My New System!

[Brian]

Well, this certainly bites the big one! Got the system built and up and running with Vista installed and all was well for almost an entire day. Then I started getting constant blue screens followed by reboots. Over and over and over...

This is a fresh, clean install of Vista on 100% brand new hardware with all drivers previously installed and with no problems for almost a full day.

Windows is suggesting it is a memory issue so I will be testing out the memory overnight for errors.

This is the honest-to-God first time I have ever had any problems with Mushkin RAM (if this is indeed the source of the problem) after years of using it in so many builds for friends/family/customers so even if it is a matter of bad a stick(s), I will stay with Mushkin on this build. What can I say? Mushkin Rules!

On a better note, while it was still running well, I have to admit I liked the look of Vista. I enjoyed the fact that I did not have to install *any* TV tuner software whatsoever! Vista's Media Center tuned in the channels perfectly and they looked even sharper and clearer than they do with my old All-In-Wonder X800 XT. Aside from those pluses, it didn't really seem that much different from XP but was not slow or sluggish at all as some have reported. Very fast and snappy!

I was surprised that my Windows Experience Index score was 5.6. And that was because of my E8400! Everything else got the full 5.9. But from what I have read, Vista gives the highest CPU scores to the quad cores.

So here I am again, back on the reliable D875PBZ system! And don't worry, Sandog, even when I get the new system problems sorted out and fully migrate over, the Bonanza board is going NOWHERE! It will remain in my greedy possession as a backup system or as a secondary rig to put in another room.

Thanks again for all the well-wishing! Will put up pics when the system is running properly!

[polonyc2]

Originally Posted by Brian

I was surprised that my Windows Experience Index score was 5.6. And that was because of my E8400! Everything else got the full 5.9. But from what I have read, Vista gives the highest CPU scores to the quad cores.

interesting that your E8400 got a 5.6 while my E8400 got a 5.7...wonder why the same processor would cause different CPU scores...so are the individual component scores based on the system as a whole?...based on the CPU stepping?...something must cause it to report a different score otherwise it makes no sense

my hard drive and CPU got 5.7's while my memory, graphics and gaming graphics scores were all 5.9's

I find myself switching memory manufacturer's pretty much on every new build no matter how well they have performed in the past...I always base it on what is currently the best performing memory for my particular board...I'm currently using G.Skill for the first time and love it...4 GB (2 x 2 GB sticks) and no problems whatsoever with memory timings of 4-4-4-12...hope you get everything sorted out and running good soon

[Brian]

Yeah, I have noticed on other forums people getting different scores with E8400s. Sometimes 5.6 and sometimes 5.7. Others have gotten 5.8 but they were overclocking. But at stock speeds, you wouldn't expect to see any difference. Can't explain that one!

One other minor gripe I also had with the machine is the video card. It seems to be working perfectly fine but I noticed the PCB itself is curved downwards on the right of the connection to the board. Is that normal nowadays with these longer video cards?

Also, is it just me or is ABXZone grindingly slow today?

[Sir Skully]

Hey Brian, ABX is slow here. I have a 5.9 in Vista, OC'ed E8400 @ 4gig.

[ctal]

ABX hasn't been working too well here in Connecticut since sometime yesterday. The browser seems to be unable to establish a connection a lot of the time, and I have to retry repeatedly. Same results with IE7 and FF3; no problems with other sites.

I have little experience with Vista and none with the Experience Index thing, but I wonder if the results are precisely repeatable on each of your systems, or if running it multiple times will give results that differ by 0.1 or so. I wonder if the difference between 5.6 and 5.7 might just be roundoff error in the algorithm.

-- Al

[polonyc2]

because I reformat my system so frequently I have run the Windows Experience Index numerous times and each time the same scores appear...same thing when 'updating score' on the same PC during the same install

[Dread]

Originally Posted by Brian

Also, is it just me or is ABXZone grindingly slow today?

Its been getting progressively worse in the past few days.
I just replied to another thread and the "hourglass" has been on for more than 5 minutes already.

[Brian]

Tested the RAM with Windows Memory Diagnostic and with Memtest...


FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!


So, at least I know where to go from here...

[traveler]

Originally Posted by Dread

Its been getting progressively worse in the past few days.
I just replied to another thread and the "hourglass" has been on for more than 5 minutes already.

I've had a bunch of timeouts too with ABX.