Is my mother board killing my video card(s)

[TiGgErDbC]

Ok, i just bought a new msi neo plat, and a amd 3500+

my existing parts were

9800xt,
corsair cl2 pro (active lights)
sound blaster audigy 2 zs
raptor hd
enermax 465 ps
i installed a zalman 7000a-cu as well

2 days ago i was playing WoW(world of warcraft) and my screen blinked and went all artifacted, and my sound started looping. i resated my comptuer and was giving a 9800xt error. so i tried to play wow again and quict quickly it froze up and rebooted.

i tried fixing it(underclocking my video card, my cpu has never been oced' all my parts were running at default voltages) uninstalled reinstalled drivers many times from safe mode. it started getting worse to the point i couldnt even get into windows without vpu errors. overdrive read my card was running at 68C, my cpu was 42C-55 load

so i did a full reformat to make sure it wasnt a driver problem, same thing. so the next day i went and bought a 9600 pro till my 9800xt came back from rma.

put this card in havent even thought of Ocing it because i thought thats what killed my other card. well 2 days later, it just did the same thing, blinked then froze. now when i try to enter wow i get vpu error, or the screen goes black and my sound plays or loops and it restarts.

is something killing these video cards? whats going on!?!

i guess the only part i could imigin doing this is my ram or something.... i havent done a mem test woul dyou suggest that?

anyways going to go tinker see if i can get this working.

funny i played the WoW open beta for 2 weeks WITHOUT A PROBLEM 2 days after retail the 9800xt died, now 2 days later the 9600pro looks like its headding the same way?

please help i know my posts are long winded.

[TiGgErDbC]

and i just went to send and i had another vpu error.

and now its rebooting every minute and vpu errors just like my 9800xt...

[dell8200]

try to adjust teh apg voltage back to defaults, if that don't work then "load setup defaults" if that don't work, the take the battery out and put it back in, then if that don't work then pm "rocket man"

[TiGgErDbC]

done all of that... :| my agp voltage was 1.6 with my 9800xt, with my 9600 it was default, and i just cleared the cmos and did a meemtest and nothing came up and when i go into windows i get a vpu error after like 30 seconds and it give me a vpu error about 5 times then reboots

[TiGgErDbC]

went to edit my last post and it didnt allow me.

anyways heres something odd, i was in my bios looking at all the settings and my (hypertransport, i belive it was called) is set at 5x. so i selected it to see the options, the menu come up blank and it basicly freezes, i cant ecs the menu, and i can hit enter to select anything, i'm going to try to flash my bios back a rev, because i have the most up to date(1.3v i think)

its just odd how everything worked for 2 and a half weeks now all of a sudden everythings not working.. lol

[dell8200]

try to "pm" "rocket man" he knows alot

[TiGgErDbC]

thanks did a few minutes ago hope he can check it out.

[TiGgErDbC]

just exchanged for a new video card today... no one has replies? i dont think tihs card is working either... so i assume its my mobo, the agp slot to be more specific?

[dell8200]

to bad people did not want the lastedst and badest, i still have computer boards that i use that are 6 years with a agp 2x slot , but games make people buy the best, i hope this card works

[TiGgErDbC]

nope... doesnt even want to give me a day or two to play... i put it in, uninstalled the drivers, reinstalled them, opened world of warcraft, vpu error at opening screen. so i guess its my motherboard. time to try to RMA with MSI :\

i dont supose anyone would have a number i could call and talk to someone there, i e-mailed them 2 days ago and they havent responded.

[dell8200]

if you hav ehte money just buy an albatron mother board they are cheap and good, when my dad bought his compusa "wintech" dec 2002 custom built ti has a albatron mother board and still going fine, and my amd 2200 has a albatron mohter board for over 1 year so try them i got my motherboard and cpu for 79.99 a year ago, so they aleast last for 2 year and more just an idea

[ukulele]

Take a close look at your positive PSU voltages. They should be no more then +or- 5% when under a load.

[TiGgErDbC]

actualy i belive i found the problem... my mobo is sitting on a box out of my case right now and its been running for about 2 hours without a problem.... i dont understand how it could work in my case for 3 weeks then all of a sudden get a short or something...

i did have a wire running behind my mobo that went to one of my case lights, could htat have been interfering with the mobo somehow(somehow the current?) i'm not sure seems to be running ok now... i'll keep yeah posted.

[ukulele]

Originally posted by TiGgErDbC
actualy i belive i found the problem... my mobo is sitting on a box out of my case right now and its been running for about 2 hours without a problem.... i dont understand how it could work in my case for 3 weeks then all of a sudden get a short or something...

i did have a wire running behind my mobo that went to one of my case lights, could htat have been interfering with the mobo somehow(somehow the current?) i'm not sure seems to be running ok now... i'll keep yeah posted.

I could also just be a mounting screw that holds the board on. They can short to a trace on the board, especially if they are not the right screws and too big. Use plastic washers on them when you reinstall. Also remove any metal standoffs that don't line up with a screw hole.