It's taken me awhile to start this thread, sorry. I know this may end up in flame wars. Again I am sorry.

So everyone knows my situation. Well those close to me on this site do. My computer is finally showing signs of how old it truly is. Keep in mind my computer has a Pentium 4 processor so I am guessing this setup to be almost ten years old. The problem, even after a few friends helped me here with a new hard drive and more memory, is the rest of the system. The processor can't keep up with the newer operating systems. I'm having a hard time just running XP. Found out the other day my DVD Burner drive is almost dead as it will read disc sometimes and other times it will not. Monitor is on it's last legs as well. Hard to read anything and the brightness is going out. It's an old CRT Dell monitor that is almost as old as the tower.

As Starkers had told you this computer is my main way to communicate with the things that are important in my life. So I was hoping someone out there had a few newer parts I could install to extend the life of the machine a bit. Nothing special. I already have DDR2 memory and a newer hard drive. Just need a few other things.

So carry on. Discuss I guess.


Comments (Page 20)
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on Jan 30, 2013

You're right, kona, the Phenom II 920 x4 is an AM2+ socket CPU... and I can't see anywhere that it's backwards compatible.  So sorry about that, mate, I really thought the mobo you got would do the job, but obviously not.

Damn, damn, sod and bugger it.

on Jan 30, 2013

It will take time and money to fix the new computer. I have plenty of time, just no money. I would feel better running this old P4 if it was using a PSU I could rely on. Seems logical.

on Jan 30, 2013

kona0197
So I looked it up. This mobo I have is a AM2 mobo. I need a AM2+ mobo to run this processor. So at this point I don't know what to do.

AM2 and AM2+ are compatible as long as you're using DDR2 Ram.

They will work in either case...a AM2+ CPU will work in a AM2 motherboard and a AM2 CPU will work in a AM2+ motherboard...as long as the Ram is DDR2.

You could have a DOA motherboard or something connected wrong. Are all the power supply connectors seated correctly?

on Jan 30, 2013

Yep just checked and double checked the power connections and every other connection. Everything is connected as it should be. Upon power up nothing happens. At this point I bet it is a DOA motherboard since I trust Starkers said this CPU worked fine. BTW Starkers the CPU isn't missing any pins.

on Jan 30, 2013

Do you get any form of life like lights or anything to indicate the psu is working? Do you have a voltmeter?Actually you should hear the dvd if the psu is working?I would think you would get no beeps if the board was dead.Checked all the jumpers that came on the board?Tried booting from a dvd?

on Jan 30, 2013

And I am just throwing things out there, please do not get offended. Are you positive you have the board totally insulated from the case? Not touching on the backside anywhere?

 

 

If you have a voltmeter we can check some stuff.

on Jan 30, 2013

Sorry Kona, I guess I should read better. I see your posts now. From all I have read, you are correct, the mobo and cpu are not compatible.

They will fit in the socket, but that is it 9 times out of ten sounds like.

 

I am not sure if I can help further or not financially right now. I wonder if you have checked the return  section at 3btech, they may do cod on returns or send a pre paid label to return and swap for a compatible board.

 

on Jan 30, 2013

doortech1
Do you get any form of life like lights or anything to indicate the psu is working?

PSU is working fine. As a matter of fact it is working right now. I transplanted the old P4 and mobo to the new case. After dusting off the CPU cooler everything is running fine. I still need to reinstall Windows, I am using Linux right now.

doortech1
Do you have a voltmeter?

No, I do not have a voltmeter.

doortech1
Actually you should hear the dvd if the psu is working?

As I said the PSU is working just great. The DVD-RW drive is working as well.

doortech1
I would think you would get no beeps if the board was dead.

Exactly. The board gives no beeps at all. Leads me to believe the board is dead as well.

doortech1
Checked all the jumpers that came on the board?

Yes I checked all the jumpers. Double checked them. I even tried resetting the BIOS with a jumper. Still didn't help. i would bet it's a dead board.

doortech1
Tried booting from a dvd?

Yes I tried booting my Windows 8 DVD. No go.

doortech1
Are you positive you have the board totally insulated from the case? Not touching on the backside anywhere?

Yes I am sure. The board is secured to the new case with standoffs.

on Jan 30, 2013

ASRock ALiveNF6P-VSTA Socket AM2+ Mainboard w/ nVidia geForce Video Onboard, DDR2, SATA 300 � Refurbished

 

 

This is what we should have got perhaps.

 

I have a 3gig intel I believe, would fit the board, but would not compare to the dual core. I would check on exchange of the mobo, let me know, I am not ditching the project yet.You can check on that exchange online, no phones.

on Jan 30, 2013

If you can manage the exchange it would need to include the heatsink and fan also.

on Jan 30, 2013

CarGuy1
They will work in either case...a AM2+ CPU will work in a AM2 motherboard and a AM2 CPU will work in a AM2+ motherboard...as long as the Ram is DDR2.

Um, no, not according to the AMD site... the Phenom II 920 x4 was not forward compatible to AM2+. It works the other way around, an AM2+ CPU will run in an AM2 board, though.  I have a similar issue here, where my nephew put a Phenom II x6 1100T, which is a socket AM3 on an AM3+ socket board. It just wouldn't run/boot.  I simply swapped the mobo for a socket AM3 one and now it runs like a dream.  I also put a AMD FX4600 x4 on his AM3+ board and it runs okay.  In essence, then, the AM3+ CPU runs on a AM3 board but it seems the same is not true in reverse

kona0197
BTW Starkers the CPU isn't missing any pins.

Oh, that's strange!  When I had issues with it, my tech guy said that he had to remove one pin that appeared to be burred, otherwise it wouldnt seat cleanly. Hmmm, maybe he cleaned it up an put it back again.  I dunno, I just know that the CPU ran well when I last had it installed, which incidentally was on an AM2+ socket board, a Gigabye GA-MA770-DS3 that's now in my sister's machine, which she just brought back for some minor maintenance.

on Jan 30, 2013

doortech1
I have a 3gig intel I believe, would fit the board, but would not compare to the dual core.
Intel CPU's cannot be used on AMD boards, and the  Phenom II 920 x4  is a quad core, btw.

on Jan 30, 2013

kona0197
Exactly. The board gives no beeps at all. Leads me to believe the board is dead as well.

If that is the case then an exchange or refund would be in order, so yeah, check that out as it could well be your lifeline to a workingPC.

doortech1
I have a 3gig intel I believe, would fit the board, but would not compare to the dual core.

That's a quad core, actually, so it would be best to see if we can get that running before thinking of going back to the old board an 3gig Intels.

doortech1
If you can manage the exchange it would need to include the heatsink and fan also.

Um, while they were on the same invoice, surely they are separate items and only the board needs to go back?

I dunno... not having a good week here, either.  That frackin' Murphy has a lot to answer for, him and his damned law.

Oh well, next week has to be better and pessimism has been flushed away with tha bad.

on Jan 30, 2013

starkers
If that is the case then an exchange or refund would be in order, so yeah, check that out as it could well be your lifeline to a workingPC.

I have no way to do that. I have no funds at all to send things back. As it is right now the P4 is running OK and I am using the new LCD so I am happy as I can be for now. No worries.

on Jan 30, 2013

Did you hook up the second power connection, if you have an old power supply it would must likely require an adapter ?

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