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"Are the main signs of a dodgy/faulty CPU constant hanging and/or crashing?"

This would mean a lot to me if people could tell me this, as it could be the cause of my entire PC problem. :D

SO new motherboard it is then? you will see, im right i know i am?

Colin

You just said exactly the same thing I did!

Turbonutter wrote:
> PSU problems don't tend to "develop",

That just means that power supplies don't tend to degrade over time then break like some components

> but you could try unplugging the power to
> non-essentials (CD-ROM, floppy etc) to see.

In fact this even refers to the power overload issue you mentioned!

Bloody Scots...

When you said the computer crashed and refused to start were the fans turning on??

If not, it's your power supplies fan/any other fan connected directly to the power supply turning on? If not, it's definately a power supply problem.

Ignore Turbonutter, we all know power suppky problems don;t develop, they happen when the system looks for more power and the psu can't cope giving the system it, he means well, but he's a numpty :D

Yes. We call this sleeping.

Turbonutter wrote:
> Then run memtest86 and leave your computer for about 16 hours.

Run HotCPUTester and see if it's the CPU.

Then run memtest86 to see if it's the RAM (requires a floppy).

Else it'll be the mobo. PSU problems don't tend to "develop", but you could try unplugging the power to non-essentials (CD-ROM, floppy etc) to see.

If the motherboard was dodgy, you get problems installing anything in the first place, if it was serious, Like corrupted files, and registry errors.

That's one give away sign of marginally faulty hardware when it comes to CPU, memory or motherboard, you get corrupted system files.

If in that two hours you installed hardware drivers, or software which runs all the time, it may still be a software issue, it sounds less likely to be a power supply problems, as those are usually consistent, unless it gradually gets worse after the first problem, once everything is up to tempterature.

There isn't going to be a simple answer other than to remove components piece by piece, but I'd doubt it was a major hardware fault with the problems being so far apart, to run for a couple of hours, then crash doesn't particularly sound hardware related, quite possibly software.

Oh, and it might not be the power supply, as the first time we set up XP, the computer wnet for about two hours, then crashed and refused to restart... thats one reason we reckon the motherboard's dodgy.

How annoying though... my first computer would be more of a pain to put together than the tons I've helped set up for others. :(

Ok, oh the graphics are SIS onboard at the mo with eyes to upgrade to a Radeon 9600 Pro, and yeah, I thought that might be the case, so if a new motherboard they send don't work I'll go out and buy and Intel one and one of the Special Reserve cases with the 300/350/400W power supplies

It's all to do with the individual wattage ratings on the power supplies 12V line, can't really remember what, but anyway, if you're running that sort of system a 165Watt isn't too good, you should be looking for at least 300. but I'd have a 350W+ to be safe.