Dear Folks,
My desktop suddenly stopped booting with only the DVD drive being activated on cold start and no video or anything else after that. I think that the motherboard has packed it in. The current system configuration is:
1. Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H (rev. 1.1)
2. Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ (DO) dual core processor
3. Memory: Corsair Dominator 2 x 2GB DDR2 PC2 8500 C5D G 1066 MHz dual channel kit and GEIL 2 GB x 2 DDR2 PC2 8500 1066 MHz dual channel kit to give a total of 8 GB in 4 modules
4. Video: ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics processor
5. Audio: HDA ATI ALC889A integrated audio processor
6. Power supply unit: Zebronics Zeb-450 W (DSATA) economy series [20 + 4 pin]
7. Case: Case Master Mesh 908 580 W black/silver
I used to run Kubuntu 11.10 on the above PC.
I now need to reinstate the PC by preferably replacing the motherboard alone and re-using as many of the above components as possible.
Since I am new to India, and also no hardware expert, I seek your kind answers to several questions that have arisen in my mind as a result of the motherboard failure:
1. Is it sensible to replace the Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H motherboard with an identical one? There seem to be three almost perfect fits for this model at AnythingInIT from whom I have not purchased anything so far. The prices range from ₹ 3964 to ₹ 5523. What alarmed me was their disclaimer[*] that if I got something that did not work on receipt, I would be left high and dry, as they disowned all liability in their terms and conditions. Any advice on a reputable, reasonable, and reasonably-priced online vendor for a replacement board is most appreciated.
[* The consumer-protection laws in many other countries where I have lived will simply negate such disclaimers. I do not how it is in India.]
2. If The Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H is problem prone and not worth replacing, what alternative drop-in replacement motherboards--manufacturers and models--would you recommend, bearing in mind that this is a system that has just reached its third birthday. It would be ideal if the CPU and memory that I already have can be re-used to minimize expenditure.
3. If the above option is not viable, what replacement motherboard/CPU/memory combination would you recommend that meets or exceeds the specifications of my now defunct system, and which does not cost a bomb?
Now for a small aside before my last question. I have an identical desktop system as above which suddenly reboots after 10 or so minutes while playing videos. I have been advised on the Ubuntu Forums that this could be due to poor heat sinking for the processor and/or faulty PSU. I have vacuumed the heat sink and fan using a drinking straw and think that the fault should lie with the Zebronics PSU. From what I have read on this forum and elsewhere, it appears that this PSU might not be up to it when playing videos. So, I am thinking of replacing the PSU with a Corsair VX450W SMPS which carries a 5-year warranty.
4. Would you recommend replacing the Zebronics PSU with a Corsair VX450W SMPS for either or both systems? If not, kindly suggest alternatives. Also, would you be able to recommend a reasonably priced online vendor with a good track record? So, far, my experience has been limited to Flipkart.com who have excelled both in price and performance.
Thank you for reading through this long post. I look forward to receiving your valuable advice.
My desktop suddenly stopped booting with only the DVD drive being activated on cold start and no video or anything else after that. I think that the motherboard has packed it in. The current system configuration is:
1. Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H (rev. 1.1)
2. Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ (DO) dual core processor
3. Memory: Corsair Dominator 2 x 2GB DDR2 PC2 8500 C5D G 1066 MHz dual channel kit and GEIL 2 GB x 2 DDR2 PC2 8500 1066 MHz dual channel kit to give a total of 8 GB in 4 modules
4. Video: ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics processor
5. Audio: HDA ATI ALC889A integrated audio processor
6. Power supply unit: Zebronics Zeb-450 W (DSATA) economy series [20 + 4 pin]
7. Case: Case Master Mesh 908 580 W black/silver
I used to run Kubuntu 11.10 on the above PC.
I now need to reinstate the PC by preferably replacing the motherboard alone and re-using as many of the above components as possible.
Since I am new to India, and also no hardware expert, I seek your kind answers to several questions that have arisen in my mind as a result of the motherboard failure:
1. Is it sensible to replace the Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H motherboard with an identical one? There seem to be three almost perfect fits for this model at AnythingInIT from whom I have not purchased anything so far. The prices range from ₹ 3964 to ₹ 5523. What alarmed me was their disclaimer[*] that if I got something that did not work on receipt, I would be left high and dry, as they disowned all liability in their terms and conditions. Any advice on a reputable, reasonable, and reasonably-priced online vendor for a replacement board is most appreciated.
[* The consumer-protection laws in many other countries where I have lived will simply negate such disclaimers. I do not how it is in India.]
2. If The Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H is problem prone and not worth replacing, what alternative drop-in replacement motherboards--manufacturers and models--would you recommend, bearing in mind that this is a system that has just reached its third birthday. It would be ideal if the CPU and memory that I already have can be re-used to minimize expenditure.
3. If the above option is not viable, what replacement motherboard/CPU/memory combination would you recommend that meets or exceeds the specifications of my now defunct system, and which does not cost a bomb?
Now for a small aside before my last question. I have an identical desktop system as above which suddenly reboots after 10 or so minutes while playing videos. I have been advised on the Ubuntu Forums that this could be due to poor heat sinking for the processor and/or faulty PSU. I have vacuumed the heat sink and fan using a drinking straw and think that the fault should lie with the Zebronics PSU. From what I have read on this forum and elsewhere, it appears that this PSU might not be up to it when playing videos. So, I am thinking of replacing the PSU with a Corsair VX450W SMPS which carries a 5-year warranty.
4. Would you recommend replacing the Zebronics PSU with a Corsair VX450W SMPS for either or both systems? If not, kindly suggest alternatives. Also, would you be able to recommend a reasonably priced online vendor with a good track record? So, far, my experience has been limited to Flipkart.com who have excelled both in price and performance.
Thank you for reading through this long post. I look forward to receiving your valuable advice.
