Arch Linux

robot5x

Member

Registered: 2004-01-26

Posts: 266

Imminent hardware failure

Hi all -
no idea where to put this...hope this'll do
I posted recently about my troubles ripping DVD's - dvdrip always failed, and mencoder always froze my machine so bad I had to switch off. I've now tried both these apps on debian, rubix, fedora and gentoo and exactly the same thing happens. So its obviously not a dodgy software problem - but I have no idea what else it might be. I ran top with mencoder, and there's generally 200mb+ ram available, cpu goes up to about 95%. Normal desktop usage is fine, I can run other intensive tasks like compiling kernel and other apps, but even thinking about ripping a dvd gets me in trouble. I've ran memtest86+ which came up clean. I'd be grateful for any tips about what could be the problem.

Briefly, my system is an AthlonXP 1800, 750mb RAM. One new 80GB HD as master, older 30GB as slave (this has previously wiped out data on it, but seems to work ok after a dd), NEC dvd writer as 2nd master.

robot5x

Member

Registered: 2004-01-26

Posts: 266

Re: Imminent hardware failure

well I've stripped it down to one strip of (apparently)reliable ram, and taken the 2nd disk off. Just reinstalled arch and tried out mencoder and got a hard freeze again. Interestingly this time, top freaked out. In the %CPU column it had 'nan' all the way down then a really long number going across the remaining columns on each row.
Should I be worried?

robot5x

Member

Registered: 2004-01-26

Posts: 266

Re: Imminent hardware failure

well - just in case anyone wonderd...
upgraded mobo, cpu and ram and all is working well.
that was the easy way out, eh?

Kern

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2005-02-09

Posts: 464

Re: Imminent hardware failure

another user had similar. turned out that the heat transfer paste under the cpu wasnt fully contacting the whole area.
subsequent high cpu usage froze the machine. sorry this is too late to try, but maybe worth a look if you want to sell the board on or use in a second system.

robot5x

Member

Registered: 2004-01-26

Posts: 266

Re: Imminent hardware failure

Thanks kern, that makes a lot of sense...
I just checked it and it does look a bit patchy. I only put some new stuff on when I got an enormous zalman heatsink a few months ago - at least I should be able to resurrect it now