Random BSODs. Replaced hardware. Is it the motherboard or CPU?

[danroberto]

Hi there,
I never had such a problem before... I'm getting strange, random BSODs. Each time something else - sometimes after a few hours, sometimes minutes...

It's an old PC i use as a file server / media center:
ASUS P5ND2-SLI Deluxe

Some examples:
0x9c
0xfc
0x7e
0x7f
0x24
0xd1
etc.

So I know these errors and solved similar problems before. I have access to a lab with hardware so I could swap etc.

I know it's a hardware problem and not a driver etc.: I get the BSODs in Safe mode and even when I start from the XP CD or the UBCD...

Turned BIOS to its default.

At first I thought it was RAM or PSU. Replaced them (even though the RAM tested good over 7 times with memtest - in another PC).
Then I thought that it might be the GPU memory, and replace the card as well...

It's not a defective HDD cause it happens even without the HDD (when booting from a CD). It's not the DVD drive... also, swapped the cables (SATA and IDE).

How can I test and analyst the CPU, L2 cache and the motherboard?

ANY tips will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Mark56]

Looking at all those error codes and what you have already tried it seems very likely that your CPU or motherboard is on the way out. All I can suggest is that you swap the CPU for a known good one and if the problems persist it is very likely the motherboard.

The only test I know of for CPU's is Prime95 but this is more for checking overclocking stability. It will drive the CPU to 100% and report any errors. You would need hardware to test the mobo.

http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=103

 

[danroberto]

Thanks.

Seems like it's the motherboard... I'm looking at this one as a replacement:

GA-P43-ES3G

What do you thing about it?

Again, this is not my main computer. It's pretty cheap, has 5 PCI slots (I need at least 3 for tv card etc.) and I can install a more modern CPU in it.

Also, how can I keep the HDD with the new motherboard/cpu? I can't uninstall all the old motherboard related stuff because it keeps crashing - now more than before . . . I can't even boot.

Thanks.

 

[Mark56]

I am sure the motherboard you have chosen will be fine.

As the crashing is being caused by the mobo there should not be a problem when you connect the hard drive to the new one. But, you will need to run a Repair install to get the OS to work with the new motherboad and replace all the drivers. It is, in most casses, advisable to do a clean install. You will have to re register the OS with microsoft as this will be seen as a new PC and you cannot have it registered to more than one machine.