Intel DP35DP has become VERY flaky

[Grenadianexpat]

I have had this board for maybe 3 years now, and until recently it has been well behaved.

Apart from the DP35DP with the latest bios firmware update (no improvement). I have a a Q9300 processor, 8Gig or Ram, Ati Radeon HD3800 Graphics Card, an Antac PSU possibly 500W? and a plethora of Hard Drives. Win7 on one drive and XP Pro as a back up on another.

Initially I got warnings that a Hard drive was about to crash, via Ashampoo's HDD Control. After ghosting that drive the system has been fine, except that whilst I was sorting out the hard drives the PC got to be fussy about starting..... I think that it is just a coincidence. I would hear a slight take up from the HDD the DVD light would come on, and the red light would flash a few times, but no post on the screen..

More times than not I now have to play with it to get it to start. Usually the clue that it is not going to work is the Graphics card fan doesn't start roaring away. Sometimes just pressing the reset button will do the trick, mostly I have to switch the power off at the PSU, let it power down all the way, and then switch it back on, the auto restart kicks in, and then it either starts or another touch of the reset button gets it going.

Sometimes it takes a while of just the Processor fan and the PSU fan running, and then as an after thought the Graphic card fan starts to turn, and off we go.

All this happened BEFORE the next piece of info.

Whilst trying to see if the contacts on the Graphics card were clean I sprayed cleaner on the slot with the card still in it and the black clip that hold one side of the heat sink for ? flew off and had become none serviceable. I have had to do a bodge to keep that heat sink in place as access to replacement boards is almost nil.

Courtesy of the Ashampoo program I have come to realise ALL my drives HDD drives have to greater or lesser extents been running too hot, also the room ambient temperature has been around the mid to high 80's plus moderately high humidity. I have two case fans which had been fine where the computer was built in the UK, but seemingly an un AC'd room in the West Indies is TOO hot. I now have extra HDD fans which seem to help THAT issue.

I will have to wait until I do my next visit to the UK to get a replacement board, so any tips or ideas to keep this beast going would be much appreciated.

[KnightRid]

Have you tried a different power supply? I would give that a shot before replacing the motherboard.

[Grenadianexpat]

Thank you KnightRid,

I have seen that suggested before... and may well give it a try.

Today I tried about 15 times in various ways to get it to complete a post, and it just laughed at me... I left it alone but powered up, and when I got back to it some 15 minutes later there was a faint whine from the G Card fan, I used the restart button and it fired up.. Once it is going it works fine.. crazy.

I am severely hampered by parts availability on this little Island.... I had to HUNT to find an outlet that had any form of fan for cooling. Postage is not really an option, as things go missing.

[Grenadianexpat]

I think the problem is resolved. A few more days may be needed to prove the point beyond doubt.

I believe the problem was along the lines mentioned by KnightRid, ie power supply. After words from a Tech buddy I cleaned the 5V fly lead socket and plug that goes to the board, and on restart the Graphics card whirred away. It did not immediately fire up as it should, so I jiggled it as per normal with the restart button and away it went.

On cleaning as many connectors as I can find including the Memory chip sockets... I got 3 beeps and no start at one point.... The PC now SEEMS to be behaving itself.

I think the Humid and relatively high temperatures of the tropics are making this set up a little fussy.... another possibility is that the bug spray used to kill the mosquito's each night is also trying to kill the PC...?