Memory Problem or PSU?

[Deepfreeze]

**Warning Long Thread**

 

A little history... This box was built less than a month ago. Upon completion the computer ran perfect for 5 days and then *poof* power supply was dead.

 

Computer was then taken to the local computer repair center and diagnosed the motherboard with have a short in the PCI-E slot. They believed that is what fried my original power supply and one they had used to test in my system. All other components tested out fine, including the memory.

 

Motherboard (Gigabyte Duo Pro), and Thermaltake Purepower 500W power supply both RMA'd. Newegg.com gave me a refund on the gigabyte board, and Thermaltake sent my a new PSU. I bough an Intel D915GAV motherboard to replace the gigabyte one.

 

So several weeks later, with replacement parts in hand, I rebuild the pc. Boot is fine, it resets once during Windows XP Professional install. No biggie.. things happen right? Install continues with no further problems.

 

Spend the next hour flashing the motherboard bios to the latest version, and updating the video card drivers.

 

Download Aquamark to bench the graphics.. this is how I typically test new box setups. Computer resets during the benchmark. Computer resets and again reboots during the benchmark.

 

I check for IRQ conflicts ..none Run DXDIAG.. no problems. So I try just a regular game (Silent Hunter III). Computer again resets.

 

I then check processor temps.. It's idling at 31 degrees celsius.. under load it's not going above 40 degrees celsius (Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 CPU cooler).

 

I think "there's no way in hell I've got another bad PSU", so I get with Leadtek and RMA the card back to them. They test the card, say it's just fine, and send it back to me.

 

I tried running Memtest-86 and it won't complete the test without resetting.

 

I tried one stick of memory at a time.. same thing, will not run Memtest-86 without resetting. Will not run any type of heavy load application in Windows without resetting.

 

I tried the same tests without the video card in the computer, using the Intel motherboard graphics... same results.

 

I have 2 GB (4 512MB sticks) of Corsair Value Select memory (VS512MB400). I find it hard to believe it all went bad at once.

 

So am I looking at a memory problem, or another PSU problem?

 

Further note: Tomorrow the memory is going down to the local repair center where they have a hardware memory tester. I just wanted to get this thread started in case we're looking at the memory having to be RMA'd.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Gregg

[RAM GUY]

Greg,

If you getting that same issue with the modules installed one at a time, that would suggest some other problem, and I would try testing the modules in another system to be sure.