New machine - Weird problem

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thisgeek

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I get all my new equipment, build the machine & load Windows.
Everything is fine, enter CD key and what not. As soon as setup completes, it plays the welcome to windows crap, and then gets to the add user screen. My keyboard doesn't work anymore. Odd. I thought maybe that Windows didn't like me messing around with keyboard settings during setup.

So, I reload. Same problem. Now I had just created a newly slipstreamed SP2 cd, so I thought that maybe that was the problem. So I reloaded yet again, but using my original XP cd. Same problem.

I reboot to safe mode, and the keyboard works. I uninstall the keyboard, and reboot into normal mode. Keyboard now works... until I rebooted. No keyboard again.

Using one of my other machines, I google... can't find much at all.

I decide to take a look at the Nvidia knowledge base, since the board's an nforce 4 SLI. I find an entry about SLI power requirements.

High End Machine - 550W or greater
Specs: 6800 ultra in SLI
socket 939 amd 64 chip
2x hdd
2x optical
1x pci

This is identical to my specs, since I have a socket 939 amd 64, 7800GT's in SLI, 2x hdd, 2x optical and 1x pci (my audigy). Bugger. I've only got a 400W PSU. It makes sense though. Each 7800GT has a power socket that takes a split cable with 2 molex connectors, meaning the graphics cards alone require 4(!) power plugs. The manual recommends that both sockets are connected.

The keyboard issue only seems to occur when Windows switches into a higher res, probably meaning the cards are drawing more power.

So guess who's going across the road today to PC Game World in Sandton to buy another freakin' power supply? (There's no way in hell I'd be able to get my hands on one from rectron in one day, so that's why I'm going there.)

Anyway, despite having no physical keyboard, and the machine apparently being underpowered, I ran 3dMark05 and got a very nice score, which I'll post about later or tomorrow ;)

I haven't even tweaked the system yet! :eek:
 
You have probably damaged your cpu and mobo by giving it less power than it needs. (Although this usually only occurs after extended periods of time.)
Even the 6800 recommends you get a 500w psu in the manual. So running two 7800gt's in Sli would definatley need the extra power.

Will be interesting to see your score.
Nice specs.
Ciao
J
 
well i cant imagine a keyboard uses that much power but still 400w power supply way to small

i got a 400w and im only using a 6600 128 meg heheh
 
if you come to rage im so gonna steal your pc

hmmm i wouldnt mind goin to jail if i could just play on that for a day hehe
 
Just FYI, this wasn't a PSU problem at all.

Turns out it's a really obscure thing with these K8N SLI (nforce 4) boards.

If you have PS/2 keyboard, USB mouse, and have the USB mouse option ENABLED in the bios, it kills off your keyboard when Windows loads. If you set the option to DISABLED, then everything works fine.

Gah!
 
I got one anyway ;)
I installed an Antec 550W, it has dedicated plugs for the PCIe cards, so that saved me 4 molex connectors. It also has 2 SATA power connectors, so that's cool too. The cables are nice and long too, so I could put my hard drives where they are supposed to go. So it was worth it anyway.
 
thisgeek said:
Just FYI, this wasn't a PSU problem at all.

Turns out it's a really obscure thing with these K8N SLI (nforce 4) boards.

If you have PS/2 keyboard, USB mouse, and have the USB mouse option ENABLED in the bios, it kills off your keyboard when Windows loads. If you set the option to DISABLED, then everything works fine.

Gah!
Click to expand...
I've seen this a few times but the other way around. You can disable PS/2 support for the keyboard and it still works in windows... But you cant access safe mode, or do any work that is "outside" of the OS
 
It was a bit of a head scratcher, but thanks to google, I found a post on an nforce related forum which mentioned it, thankfully. ;)
 
thisgeek said:
It was a bit of a head scratcher, but thanks to google, I found a post on an nforce related forum which mentioned it, thankfully. ;)
Click to expand...
LOL. When I read this post this morning.. It was the first thing that struck me, Read through all the posts and was about to reply.. when you posted. I saw it on the bottem of the posting screen, as you hit submit as I hit reply... Thank goodness or I would of looked like one of those idiots that post the same reply as the last 10 posts.

Of course since you found it yourself.. Your never gonna forget it :) I got lucky when I had the problem as my PS/2 keyboard worked, but not my USB, so first place I checked was the BIOS
 
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