Current HD is borked...disk boot errors...

[Acoustic-Fury]

This was a computer I had put together myself...I really don't know how things go together, I usually just find setups other computer enthusiasts/gamers have used on their setups. It is more geared toward gaming but has come in handy for my home studio recording projects.

Here is my set-up (ignore the prices - this was from a previous thread when I purchased my computer - yea look how expensive everything was back then!) I think I purchased it in January of 2006:

Case w/450watt Output power supply
1 >CASE ANTEC|SONATAII BLK RT - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129155 Price $99.99

Mobo
1 MB ASUS A8N-SLI NF4SLI 939 - Retail
Item #: N82E16813131524 Price $122.00

Video Card
1 VGA XFX|7800GT 256M PVT70GUDE7 - Retail
Item #: N82E16814150124 Price $309.00

Processor
1 CPU AMD 64 |3700+ ATHLON 64 939P RT - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103539 Price $222.00

Ram
1 MEM 1Gx2|CORSAIR Twinx2048-3200c2 R - Retail
Item #: N82E16820145574 Price $239.99

Hard Drive
1 HD 250GB|WD 7200 WD2500JS SATA2% - OEM
Item #: N82E16822144417 Price $103.00



About a year ago, I moved my computer set-up to my basement for my home studio. I usually leave my computer idle. When I went down to work on some tunes last night, I noticed some funniness.

I was hung up on the boot up screen.

So I restarted and the familiar startup *beep* was fine but the follow up A8N-SLI welcome screen hung for a long time - almost in the two minute range. It then did the familiar booting up - then I get a "disk error - insert boot disk"

Does this mean my hard drive is shot?

I dabbled around in bios and my bootup is as follows - CD - Hard Disk - disabled - disabled

Funny thing is the backup was giving me problems first - it kept appearing and reappearing (its older than my primary) - so I checked the volume for errors and it did fix some things because it was working again.

To be on the safe side I moved all of my recording and backup software stuff from the secondary to the primary so if one went down I had duplicates of the files.

Now it appears my primary is borked.

I am going to purchase this HD:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073&Tpk=western%2bdigital%2bsata%2b500%2bgig


...and upload my OS on it. Then I'm going to perform diagnostics on my older HDs and see if I can get them working again. If I can get them working (which hopefully the boot record is just shot), I was going to make those as backup HDs...and of course hopefully save my files.


Question is...will this new HD work in my current setup?


Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.

[jimmifli]

Sata is sata so the new hd should be fine.

Can you see the drive in the bios when you enter the setup?

For the future, a good setup if you create lots of data (like audio recordings) is to put the OS on it's own drive and your data on a separate drive.

[Acoustic-Fury]

Thanks for the reply jimmifli...I appreciate the insight. I'll check that out...I haven't looked in bios to confirm if it's there or not.

I ordered that new WD HD today.

I usually keep all of my recording stuff on my second hard drive and at first this was the HD that was appearing and reappearing until I did the checking the volume for errors - so to be on the safe side I moved the music material to my main drive with the OS...then all of a sudden my primary won't boot up.

I don't mind buying the extra HD and putting my OS on it with the hopes of running some diagnostics on the other two HDs.

Thanks again, and I'll probably be picking your brain for more info in the future!

[jimmifli]

If you're running SATA why not look for an external SATA drive? Lacie makes a really good one http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10894

It has no fan, the heat is dissipated through the aluminum case. It's also got USB or firewire so you can take it with you and connect it to pretty much any PC. Just a thought.

[Merc]

I recommend you remove the two drives with your data on them and leave the system off. I am betting that your PSU is failing and it is the cause of the erratic behavior you are seeing. PSUs that come with cases are usually of fairly low quality and the Antecs are among the worst offenders. Some Antecs are very good units and others are downright dangerous.

A failing PSU can cause many seemingly unrelated problems with HDD corruption being among the more common. If it is the PSU then your new drive will get corrupted as well. Your only option is to replace the PSU before before it screws up something else or fails violently taking your system with it. I'd recommend a high quality unit like the FSP 500 watt Blue Storm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104034 or the PC Power & Cooling 610 Silencer http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005 . Either will provide solid power and will last for years.

Once you install the new PSU mount the new HDD and load your OS on it. Patch the OS and load your drivers and then hook the old drives up as standalones. Hopefully you can then access them (make sure you set Hard Drive Boot Priority in BIOS when you mount he old drives). If not download PC Inspector and see if you can get the data off with it. Then format the old drives and use as storage as they are probably still good.

[Acoustic-Fury]

Wow Merc...I never thought of that...and that makes a lot of sense.

For both of my HDs giving me trouble (or seeming to)...that could very well be the issue.


How else can I tell if the Power Supply is failing? (Would there be a fan not working properly hit F1 type error? This has happened since I've owned this machine and I always thought it was my motherboard - a forum tech told me not to worry about it because the fan might not be going at 100% at that point yet. I never looked more into it because my temps when running were in the norm and I never got additional errors)

Should I wait to get the new HD and see if there are issues?


...or is this just a to be on the safe side buy a new PSU?

I'm not sweating the purchase...because another 120 dollars to save my computer and files is a drop in the bucket that I'm willing to take.

That PC Power and Cooling Silencer is looking mighty fine. That 610 watt output will work in my current set-up? I'm also looking in the next 6-8 months to upgrade to dual core with new Mobo/Proc/Memory - so just wondering if the 610 watt output will be enough.

[Acoustic-Fury]

Once you install the new PSU mount the new HDD and load your OS on it. Patch the OS and load your drivers and then hook the old drives up as standalones. Hopefully you can then access them (make sure you set Hard Drive Boot Priority in BIOS when you mount he old drives). If not download PC Inspector and see if you can get the data off with it. Then format the old drives and use as storage as they are probably still good.

I've never seen HD Boot Priority in BIOS for back up HDs...is it in the place where you set the floppy - CD - HD - disable - disable or is that in another section of BIOS?


I was going to hook up the new HD first then load up the OS.

After all of the latest drivers are put on it...I was going to slave the two HDs and hook them up. I've done this in the past with my oldest HD and it seemed to work. (I actually went through a bit of trouble one time because I had hooked up both of my HDs and my BIOS didn't know which HD to boot up causing an "NTLDR is missing error" - so I think all I did was perform "a go around" without setting the correct HD priority.


Thanks for all of your help!

[Merc]

Wow Merc...I never thought of that...and that makes a lot of sense.

For both of my HDs giving me trouble (or seeming to)...that could very well be the issue.


How else can I tell if the Power Supply is failing? (Would there be a fan not working properly hit F1 type error? This has happened since I've owned this machine and I always thought it was my motherboard - a forum tech told me not to worry about it because the fan might not be going at 100% at that point yet. I never looked more into it because my temps when running were in the norm and I never got additional errors)

Should I wait to get the new HD and see if there are issues?


...or is this just a to be on the safe side buy a new PSU?

I'm not sweating the purchase...because another 120 dollars to save my computer and files is a drop in the bucket that I'm willing to take.

That PC Power and Cooling Silencer is looking mighty fine. That 610 watt output will work in my current set-up? I'm also looking in the next 6-8 months to upgrade to dual core with new Mobo/Proc/Memory - so just wondering if the 610 watt output will be enough.

Was the tech talking about the chipset fan or the PSU fan? The chipset fan should be running at 100% all the time unless cool and quiet is enabled. Even then they run at near 100%

Bad PSUs on higher end systems is the number one cause of system problems. People spend thousands on high end components and try and save a few bucks on the all important PSU. I always recommend you spend a few extra to get a top of the line PSU with plenty of overhead for later expansion. I also recommend that an expensive system is put on a quality UPS like an APC. Voltage is the lifeblood of any rig and spending an extra $50 on a good unit is worth it, plus the PSU will stay with you through many builds and upgrades.

You can test the old PSU by using a meter to monitor the rails while applying a heavy load to the system. A failing PSU will generally show drops below specs and erratic voltages. Tough to do without a working system or a special bench tester. Here is a guide for testing PSUs with a cheap meter http://asustech.15.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=623 Not foolproof but helps determine the units health. PSUs are very hard to diagnose until they pop a puff of smoke.

The 610 Silencer provides a full 610 watts at 49 amps 24/7. It can peak at 670 watts. Your system now pulls about 300 watts at full load. It will be plenty of power for you. You can run a dual core or quad, advanced mobo 3 HDDs and two 8800GTS cards on a 610 with plenty of overhead. Here is a handy tool to look at specs and power needs http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp The lite version is free and the pro version gives you needed amps. Power supplies pull only what they need so the size doesn't matter much. You just want it to run in its most efficient band.

[Merc]

I've never seen HD Boot Priority in BIOS for back up HDs...is it in the place where you set the floppy - CD - HD - disable - disable or is that in another section of BIOS?


I was going to hook up the new HD first then load up the OS.

After all of the latest drivers are put on it...I was going to slave the two HDs and hook them up. I've done this in the past with my oldest HD and it seemed to work. (I actually went through a bit of trouble one time because I had hooked up both of my HDs and my BIOS didn't know which HD to boot up causing an "NTLDR is missing error" - so I think all I did was perform "a go around" without setting the correct HD priority.


Thanks for all of your help!

You won't see HDD Boot order till you mount a second drive. Older BIOS versions swapped priority to the new drive by default. Asus has fixed that on later versions. I'd load the OS to the new drive and leave the old ones sitting till you are sure the system is stable. Then mount them and get that data off. Leaving the old drives sitting cold iron is the safest route for now. Just download drivers to a mem stick.

Both drives going at the same time is very odd and points to a system problem. Test the memory with memtest86. Just google it and load it to a bootable floppy or CD. You don't need HDDs to run memtest as it runs before the OS loads when you mount a bootable CD or floppy with the test on it. Let it run for a few hours. Of course finding errors may mean that the RAM has been borked by the dying PSU or that the PSU is throwing bad voltage dips or spikes, so.......

[Acoustic-Fury]

Honestly, thanks for taking the time to figure out and give me some background, Merc.


The safest easiest way I think I'm going to go is to purchase the PSU and install it.


Hook up my new HD and install the OS...install all the drivers.

Look through BIOS and run some memtests to see if anything is borked or not working to spec throughout my system.

Let the HDs sit until everything looks good and add then HDs to diagnose and hopefully recover my files.


So if this PSU is spiking because it's a piece of shit...there is a possibility that other components could have been affected like RAM, HDs, motherboard, processor...etc?

Will I be able to deduce what has been affected (if at all) and what hasn't been?

[Merc]

So if this PSU is spiking because it's a piece of shit...there is a possibility that other components could have been affected like RAM, HDs, motherboard, processor...etc?

Will I be able to deduce what has been affected (if at all) and what hasn't been?
Remember that I am guessing here. Two drives going bad so closely together is most likely a signal of something systemic being wrong but two drives failing simultaneously can happen. Troubleshooting is tough. If I am correct and the PSU is going then there is a possibility that other components could've been damaged. Unfortunately the only way to troubleshoot is to pull parts and replace with known good parts.

If the RAM got damaged Corsair will replace it but I'd guess that everything else is ok. I hope I am right and it is the PSU. A powerful new PSU is a good investment regardless and will go through many builds with you. The only alternative to buying is borrow a known good PSU and run through all of the above.

[Merc]

AF-
One thing. You said something about a fan not running 100%. Is that the chipset fan or the PSU fan. An overheating northbridge can cause problems like you are seeing as well and the A8N chipset fans are notorious for failing. If it is grinding or running slow the that NB could be overheating and throwing errors. If it is the PSU fan then yes, the tech was correct as PSU fans cycle.

[dasaybz]

Are you able to boot to your OS dude?

[Acoustic-Fury]

Are you able to boot to your OS dude?

No dasaybz...I get a disk boot error...that's what lead me to believe it could be my HD...but as Merc pointed out...a reason could be that I'm having issues that could be power related...and/or motherboard related.

[Acoustic-Fury]

Remember that I am guessing here.


No worries Merc...I fully realize you are giving me educated/experienced opinions...of course you can only give me information on related cases you've probably run to in the past...and I fully realize if I miss out on giving you valuable information - then you can only give me info on what has been presented.

...and computers can be fickle no matter the issue so I realize the information anyone could provide me is their best guess...and nothing more.

Purchasing a new PSU and then systematically going through each component is probably the best way I want to go. I thank you for giving me some insight on what to look for and how to proceed. I want to upgrade to dual core anyway so I might as well start laying the foundation now...and add as I go.

I do plan on updating the mobo/processor/memory in the next 6-8 months...so if it is the motherboard than good riddance.

Yes...come to think of it - it was a fan error on the motherboard - but it only happened during bootup and I used to check my temperatures quite frequently to make sure I wasn't overheating...to be quite honest - I haven't checked in the past couple of months so it could definitely be one of the issues. The tech had mentioned that I should monitor the temps and that it was a "minor" cause for concern if the temps did not overheat the motherboard.

[Merc]

Great time to upgrade. DDR2 is dirt cheap, really nice Core 2 Duos are cheap and decent mobos can be had at great prices as well.
e6750 (free shipping) $190 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029
2GB OCZ DDR2 1066 , $82 after rebate http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227181
Asus P5K Deluxe $199.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131182

under $500 for a screamer and great overclocker.

[dasaybz]

No dasaybz...I get a disk boot error...that's what lead me to believe it could be my HD...but as Merc pointed out...a reason could be that I'm having issues that could be power related...and/or motherboard related.

Dude, grab an XP disk, and boot to it. Select the option to boot into repair mode. Once you get there, run a chkdsk. This will repair any bad sectors on your disk.

If you are able to fix bad sectors, then you can hopefully boot up into safe mode, and from there you can schedule a scan disk.

Keep me updated dude, I'll help you out if you need a hand.

[Merc]

Dude, grab an XP disk, and boot to it. Select the option to boot into repair mode. Once you get there, run a chkdsk. This will repair any bad sectors on your disk.

If you are able to fix bad sectors, then you can hopefully boot up into safe mode, and from there you can schedule a scan disk.

Keep me updated dude, I'll help you out if you need a hand.
He tried that Saybz. Found errors, fixed and then more errors. Hence his first prognosis of a bad disk. Mounted the second disk and had the same outcome. That is why I looked at further problems.

[Acoustic-Fury]

I receive my new HD today so I'm going to try and load up the OS, load the drivers, perform some diagnostics on the components and then see if I can run some diagnostics on the 2 other HDs to recover the data. (With my finger hovering over the "off" button in the event I see something I don't like)

However...I am going to be systematically upgrading my computer like we talked (possibly ordering this weekend) - the PSU first, mobo/memory/proc next...maybe a video card after that...

Merc...what do you think about this:

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 EPS12V EPS12V 610W Continuous @ 40°C Power Supply - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005) for $120

Patriot Extreme Performance 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220227) for $115 - $35MiR

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128050) for $130

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6750 - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029) for $190


I'm at $550 right there...and then I was looking at this for down the road:
EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130318) for $250

Final price is just over $800. I guess that video card is the flagship of most cards out there. Performs on par with an 8800GTX, a $400 card. That Gigabyte board is a rock solid performer able to handle a quad core if, in the future, I decide I need one.


I may need to upgrade the case if the video card doesn't fit (although I have about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4ths inches between the end of my current video card and the HD housing)
If the video card doesn't fit...then I would need to upgrade my case to recommended Antec 900 which is currently $119.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=antec%2b900


Short term I can get it done for $550 right now...and then I can upgrade the video card a couple of months down the road.

[Merc]

1. Memory: Do you need 4 GB of RAM? I'd get 2GB of 1066 that is on the memory support list.
2. Vid card: 8800GT is a great card and EVGA is a top manufacturer. ATI/AMD 3870X2 should be out by the time you buy but we'll have to wait and see how it performs compared to the 8800GT. $250 for that card is a steal.
3. mobo: I'm an Asus guy but Gigabyte has been doing some great things lately. The P35 chipset is the best chipset I have ever built on. You'll love the P35.
4. PSU: 610 Silencer is rock solid and whicper quiet. If you need to save a few bucks you can get a 500 watt PSU but you'll love the 610.

If you are getting the above gear there is no use loading the OS. WIth a new chipset and CPU you will have to reload the OS again anyways. I'd wait till you get the above gear or at least the PSU before messing with it.

[dasaybz]

So you think that his HDs are giving him errors because of a bad PSU? Interesting, I've never seen that before.

[Merc]

So you think that his HDs are giving him errors because of a bad PSU? Interesting, I've never seen that before. Failing PSU means bad voltages and spurious errors throughout the system including no boots, corruptions of the OS, memory errors, system lock ups and freezes, etc. I've seen it many times. If his chipset fan is failing it may cause some errors but unless the fan has stopped and or the case is exceedingly hot the chipset should be ok.

Like I said Saybz, I am guessing but the Smartpowers of a couple of years ago are known to be poor PSUs. Antec had some serious QA issues. SOme of their PSU's were great and some were dangerously bad.

[35Pete]

I recommend you remove the two drives with your data on them and leave the system off. I am betting that your PSU is failing and it is the cause of the erratic behavior you are seeing. PSUs that come with cases are usually of fairly low quality and the Antecs are among the worst offenders. Some Antecs are very good units and others are downright dangerous.

A failing PSU can cause many seemingly unrelated problems with HDD corruption being among the more common. If it is the PSU then your new drive will get corrupted as well. Your only option is to replace the PSU before before it screws up something else or fails violently taking your system with it. I'd recommend a high quality unit like the FSP 500 watt Blue Storm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104034 or the PC Power & Cooling 610 Silencer http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005 . Either will provide solid power and will last for years.

Once you install the new PSU mount the new HDD and load your OS on it. Patch the OS and load your drivers and then hook the old drives up as standalones. Hopefully you can then access them (make sure you set Hard Drive Boot Priority in BIOS when you mount he old drives). If not download PC Inspector and see if you can get the data off with it. Then format the old drives and use as storage as they are probably still good.
The first thing that I saw was 450 watts with a 7800 vid card. He's not gonna get enough 12 volts unless he goes 600 watts (Thermaltake, BFG) or a single rail supply.

You recommend single rail, I like the "star" (as in starfish) power configuration.

[35Pete]

1. Memory: Do you need 4 GB of RAM? I'd get 2GB of 1066 that is on the memory support list.
2. Vid card: 8800GT is a great card and EVGA is a top manufacturer. ATI/AMD 3870X2 should be out by the time you buy but we'll have to wait and see how it performs compared to the 8800GT. $250 for that card is a steal.
3. mobo: I'm an Asus guy but Gigabyte has been doing some great things lately. The P35 chipset is the best chipset I have ever built on. You'll love the P35.
4. PSU: 610 Silencer is rock solid and whicper quiet. If you need to save a few bucks you can get a 500 watt PSU but you'll love the 610.

If you are getting the above gear there is no use loading the OS. WIth a new chipset and CPU you will have to reload the OS again anyways. I'd wait till you get the above gear or at least the PSU before messing with it.

I have 4 GB and it's worth it. The myth that windows only uses 3.4 GB or so is just that, a myth. For performance boost Vista disallows access to about 600 MB of RAM that it reserves. So it looks like you are only using 3.2.

My machine got WAY faster when I went from 2 GB to 4 GB.

[Merc]

I have 4 GB and it's worth it. The myth that windows only uses 3.4 GB or so is just that, a myth. For performance boost Vista disallows access to about 600 MB of RAM that it reserves. So it looks like you are only using 3.2.

My machine got WAY faster when I went from 2 GB to 4 GB.

For Vista I agree completely. I think he is on XP since he built it in 2006 but never asked :c:

[Acoustic-Fury]

For Vista I agree completely. I think he is on XP since he built it in 2006 but never asked :c:

Yep XP Professional...


Also...I received my new HD today and for S&Gs I fired up my computer to see what would happen.


The f'n thing worked fine.

After spending 2 hours the other night trying to turn my computer on and getting disc boot errors...today it seems to be working fine.

I checked the volume for errors on both HDs and told it to fix file errors and scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. All of my data was there on both HDs.

Also my motherboard temps were good when I checked them.

Well...I've got a nice new 500 gig WD SATA HD...argh.

I am thinking your PSU prognosis is a good bet as to what is going on...I also realize that just because it's working now - doesn't mean it's going to the next time I fire it up or worse - in the middle of a recording session.

I don't plan on using the computer too much (I'm more relieved that I didn't lose anything) and I'm probably going to systematically start replacing parts...I want to get in the new PSU soon...as well as updating the mobo/mem/proc...

You had some kickass suggestions Merc...and I'll be taking them into consideration. I love Newegg...but so does everyone else and the deal you find today never lasts until tomorrow! Which can be a real pain in the ass.

[35Pete]

You don't need 4 GB for XP.

[35Pete]

I am inclined to agree with Merc Acoustic. Like I said, 450 watts immediately stuck out at me. Especially when it's likely a multi-rail.

[Acoustic-Fury]

You don't need 4 GB for XP.

4 GB is overkill?

What about for multitasking?
When I use Pro Tools every effect I put on different parts of tracks - the version I have there are 25 to 30 tracks - is like having multiple windows opened with movies playing...(sorry, it was the closest analogy or thought process I could quickly get to what goes on when using Pro Tools plugins). Now, mind you, I've been running with 2 gigs of Ram for two years now and have never run into "you are taxing Pro Tools" type errors.

Gaming?


On a side note:
Have you guys ever run into power issues when you have a computer in different parts of the house/office?
The reason I bring it up is because when I had this computer upstairs I never had a problem with boot errors or HD issues or crashing. When I brought it downstairs and plugged into the power supply down there is when I started to run into issues. These issues didn't happen right away though...I've had the computer downstairs for close to 8-10 months and I started noticing issues in September or so...

I brought the computer upstairs again to work on it a couple days ago and when I fired it up last night it worked fine.

[Merc]

Some programs will utilize 4GB of RAM on XP but very few. Open Task Manager (ctrl, alt delete), click on performance and run your protools. Memory usage (including cache) is in the left lower hand window. Peak tells you max used. As far as gaming I have found that Battlefield 2 is the biggest memory hog and the most I have ever used with it running was 1.6GB. If you have programs that will utilize 4GBs of RAM (whether it appears or not the system can access it in a roundabout way) the absolutely install 4GB. If you don't have any programs that will benefit from the extra memory then invest the money in something else an get 2GB. If you are planning on going Vista soon then keep the 4GB.

The power in the basement could be dirty on the line you are using. Get an APC 1200 or 1500 level UPS and use it. It will condition the power and cover the dips. A good PSU will cover some variance in line power but a poor one is completely at the mercy of the line voltage.

[Acoustic-Fury]

Knowing that I may be working with a suspect power supply in my basement that is causing dips...is this still a good purchase? (When I say suspect...I mean if it's all on the same line - fridge, AC, sump pump, dryer...etc. - that have random fire ups that can all coincide at once causing a dip in power that may be affecting my computer)

PC Power & Cooling 610 Silencer
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005

Thanks Merc!

[Merc]

Just my opinion but you need a new PSU regardless. The Antec Smartpowers, which I think you are using, are very poor PSUs and even with great power coming from the wall you'll have problems with the load you are running. That said, no PSU will compensate for heavy current drops. When I first started with high end PCs my girlfriend would knock my PC, in the back room, off line when she flipped on the vacuum cleaner in the front room. In our new/old house the upstairs lights dim a little when she runs her 1200 watt blow drier with three PCs running and a bunch of lights on. My UPS pops on to compensate for power dips about twice a week.

A powerful PSU will be able to handle dips like that better than a smaller PSU that is stressed anyways but no PSU can compensate completely. The only way to truly protect your gear from brownouts, line drops, blackouts, spikes and lightning strikes is to run anything you care about through a quality UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) I like APC as they are good quality and fully support their product. At the very least I'd recommend one of these http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=BR800BLK&fnl=4605,2&fnl_basket=4605,3c Better yet would be this unit http://www.apc.com/products/configure/index.cfm?base_sku=BR1200&full_sku=BR1200&totalwatts=255&&fnl=4605,2&fnl_basket=4605,3c
Don't choke on the prices as they are constantly on sale at best buy, Circuit City wal mart etc. Just watch for the Sunday sales. I have seen a 1500 VA model on sale for $99.95.

I'd get an UPS and new PSU before I bought anything else. If that taps you out then wait to upgrade but get the infrastructure in place before you invest in some really expensive and delicate electronics. As usual, the longer you wait, the cheaper CPUs and RAM will get but make sure that your system is safe from all the bad stuff that comes over the power lines these days and that your PSU is rock solid. An UPS and high quality PSU will last for many years (hell, the 610 silencer is 100% guaranteed for 5 years) so consider them a long term investment and if it takes three months to upgrade the CPU, RAM and mobo then so be it.

[Acoustic-Fury]

Yep...I am definitely going to be ordering that new 610 Silencer PSU this weekend...I whole heartedly agree with your suggestions.

...I am baulking at the UPS a bit...it's not flashy and fun...but I realize I need it.

It's like sinking all this money into a roof...you know you need it but its a purchase that doesn't do anything to give you that "wow" factor or satisfied feeling.


Gonna have to dig deep on that one...

[Acoustic-Fury]

Update!



I haven't gotten the new PSU yet...but I will be this month. My brain was getting a little bigger than my wallet.

I have been using the computer - I have it in my upstairs kitchen and my wife is pissed because I've been recording in there (so my mics and guitars are all over the place) when she's not home. heh.

My basement is half finished (I just need to mud, tape and paint)...and I have a studio down there (it's a small 13x13 foot room). The power is spliced all over the place (which I think was part of my problems along with the inadequate PSU) and I'm going to run my studio wiring from the side that is not posing too much of a drain (after spending some time down there I've found there is actually a noticeable difference between one side and the other).

So all and all this is forcing me to finish the basement job...and I hate mudding and taping!

I really appreciate the help Merc, you gave me great direction and as soon as I can get the money I'm going to be going with your suggestions.

This f'n economy is a joke and I'm really starting to notice it...but that's a whole other discussion.

Thanks again Merc and I hope you won't mind me bending your ear when I need to!

[Merc]

No problem. So it looks like it was a power related problem as things are working OK on the solid circuit upstairs but the weak circuit in the basement causes data corruption and system anomalies. PSU may be OK, although I'd suggest you get a new one as Smartpowers are not very good, but I think an UPS in the basement should be the first course of action until you can afford the PSU upgrade. A solid, high quality UPS should insulate your PSU from the worst of the voltage dips coming from the wall. A better PSU will smooth the stuff that slips through the UPS.

[Acoustic-Fury]

Great advice!

Thank you!