I think I have ECS K7VTA3 v3 Mobo problems?

[nzgfxguru]

The Statistics

Running Windows XP Professional - Service Pack 1a with all updates up to Service Pack 2 release. (SP2 caused major slowdown so was removed) - it had a freshly formatted install last week.

Cpu: AMD Athlon XP 2000+ (1666Mhz)

Motherboard: ECS K7VTA3 v3

Motherboard Chipset: VIA VT8367 Apollo KT33

Memory: 256Mb (PC 2100 ddr sdram)

Graphics: SiS 315 (32mb)

Sound: VIA AC'97 Enhanced Audio Controller

Monitor: Likom D703X/L703X/LD7

Sensors Type: ITE IT8705F

Sensors Access: ISA 290h

Sensor Temperatures: Motherboard : 38-40 Degrees Celcius
Cpu: 50-52 Degrees Celcius
Aux: This begins at 27 degrees celcius then keeps slowly creeping up to a maximum of 77 degrees celcius over a period of 10 minutes. It then immediately drops back to 27 degrees celcius and starts the whole process of creeping back up to 77 again.

Cpu Cooling Fan: Fluctuates between 5444 rpm and 5625 rpm

The problem

What is the auxillary sensor for? (it depicts a small icon of a monitor). I am wondering if those readings on the auxillary sensor are bad or showing some fault in my mobo?

What has been happening with the PC is that is has been randomly rebooting itself. It can do it a couple of times in the period of an hour then run absolutely fine after that. It is running right now and has been for the last 18hours with multiple resource hungry applications running to see if I could crash it.

It also has been randomly freezing (but not in the last 18 hours)

It has also been shutting itself completely down. (but not in the last 18 hours and is very infrequent)

Can anyone here please help solve the problems above?

Is my mobo dying?

Is this a cooling issue?

I have been using AIDA 32 diagnostics, and also have a copy of SiSoft Sandra 2000e as well.

Please ask if you need more information from me.

Great appreciation and thanks in advance

- Julian

[nzgfxguru]

UPDATE

1. My PC rebooted itself and then loaded again until it froze at the user login screen???

2. It then froze once I got it loaded???

3. It froze again once loaded???

4. My PC rebooted itself again then it must have locked or froze but my monitor said "No signal - check cables" and the case fan and lights were still running???

5. I then could not start my PC at all, I had 6 attempts and during that time there were no lights showing power on the front of the case.

6. I finally got it going again so ran a virus check and spyware check but found nothing. I then tried to run AIDA 32 diagnostics to see if there were any changes to the sensors and there was nothing, then it froze again

7. It has also had another dodgy problem for quite a while. It boots up whenever my phone rings, but doesn't affect my PC in any other way???

Please I really need help, I am on a friends PC just to get this information online. I have heard that motherboards can stuff up and cause the above problems and need to find out if this is so for my case???

[TripleRLtd]

Heat can definitely cause this sort of problem, although the s/w "sensor" is sometimes faulty. You can boot into bios and just let it sit there while you view the hardware monitor page that lists the temps.
Have you opened it up and felt the hsf?
Also, if heat is not the issue:
You need to test the ram with a memory checker. Also, to do the diags properly, the best bet is to remove every card in your pc except the vid card and one stick of ram. Then test it all. Let's see if it is something else causing all of this besides the mb.

[nzgfxguru]

I booted into BIOS and it was displaying the same temperatures as AIDA32 was. I cannot access the hsf properly, it is stuck in behind the power supply. It has a noise to it sometimes though, like a bearing is stuffed?

How do I do a memory test?

I removed all the cards from the PC (modem was the only extra one) and it is running fine, continuing to check it though because this is an intermittant problem.

[nzgfxguru]

The modem card is a Conexant HSF if that is any help

[freddy]

I booted into BIOS and it was displaying the same temperatures as AIDA32 was. I cannot access the hsf properly, it is stuck in behind the power supply. It has a noise to it sometimes though, like a bearing is stuffed?

How do I do a memory test?

I removed all the cards from the PC (modem was the only extra one) and it is running fine, continuing to check it though because this is an intermittant problem.

if the h/s/f is making a noise ,,tis time for a new one , in the meantime , get a supply of air and blow out the h/s/f and also the psu air holes ,,,

try bit of WD40 on the fan bearings ,,,,but buy a new fan

regarding the startup when the phone rings ,,,have seen this before (years ago) ,,,carefully look thru the bios and the modempage for "wake up on ring" or simular ,,,

good luck

freddy

[nzgfxguru]

Thanks Freddy,

I turned off that BIOS Modem stuff and hopefully that stops that problem of it booting the PC.

I also put the modem back in the PC and the PC froze on me, couldn't even boot to safe mode.

I removed the modem and the PC booted fine.

I then went into BIOS and on the modem page I changed the page to "Reset Optimized Settings", this brought up that the modem was on IRQ 3, yet before that it was not assigned to any IRQ's at all.

I put the modem back in the PC and everything has been running fine so far.

Could the modem BIOS settings have been causing all the freezes, reboots etc...?

BTW this BIOS and computer was set up by a business here in New Zealand that went bust

[nzgfxguru]

UPDATE

Yay, it is finally running really well, I got a new heatsink and fan and it's been running smooth as silk.

Thankyou everyone for your tips and advice