[Wftl-lug] PSU update or

[Raul Montagne]

Beware: Long email

In the search of the holly grail...

I was reluctant to tell everybody my last experience with PC... it is a 
*very* long story.... it started in June ... and it didn't come to an 
end, yet
The story take place in two cities of Brazil, Recife (3 million people) 
and Natal ( near 1 million).
I want a simple PC-Desktop. The best my money could buy. I search in 
town, in the internet an stores in other town (through friends).
I bought in June two (2) computers ( "white boxes") from a guy who has 
always sell and repair computers to my wife, after look for
prices, performance, brands, etc. etc. (2 months research at least)
One computer for my wife (hers come to an end, motherboard, etc. etc.) 
and another for me.
The only differences between one and the other were 512MB vs 1GB RAM 
(mine with 1 GB, of course).
And her cabinet was "white" while mine was black (so different PSU).
Basically they were Motherboard ASUS M2N-MX (S/V/R),
CPU:ATHLON 64 X2 3600+Ghz box.
512 MB/ DDR2 (1Gb the other)
Winchester, 80.0 GB, 7200RPM SATA.
Sound, network and video on  board, DVD R/W
 ATX with PSU of 400 W.
Both machine came with MSWindows XP installed. I put a KUbuntu live CD 
to work and repartition mine after a little initial problems
I had both OS working with all my usual software.... but something was 
wrong... Strange things start to happen in my PC.
I ran memtest... more than several thousand errors!!!! the screen was 
all red in errors.
I call the guy to change the memory.
He did it. After that I installed more things....once again errors 
happens, once again memtest reveal several errors.
The guy take the computer back, change everything except the cabinet and 
the motherboard....
Once again strange errors happens, but this time memtest detect nothing...
The guy take back the PC... give a  new one, this time with Intel Dual 
Core... everything brand new, completely different....
No memtest problem.... but at some time the computer start to freeze...
The demesg shows some "kernel errors"...
By this time it was three months since I bought the machine.
I ask my money back.
I went to a local shop and buy a "white box" no-brand
Motherboard Gigabyte, Pentium Dual Core 2140, 1GB , HD 160GB,  DVD R/W.
It came with Ubuntu preinstalled!!!
I installed Kubuntu (feisty) ... and once again errors!!!!
memtest shows errors... first night with the new PC!!!!
Next day after buying it I went back to the local shop and ask to set it 
up or give me the money back.
They change the RAM and it is working (1 month since) OK.
I have one minor problem with Skype-Linux video conference....
The MOB has a VIA chipset for video,  and has problem with Skype.
What the guys from the forum explained is that  if I run xvinfo this 
should show me some adapter...
The Kubuntu installed VESA driver instead via....
I look into the forums and change for VIA driver ... no X-windows :-)
then, I tried Openchrome, no luck.
The solution was buying a cheap Nvidia graphic card...(today!) it work!
Two remarks,
1)I have also installed MSWindows XP in this machine, from (original 
software... yeah.. I bought it!)
I took less than 2 hours to have XP running.
2) Skype in MSWindows had also problems! I had to install an old version 
of Skype to have the webcam working.

With the Nvidia card, I had Skype working flawless (both in MSWindows 
and Kubuntu).
As a side effect, the Nvidia card now, allows me to watch DVD and movies 
(from youtube or whatever) without a problem
(before they were kind of "jammed").

Ah! my wife's computer is still working with its native MSWindows XP and 
a partition with Kubuntu Feisty without a single problem!!!!

My next steps... is to buy a *good* PSU for this machine

talueguito
raul

-- 
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			RAUL MONTAGNE			
Messenger:		montagne57 at gmail.com
Wengophone:		montagne57
			Natal RN	BRASIL
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