I have just built a new computer and it has an intermittent fault. The first problem I had was when I tried to start it up for the first time and it gave a beep code in error. The code was for memory incorrectly inserted, so I checked the memory, then took one stick out and it booted. After that I got XP to install OK, but now it seems to have a fault that affects it when it is first started up after being off for a while; when you start it up, after about 6 or 7 seconds, the screen will go blank. It does this regardless of whether you try to boot it or go into the BIOS. After 3 or 4 restarts, this problem goes away and the computer seems to run fine, except once when it failed to find the wireless card. I have tried taking out all the expansion cards, and the fault is still there. I think it might be the motherboard, but I would like to know if anyone esle has an opinion, or can recommend some software that could either confirm this, or at least help eliminate other potantial causes. I have already tested all the RAM in another machine with memtest86. The motherboard is an Abit NF-M2SV, with a radeon HD2350 PCI-Ex16 graphics card, and an Abit PCI-E wireless card. If there is any other information that might help just let me know. Thanks, Neal

"I have already tested all the RAM in another machine with memtest86." That doesn't necessarily translate into it will work in your mboard properly. Test it when installed on the subject mboard. If you don't have a floppy drive connected, you can get a bootable CD version of most memory tests. If you want to try a memory diagnostic utility that takes a lot less time to run a full pass than memtest86 does, this one is pretty good - Microsoft's Windows Memory Diagnostic: http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag... It can be toggled to do a standard or a more comprehensive set of tests - use the default 6 test one first - if it passes one pass of that, use the latter one. A few of the tests in the latter set are intentionally slower. Some DDR2 ram will work in your mboard fine, some will not. Did you choose your ram by looking up which modules are specified for your mboard model? - if you didn't it may not work properly. AM2 mboards are rated to use PC6400 / 800mhz ram max. DDR2 1066mhz ram is meant for AM2+ mboards and only the Phenom cpus memory controller can utilize them at full speed, and they may not work properly in an AM2 mboard - if they do, they won't run any faster than 800mhz or a bit more on an AM2 mboard. Apparently your mboard is an AM2, and it that case the memory controller is built into the cpu, that's what the ram must be compatible with, and generally any ram that works in an AM2 mboard should work in any AM2 mboard. Some ram does not adhere to the standard Jedec specs most bioses use, and in that case you may need to tweak the bios settings to suit the ram. Some ram specs, some mboard manuals advise you of that possibility. - make sure the ram timing settings are set the same as, or slower than (higher numbers) the ones specified for the ram you are using - you could try bios defaults or Safe defaults rather than optimal defaults - the ram is more likely to work properly. - some lesser brands bogusly rate the ram timings when only one module is installed, rather than when all possible ram slots on a particular mboard have modules installed in them - you have to use slower (higher numbers) timings when you install more than one module. The major brands don't do that. - some lesser brands rate the ram voltage for a range of voltages, but it may not actually work properly when the voltage is set to the lower voltage(s) and you must use the higher one(s). They sometimes blame that on the mboard manufacturer, but it's probably the lesser brand's fault. "radeon HD2350 PCI-Ex16 " "when you start it up, after about 6 or 7 seconds, the screen will go blank." I'm assuming you are using a video card in a slot, not the onboard video if that applies. If the card (or the onboard video) has two monitor ports and you have only one monitor, it may not work properly unless the monitor is plugged into the primary monitor port on the card. Make sure the bios Setup settings Intialize video first, or Primary video, or similar, are set to PCI-E, not PCI, or onboard video if that applies. If that setting is wrong the operating system will not be able to use the enhanced capabilities of the drivers for the video chipset. Your power supply must have enough capacity, or more, in order to be able to handle that properly. The minimum PS capacity you need is often stated on the card manufacturer's web site for the model of the card. If you don't see that, look at the specs for another manufacturer's card with the same chipset. What brand of PS are you using, and how much did it cost you? El-cheapo PSs are a lot more likely to give you problems, and when they fail they are a lot more likely to fry something else, often your mboard. ...... Whenever you load Windows from a regular Windows CD (or DVD) from scratch, after Setup is finished you must load the drivers for the mboard, particularly the main chipset drivers, in order for Windows to have the proper drivers for and information about your mboard hardware, including it's AGP or PCI-E, ACPI, and hard drive controller support. If you have a generic system and have the CD that came with the mboard, all the necessary drivers are on it. If you load drivers from the web, brand name system builders and mboard makers often DO NOT have the main chipset drivers listed in the downloads for your model - in that case you must go to the maker of the main chipset's web site, get the drivers, and load them. The main chiopset drivers also include info about and/or drivers for the graphics support.

OK, Thanks for your reply. I tested the memory in another computer with the same processor, then tested it back in the new machine with the bootable version of memtest86 and it passed in both more than once. Just now I took every single component out of the new machine bar the processor and RAM and started it up from cold, using the integrated graphics, having left it several hours, and the problem occured again (went into the BIOS and the screen went blank after a couple of seconds). Seeing as I've verified the RAM as best I can, I'm now heavily swayed towards the motherboard, as it would seem more likely to me that the motherboard would cause a problem at boot only, but if anyone else can offer me a reason to think otherwise, I'll try a new motherboard first. Thanks

It could be the mboard is faulty, but in most cases when people think it's the mboard it is not. What is the make, model, and capacity of your power supply? What is the make and ID string of the ram modules you are using? E.g. Kingston ram ID strings usually start with KVR. If your card has two monitor ports, if you're not sure if the monitor is in the primary port, did you try the other one? Did you try re-seating the video card? Did you try loading bios defaults or safe defaults rather than optimal defaults? Did you try tweaking the ram timing to make them slower? Upping the ram voltage, if that is within the specified range? Did the ram test work fine on this mboard without the video going black?

The RAM is Micron Major, it says GU341G0ALUIN6920 on it. The screen did not go blank when I ran the RAM test, and it only goes blank at all the first three or four times you try to start it. Once it's 'warmed up' it seems fine and the problem only comes back when it's been off for a while. As I said in my last post, I took out teh graphics card and used the integrated chip, which only has one monitor port, and both give the same symptons. When I last booted it the only components still in the system were the motherboard, RAM and CPU, with the monitor, keyboard and power switch connected and nothing else. The power supply is an HEC 300-AR-PTE 300W PSU. Not the best make I assume, but still surely it shouldn't struggle with just a motherboard, CPU and RAM? Thanks

UPDATE I have just tried another power supply from another machine that has almost the exact same setup hardware-wise and has never given me any trouble, and the same fault occured.

It sounds like your ram tests fine, but searching with the GU... string you provided yields absolutely no result. If it was made by Micron, the string starts with MT. "power supply is an HEC 300-AR-PTE 300W PSU." Aha! Your power supply does not have enough capacity for an AM2 mboard system! It is being stressed to the max. It may work fine at first, but eventually the PS will be damaged. If the other one you tried has 350 watts or less capacity, it doesn't have enough capacity either! If you were not using a video card in a slot, you might just barely squeek by with a 350 watt PS, but since you do have a video card, you need more than that. In addition to that, lesser PS brands often stretch the truth (lie), and the PS cannot actually perform at the max capacity continuously. You need one with AT LEAST 400 watts capacity! Better still minimum 430 watts. If you want to be able to install a better PCI-E video card in the future, many of them require a higher minimum PS capacity than that!