Artifacts on boot up

[J_Tweedy]

Posted this q already, but got limited response- thought i'd try again.

When i boot up my computer, i get artifacts covering the screen, and the system hangs then goes to sleep. Sometimes im lucky enough to get through to windows, then it does it there, or can run a game for about 10 seconds, and then it does it.
I RMA'd my video card- i heard it was probably faulty memory on that- and im waiting for the replacement.
My question is, could it be anything else? I dont have a screenshot of it, but just imagine a screen full of lines of random colours and sometimes symbols.
Could it be incompatible or faulty RAM? (2x512 Kingston ddr400)
Could it be my power supply? (400w but came with a cheap case)
I just got a new mobo (Albatron K8Ultra V 2) and that's when the problem started, but i was told that incompatibility wouldn't cause this problem.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Hazar]

it could be powersupply, but I doubt it. RMA was prolly the right way to go

 

[Asus]

I've had something with similar symptoms happen in the past but I doubt it's the same reason. Only other thing that I could think of would be an electrical short somewhere.

I just put in some CCL and my graphics card was showing artifacts all over. The wires for the CCLs were shorting my case and some how my card only. Just reinstalled the lights and everything was fine. That was with my old GF2 and it lived to see another day. =p

 

[J_Tweedy]

what causes a short Asus? Is it wires touching things they shouldnt? Ive got a pretty messy case.

 

[Asus]

what causes a short Asus? Is it wires touching things they shouldnt? Ive got a pretty messy case.

yeah basicly

 

[sinkoman]

That symbol makes me think Memory.

Oh and for the short, aren't molex's and such covered? I hardly doubt that a messy case could short something. More like striped wires touching each other.

 

[J_Tweedy]

yeah, i doubt its a wire thing, but ill look into it once i get the new vid card. btw, my power supply's 400w, but can the quality of a power supply be the source of a problem like this? It is a cheap piece of shite i think- Raidmax probly

 

[J_Tweedy]

bumpity bump

 

[psyno]

I really doubt it's a PSU issue, but you could always try swapping it out with another to test it. I'd be more suspicious of the RAM, and I wouldn't write off incompatibility with the motherboard so quickly. Sometimes RAM and mobo just don't get along...

 

[J_Tweedy]

but do they cause artifacts like i have experienced?
I've RMAd the vid card, and bought a 485w Enermax Noisetaker psu. If it might be the RAM it will still do it after ive installed the replacement psu and gpu. Im kinda sceptical about RAM causing artifacts on boot up tho- we'll se i guess- keep you posted.

btw- just realised- when someone suggested to unplug my cd drive,and i did, and i got it working for a night, that suggests to me that it could be power supply.

 

[J_Tweedy]

update: just did some research, and it seems that a bad batch of leadtek 6800gts were manufactured back in October, and they're still hanging around. Guess that explains why the last 2 replacements have done the same thing, and I spent money i didn't have on an Enermax Noisetaker 485W psu!
This next replacement had better work, or im switching to Ati- x800xl probly.

 

[psyno]

Try that 6800 in another computer before you send it back...

 

[J_Tweedy]

this replacement appears to be working so far. Doesn't mean it won't crap out later, but all appears well so far.