Urgent help! PC is FUBAR

ViSCeRaL · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:53 pm **Post subject:** Urgent help! PC is FUBAR

Went to switch it on tonight and it's up the spout. It's built around a Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro2 motherboard.

I have 2 sticks of PC3200 DDR Ram installed on my board and I'm getting one 2 second beep which repeats. According to the handbook this is a refresh failure.

I have tried both memory sticks in all slots to try and pin a bad one down, but still the same error. Is it likely that both sticks of RAM are bad?

Is the only solution to replace the RAM?

Need a solution ASAP, please!

PC_Arcade · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:45 pm **Post subject:**

It's not likely to be both sticks of ram failing at the same time IMHO

Have you tried clearing the CMOS and restarting with clean BIOS settings?

spudthedestroyer · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:04 pm **Post subject:**

I've never had bad experience with RAM, I know everyone goes "oh its bad ram, yadda yadda yadda", but its normally not that at all (unless its incompatible).

I had two non-booting pcs this year, both times the motherboard had packed in, normally to do with the graphics controller. Quite odd too, but it was a coincidence.

Do you get display? If you don't get display, try another graphics card after trying what PCA said. First step in resolving mainboard problems is a cmos cleaning.

ViSCeRaL · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:24 pm **Post subject:**

Have tried this so far:

CMOS clearing,
Reseating RAM, CPU, Graphics card.
Each stick of RAM in each slot, separately.

Don't get any display, just straight to beep code - doesn't even POST.

spudthedestroyer · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:34 pm **Post subject:**

In that case, I think you might have a bad mainboard. Having seen two of mine bust in the space of 3 months or so, I think this might be the year of the motherboard....

Trying your components in another pc would confirm that, if you got one spare.

If its brand new, i'd return it to the shop, but i get the impression its not?

ViSCeRaL · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:36 pm **Post subject:**

It's about 6 months old I think. Should still be under warranty but it was purchased from eBuyer so who knows what luck I'll have in returning it. :roll:

BTW, what's a recommended board, as I need to get this machine working - pronto!

PC_Arcade · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:48 pm **Post subject:**

Any nforce 2 board is good

spudthedestroyer · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:19 pm **Post subject:**

I like epox boards myself, but yeah, just an old shitty nforce2 will be fine.

Polityk · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:29 pm **Post subject:**

Definitely Epox, good, stable and moderately priced. Easily overclocked too, if you're interested.

spudthedestroyer · **Posted:** Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:57 pm **Post subject:**

bearing in mind the two that broke were both epox :lol:

They weren't my pc though, my pc also also has an epox in it and that's been running sweet for ages now. On all the time too

Polityk · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2005 3:47 am **Post subject:**

spudthedestroyer wrote:

I've never had bad experience with RAM, I know everyone goes "oh its bad ram, yadda yadda yadda", but its normally not that at all (unless its incompatible).

I've had experience with everything, including RAM, however - not with the Epox boards. I think they offer great functionality and quality, especially for the money.

Or, if you don't like them for some reason, MSI is a good choice too. Definitely wouldn't recommend Gigabyte boards.

PC_Arcade · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2005 9:02 am **Post subject:**

I've got a gigabyte board here that's stable as hell and has worked flawlssly for ~3 years now.

I've got to buy a board this weekend too, looks like whatever Nforce I can get for the cheapest TBH as it's only for the arcade machine

ViSCeRaL · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:03 pm **Post subject:**

Thanks for the help chaps, it was the mobo. I ran out to a local place this morning and got an MSI KT4A-V and it's booted up no problem.

Not the ideal board for me, as it's only got 2 IDE channels and I've got 2 DVD burners and 3 HDD's. Also it doesn't seem to have Firewire like the GB board.

But at least it's up and running for the moment.

TaKYoN · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:20 pm **Post subject:**

I was just gonna say the mobo, I had exactly the same issue before, and I managed to eliminate everything, new mobo fixed that sucka.

Urgent help! PC is FUBAR

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