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I started to experience some strange behavior from my machine, starting yesterday. My SATA Hard drive (by the sound of it) keeps switching off and back on at random times. So the drive turns off (it makes the same sound as when the computer shuts down), the computer freezes for a second or two then, with another sound, everything goes back to normal.

Everything started yesterday, after I upgraded my RAM. I replaced the old 2 sticks of 256MB with two new sticks of 512MB and one of the old 256. As soon as I started the machine back again it happened for the first time. Now it happens mainly when I'm playing WoW (the only game I'm playing lately)

Here is what Everest Home Edition is telling me about my system. Maybe it will help a bit.





My machine has a generic 400W PSU, one optic drive, one SATA 80GB HDD and an IDE 80GB HDD (ATA 133), a Radeon 9800SE and 3 case fans of 80mm as main power eaters.

a few things

make sure your computer isn't putting the drives to sleep

second if the drive is freezing download the diagnostic tool provided by the manufacturer, this will let you see if it's mechanical failure

back up your data

This is very likely a fault in your hard drive. Immediately back up any important data on the hard drive in question. Find the serial number on your hard drive, then go to the drive manufacturer's website and check to see if it is still in warranty; if so, go through the steps needed to request warranty replacement. If not, start looking for a new hard drive.

Also, shame on you for using a generic power supply.

You're fucked. If you haven't done so already, start making backups of everything you'd like to save off that drive pronto. What you're describing sounds very much like a hard drive warning you that it's going to take a shit sometime in the very near future.

With that being said, I don't think it's a problem with your RAM, since if your two new sticks weren't getting along with the old stick, your system would be more likely to just crash, or not start at all, rather than having the hard drive go wonky.

Lisa wrote:make sure your computer isn't putting the drives to sleep

second if the drive is freezing download the diagnostic tool provided by the manufacturer, this will let you see if it's mechanical failure

back up your data

The computer shouldn't be powering down the hard drives unless they're not being used by anything. I seriously doubt that World of Warcraft would be a time when this is the case.

Downloading the diagnostic tool might have to occur anyway (the manufacturer may want an error code generated by the program) but if the hard drive is shutting itself down randomly, it's best just to assume it's dying, especially since diagnostic programs don't always catch imminent drive failure. I know I wouldn't trust a hard drive that was shutting down randomly and causing my computer to lock up momentarily.

Check the power and data cables, this is a classic problem with SATA cables and will cause the problems you have described.

Probably a slightly lose contact on the power cable, so when the drive gets hit hard enough it cant draw enough power and spins down and then gets spun up again. Happened to me a lot before I switched from SATA power cable to MOLEX so the damn thing didnt fall out

Update: I guess that I can classify this as a power problem, as I originally suspected and as Xon hinted too. I have disconnected the IDE drive, the optic unit and the case fans and it works without problems. All this considering that in the morning it couldn't even startup and I was getting BSoD's.

I don't dare to subject it to any big stress yet, at least not until I can hook up a DVD Writer and backup all my important stuff. After that I guess I'll just leave the case open so that I will not have to connect the case fans again ...
All this until I can save enough to get a decent PSU.

Considering this, could you give me some advices about buying a new PSU? From what I can see at the local dealers the options that I could afford are some 400W PSU's from the following producers: Chieftec, Enermax, Sirtec, Akasa. Unfortunately it seems to be a shortage of Thermaltake or Thermalright PSU's

The SH/SC Power Supply Guide should be able to answer all your questions concerning what you need to buy.

Stay away from Chieftecs at the moment. I've been told by people who sell and service PSU and cooling stuff, that Chieftecs were an excellent brand about 5 years ago. Now, they say, about 4 units from 10 sold go back to the manufacturer because they are faulty. I personally have 2 year Chieftec PSU and did not have any problems, but I've heard stories.

Tolya wrote:Stay away from Chieftecs at the moment. I've been told by people who sell and service PSU and cooling stuff, that Chieftecs were an excellent brand about 5 years ago. Now, they say, about 4 units from 10 sold go back to the manufacturer because they are faulty. I personally have 2 year Chieftec PSU and did not have any problems, but I've heard stories.

As a matter of fact I was thinking to get a Chieftec 400W GPS-400AA-101A for about $57. The only other two 12V rail PSU in the same price range would be a Sirtec Xtreme SILENCER (ATX-360-212-2A). The first dual rail Enermax goes for about $75.

Enermax, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, Tagan, Fortron... these are the names that I trust. (Corsair, too, but they're made by Seasonic and they're very expensive.)

Do not skimp on overly cheap PSU, a stable quaility PSU can make the differnce of smooth running for the better part of a decade compared to horrible crashes and subtle bugs making your computing experiance hell.

Latest updates:

I finally installed my new components on my machine: an Enermax Noisetaker II DXX 485W PSU and an Arctic Cooling
Copper Silent 3 (or Copper Lite). I must admit the difference is immense. Not only I was able to replug all my units and case fans, but now my CPU stays in 41 degrees Celsius on idle and about 50 Celsius in full load.

Now I just hope that my PC will wait for a few more months before "demanding" a new upgrade.

Thank you all for your help.