least) and is doing all it should!!! thanks for the help guys

BTW sorry for double posting