🚀 go-pugleaf

OzzyFrank <ozzyfrank@goconnect.net.au> wrote in
message news:a35uek$h5d$1@perki.connect.com.au...

> It's been a while since I looked at Hardware diagnostic
> cards, but I presume they are still out there.

Probably.

> I would really appreciate advice one what is available
> and, of course, which one you recommend.

I personally think that they are a waste of time.

The modern reality is that one of those cards cant really tell you much
with so much integrated on the motherboard now. The best quick test
of the viability of a motherboard is to boot just a known good simple video
card and speaker connected and check the power supply with a multimeter.
No diagnostic card can work out the basics like the cpu core voltage and
even if it can howl about the detail of the POST tests, that usually isnt
much use anymore with so much integrated on the motherboard now.

> (If any Melbourne, Victoria, Australia groupies know of prices
> and places to get them, that would also be greatly appreciated).

> I'd really love to find one that just plugs in and tells
> you what part is faulty, no fuss. Does this exist???

Nope, because some stuff doesnt appear on the card slot connector,
so the card cant even see it. And even when it can work out where the
failure is, thats no real use when its all integrated on the motherboard
and the only viable option is to replace the motherboard anyway. You
dont need a diagnostic card to tell you that.

Nice staightforward answer ...... I think " I " even owe you a
beer now!

Rod Speed <rod_speed@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3c586168_1@news.iprimus.com.au...
>
> OzzyFrank <ozzyfrank@goconnect.net.au> wrote in
> message news:a38t4a$q0g$1@perki.connect.com.au...
>
> > Just interested in your exact techniques for determining
faults.
>
> Basically if the symptoms suggest it might well be a
> motherboard problem, I first check the most basic possibility
> of a cpu fan clogged with fur or not even rotating anymore.
>
> Then I usually just pull all the cards, put in a known good
simple
> video card like an S3 Trio 64 etc and see if the symptoms are
still
> there with that minimum of hardware. If they are, I check if
that the
> motherboard has been properly setup for the cpu being used, and
> check that it hasnt been overclocked etc. If the problem is
still visible,
> I usually put in some known good ram. If there is still a
hardware
> problem visible, I normally use a Win9x install to thrash the
hardware,
> normally using a spare hard drive to do the installation to. If
that still
> doesnt go perfectly, I'd swap the power supply, not necessarily
> actually replacing it, just temporarily plugging a lose one in
instead.
>
> If its still not working reliably, I take the heatsink off to
check that there
> isnt some basic problem like that not being installed properly
etc. Then
> swap the cpu, particularly if its a Cyrix or something that can
die partly.
>
> If known good cpu/powersupply/ram/video card still wont survive
the
> workout that the Win9x install provides, just discard the
motherboard.
>
> > Also, I have never actually come across a faulty video card
> > (dead, yes, but not one that causes faults through the
system).
>
> You do occassionally see a situation where one of the cards has
a problem
> that prevents the card bus from working properly. Thats why I
test the config
> with all the cards removed and a known good video card. The
only reason for
> the known good simple video card is that you cant do much
testing without one.
>
> > Could you relate some problems that a faulty vid card could
cause?
>
> They're mostly due to the higher performance cards overheating.
Some of
> the lower priced stuff doesnt have adequate cooling, and some
of the older
> motherboards dont provide enough power to the video card slot
to drive the
> higher performance video cards. Thats the reason for the use of
a simple
> S3 video card, those are so undemanding that they are good for
testing.
>
> Obviously if the system works fine with the simple video card
and starts
> to show the symptoms again with the original video card again,
I'd check
> that overheating basic stuff and check for known problems with
particular
> motherboards providing enough power to the video card etc.
>
>

Greg M <xxxooo27@KANTix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:j0b68.43081$iX5.2909128@bin8.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...

> Nice staightforward answer ......
> I think " I " even owe you a beer now!

Thanks, I accept |-)


> Rod Speed <rod_speed@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:3c586168_1@news.iprimus.com.au...
> >
> > OzzyFrank <ozzyfrank@goconnect.net.au> wrote in
> > message news:a38t4a$q0g$1@perki.connect.com.au...
> >
> > > Just interested in your exact techniques for determining
> faults.
> >
> > Basically if the symptoms suggest it might well be a
> > motherboard problem, I first check the most basic possibility
> > of a cpu fan clogged with fur or not even rotating anymore.
> >
> > Then I usually just pull all the cards, put in a known good
> simple
> > video card like an S3 Trio 64 etc and see if the symptoms are
> still
> > there with that minimum of hardware. If they are, I check if
> that the
> > motherboard has been properly setup for the cpu being used, and
> > check that it hasnt been overclocked etc. If the problem is
> still visible,
> > I usually put in some known good ram. If there is still a
> hardware
> > problem visible, I normally use a Win9x install to thrash the
> hardware,
> > normally using a spare hard drive to do the installation to. If
> that still
> > doesnt go perfectly, I'd swap the power supply, not necessarily
> > actually replacing it, just temporarily plugging a lose one in
> instead.
> >
> > If its still not working reliably, I take the heatsink off to
> check that there
> > isnt some basic problem like that not being installed properly
> etc. Then
> > swap the cpu, particularly if its a Cyrix or something that can
> die partly.
> >
> > If known good cpu/powersupply/ram/video card still wont survive
> the
> > workout that the Win9x install provides, just discard the
> motherboard.
> >
> > > Also, I have never actually come across a faulty video card
> > > (dead, yes, but not one that causes faults through the
> system).
> >
> > You do occassionally see a situation where one of the cards has
> a problem
> > that prevents the card bus from working properly. Thats why I
> test the config
> > with all the cards removed and a known good video card. The
> only reason for
> > the known good simple video card is that you cant do much
> testing without one.
> >
> > > Could you relate some problems that a faulty vid card could
> cause?
> >
> > They're mostly due to the higher performance cards overheating.
> Some of
> > the lower priced stuff doesnt have adequate cooling, and some
> of the older
> > motherboards dont provide enough power to the video card slot
> to drive the
> > higher performance video cards. Thats the reason for the use of
> a simple
> > S3 video card, those are so undemanding that they are good for
> testing.
> >
> > Obviously if the system works fine with the simple video card
> and starts
> > to show the symptoms again with the original video card again,
> I'd check
> > that overheating basic stuff and check for known problems with
> particular
> > motherboards providing enough power to the video card etc.
> >
> >
>
>

Molson Golden?

Aye!

Rod Speed <rod_speed@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3c599b34_1@news.iprimus.com.au...
>
> Greg M <xxxooo27@KANTix.netcom.com> wrote in message
> news:j0b68.43081$iX5.2909128@bin8.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...
>
> > Nice staightforward answer ......
> > I think " I " even owe you a beer now!
>
> Thanks, I accept |-)
>
>
> > Rod Speed <rod_speed@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:3c586168_1@news.iprimus.com.au...
> > >
> > > OzzyFrank <ozzyfrank@goconnect.net.au> wrote in
> > > message news:a38t4a$q0g$1@perki.connect.com.au...
> > >
> > > > Just interested in your exact techniques for determining
> > faults.
> > >
> > > Basically if the symptoms suggest it might well be a
> > > motherboard problem, I first check the most basic
possibility
> > > of a cpu fan clogged with fur or not even rotating anymore.
> > >
> > > Then I usually just pull all the cards, put in a known good
> > simple
> > > video card like an S3 Trio 64 etc and see if the symptoms
are
> > still
> > > there with that minimum of hardware. If they are, I check
if
> > that the
> > > motherboard has been properly setup for the cpu being used,
and
> > > check that it hasnt been overclocked etc. If the problem is
> > still visible,
> > > I usually put in some known good ram. If there is still a
> > hardware
> > > problem visible, I normally use a Win9x install to thrash
the
> > hardware,
> > > normally using a spare hard drive to do the installation
to. If
> > that still
> > > doesnt go perfectly, I'd swap the power supply, not
necessarily
> > > actually replacing it, just temporarily plugging a lose one
in
> > instead.
> > >
> > > If its still not working reliably, I take the heatsink off
to
> > check that there
> > > isnt some basic problem like that not being installed
properly
> > etc. Then
> > > swap the cpu, particularly if its a Cyrix or something that
can
> > die partly.
> > >
> > > If known good cpu/powersupply/ram/video card still wont
survive
> > the
> > > workout that the Win9x install provides, just discard the
> > motherboard.
> > >
> > > > Also, I have never actually come across a faulty video
card
> > > > (dead, yes, but not one that causes faults through the
> > system).
> > >
> > > You do occassionally see a situation where one of the cards
has
> > a problem
> > > that prevents the card bus from working properly. Thats why
I
> > test the config
> > > with all the cards removed and a known good video card. The
> > only reason for
> > > the known good simple video card is that you cant do much
> > testing without one.
> > >
> > > > Could you relate some problems that a faulty vid card
could
> > cause?
> > >
> > > They're mostly due to the higher performance cards
overheating.
> > Some of
> > > the lower priced stuff doesnt have adequate cooling, and
some
> > of the older
> > > motherboards dont provide enough power to the video card
slot
> > to drive the
> > > higher performance video cards. Thats the reason for the
use of
> > a simple
> > > S3 video card, those are so undemanding that they are good
for
> > testing.
> > >
> > > Obviously if the system works fine with the simple video
card
> > and starts
> > > to show the symptoms again with the original video card
again,
> > I'd check
> > > that overheating basic stuff and check for known problems
with
> > particular
> > > motherboards providing enough power to the video card etc.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
>