Built custom computer.. Machine Check Exception?

Thanks for the replies. I used all name-brand quality parts. I am running a 480W Thermaltake power supply and my core CPU temp is 50* C. I run updated McAfee antivirus and that was installed since day one. I also do spyware scans with Ad-aware every week or so. Firewall I run a hardware one on the router I use as well as Zone Alarm.
I'll try playing around with the DEP settings, but I have also heard that some people have had problems with nVidia's IDE driver, so I might check that as well.

What's with all this obsession with power supplies anyway?

My one year old computer uses a 3 years old 300 watt powersupply. 2.6Ghz Celeron, Radeon 9600, 2 harddrives, a CDRW and a DVDRW shares the same old powersupply. The specs isn't strong, but comeon! I brought a empty white tower case without powersupply because it's cheaper. Instead, stripped/salvaged the 300 watt one from my last computer case. As long as it connects, who cares! It's been running for a year, and seems to hold up fine. Not to mention almost 2 years on the old system.

Seriously, I've had no problems with powersupplies or even heard of any with such problems. Computers don't use nearly as much power as you'd think. If you're throwing out 300 watt powersupplies, I'd love to have them... ^_^

You'll have to visit service shops to see the bonepile. It's a common failure point.

Can I ask this? Are you in the repair business?

Bob

No, but I've been playing with computers since around 10 years old. 486s = the olden times... Weren't around long enough for the 386s... ^_^

Over the years, I've probably built at least 50 or so computers for various friends and relatives, and myself...

Dad once thought about setting up a PC outlet, but the rent on storefront was too expensive. It would've been fun, what a shame...

So yeah, nerdy nerd... nerdy nerdy nerd... BIG glasses... ^_____^

I just had a system with a 350 watt suppy that was sending out 11.2V on the 12V leg and 4.1 on the 5.0V leg.
The system was crashing constantly. Swapped in a new PSU and all the problems stopped.
Just because you have not experienced a problem does not mean that problems with underpowered or old tired PSUs doesn't exist, they do.

Take a factory built Compaq 3400+ and it has a 300watt PSU. Don't even attempt to put a Game vidio card in. The one person I know that did without changing the PSU fried the PSU and the mainboard. It is not the total watts that matter the most, it is how they are distributed and how clean the power is.
Bob knows what he is talking about, you should try listening.

I've been there I know. hehe!

There is a difference between a working 300 watt power supply and a power supply with stability problems, you know...

My 300 watt power supply is more than 3 years old, salvaged from the last machine, and it works fine. The thing supports a 2.6Ghz processor, Radeon 9600 and two harddrives.

Computer power supplies are just any other power voltage converters. Wire coils inside are not connected directly. When a power supply fails, the circuit simply breaks. It just doesn't deliver full voltage to the computer. Any elementary school student should know this. I've had some power supplies failing. They just stay dead and deliver no power. Motherboards being fried is always due to outside electrical surges.

How can you not know this?

Dagger, you don't know what you're talking about.

Power supplies provide voltage and current to the devices they power. Power from the power supply is DC. Each tap from the power supply has a specific voltage and current. Each tap is wired in parallel from the transformer (stepped down and rectified to DC and filtered from the AC input) output. This parallel output will supply a specific voltage to each tap, but the current splits in a DC circuit (AC exactly the same).

Example: Output - 12 VCD, 10 Amps. Supply 12VCD to two taps, current is split so that each tap now has 5 Amps available. Do some basic electricity learning, specifically Kirchof's Law on current and voltage in a parallel circuit.

Each component requires a specific voltage and current. As devices are added, the same voltage is supplied to each tap, but the current is further split until the required current for the device is no longer available.

Now.

If the power supply is limited to, say, 350 Watts (P=E x I), and the devices require more than 350 Watts, strange things start to happen. More current is drawn from the transformer than it is designed to handle. On the less spectacular side, the devices stop working. On the more spectacular side, you let the smoke out of the device or the power supply. You can see ''Smoke Defined'' at my site below.

Have you ever added the current draw from your components in your machine? If you haven't, you may be surprised.

As far as your description of the power supply, you need to go back to elementary school and take some training on transformers, rectifiers, and voltage regulators. If you over drive the transformer, the rectifier diodes can break down and allow full power to the output tap. The rectifier/regulator limits voltage and current to the tap. Blow up the limiter and guess what happens. Fried motherboard. ''Smoke Defined'' again.

You're eighteen? I've been doing electronics since 1967, and have taught people your age.

Good luck,

Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to
use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
Click here to see the CNet faces, learn a little about telephones,
internet connections, spyware, and data, and download free software.

Should be Kirchoff's Laws. Here is some light reading http://www.bfafairfax.com/~pfeiffer/Physics/EandM/electriccircuits.html Notice the parallel circuit.

Wayne

I just learned a lot from your post and hopefully Dagger did also, but then again, 18 is about the time when one knows it all!!

I do know a thing or two about transformers, rectifiers, AC, DC and such, I taught it for years. His statements that the transformer/power supply wouldn't fry a board was just wrong. And a little (well, maybe a lot) about data, and fiber optics.

Maybe he'll do a little research and learning.

and he's 29....
yet he still knows how to say "dad, how do i........?"

i'm 30 years older than him, and yet i still know how to say (when it's neccessary) "son, i don't know, i'll go ask........"

and, if by chance, i ask on a Cnet forum, i hope i don't get some jack-*** spouting rubbish and coming across as the be-all and end-all of computer savvy!!


you have a LOT to learn dagger.....


.

I can't tell if he's a moron posing as someone with any experience/advice to offer, or if he's just a schmuck who thinks that offering up illiterate and incorrect banter is contributing anything to this forum.

Dagger, feel free to leave if you're here to troll.

The member is not contributing so I'll clean up after them.

Bob

Maybe he'll learn.

Fine. This will be my last post on this topic. But do realize that the origional problem mentioned can be due to any number of hardware problems. Chances of it being in the power supply is small no matter what you say. You should know this already. I just feel sorry for someone who'll probably be forced to spending money on an extra powersupply for nothing. This seems to be your goals here.

but what you call "arrogance" i call "trying to help by giving advice based on personal experience" -read, what worked for me, on my machine-

i don't think you will find many (if any) posts by me that say "do this and your problem will be solved"

you on the other hand............

.

You're the one who made false statements based on your ''years of experience''. Your statement about a power supply is just plain wrong. Live with it. Deal with it. Do a little research and learn. Get an education on electronics before you start spouting incorrect information. And just for grins, your opinions on firewalls are wrong too.

Arrogant? No. Informed and educated.

Wayne

BTW, this will be my last post in this thread. If you don't settle down, it will be yours too.

I should no better then to argue with a 18 year old. It doesn't help. Thanks for the reminder Bob.