Video card cold-boot problem in WinXP

Chet

First, relative to Video cards, I am a novice, barely out of diapers so to speak.

Running WinXP on a 36-GB SCSI hard-drive. . . . GigaByte GA-8KNXP Motherboard with 1.0 GB RAM. . . . NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 . . . . LSI Logic SCSI-320 single-channel PCI card. . . . One EIDE-1 hard-drive (partitioned OS front and data in second). . . . .One CDRW on EIDE-2

I recently flashed the Bios on my GigaByte GA-8KNXP Motherboard to correct SATA HD recognition problems. . . . The MB box indicated that I had a Rev 1.0 motherboard, and I used a bios update for this MB version. . . . . Unfortunately, this was the wrong motherboard version - - I had MB version 2.0 per some markings in size 8 font at the very bottom left edge of the motherboard, under the PCI slots. . . . So, I re-flashed the MB bios with a bios update for the MB v2.0 version. . . . Everything then seem okay

But later, I noticed that I had a cold boot problem. . . . . . .
. . .1) On wearm reboots - - that is, Restart - - no problem whatsoever. . . .
. . .2) However, on cold reboots, I often get a dead black screen. . . . . On a cold reboot, I usually hear a gurgling sound, sort-of-like a fish tank gurgling, and then just a dead screen. . . . .
. . .3) On cold reboots, after hearing the gurgling sound and dead screen, if I power-off and quickly re-power on, I can get the computer to boot-up properly. . . . . Though, it may take several re-trys to get it to work. . . . . When this does work, the reading of the Video card's bios is absent and the computer goes directly into reading the Motherboard's Bios - - that is, the MB RAM check, the EIDE Devices, and SCSI devices, etc

After talking to a GigaByte Technician, he suggested that the Video card bios somehow got damaged when trying to update the motherboard's bios, perhaps from my using the wrong bios initially. . . Before discarding the Video card, I wanted to try refreshing the the card's bios to see if that clears up the problem. . . .

This refreshing the the Video card's bios though does not seem a simple easy task. . . . .As I apparently have a FX5600 Ultra, whereas the Video card acts as if it is only a FX5600. . . . .And per the nvnews-forum the Video card won't accept the 4.31.20.52.00 bios flashing . . . . See w*w.nvnews.net/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-37044.html


My Computer - Properties - Device Manager
Reports the Display card as
. . . . . . . NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600

When I boot-up normally, I first see the following
. . . . . . . GeForce FX 5600
. . . . . . . Bios 4.31.20.52.00
. . . . . . . 256 MB RAM
And then it continues into reading the Motherboard's Bios - - the MB RAM check, the EIDE Devices, and SCSI devices, etc


The below site
. . . . . . . w*w.nvplanet.com/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=10
Gives the below BIOS list - - - Model - and - Bios Version
GeForce FX 5950 Ultra 4.35.20.35.08
GeForce FX 5900 Ultra 4.35.20.24.00
GeForce FX 5800 Ultra 4.30.20.21.14
GeForce FX 5700 Ultra 4.36.20.18.04
GeForce FX 5600 Ultra 4.31.20.52.00
GeForce FX 5200 Ultra 4.34.20.59.01
GeForce FX 5600 4.31.20.34.C1
GeForce FX 5500 4.34.20.69.00a
GeForce FX 5200 4.34.20.27.00

I surveyed several of the posts on flashing the Video card's bios, but my card seems an odd-ball - - it is a 5600 Ultra, but acts as if it is a 5600. . . . And apparently won't accept the bios easily

I would appreciate any straight forward guideline on refreshing my Video card's bios - - - Thanks to all in advance

Flintstone

Have you checked your power supply voltages lately? The warm boot vs. cold boot stuff really sounds like a power supply issue especially since your system performs "normally" once you get into Windows.

Flint

Chet

Power supply is a Enermax EG651P VE FM 24P 550W, and about a 20 months old

Computer hs been running for a half-dozen hours as of now. . . .The voltages now read
+12.22 - - - For +12V supply
+ 4.11 - - - For +5V supply
+1.50 - - - Core
+3.26 - - - I/O
+2.61 - - - AUX

Now that you mentioned this, I reall the GigaByte Rep also suggesting to check the voltages - but apparently I "too quickly" forgot his comment. . . . The monitoring software is indicating the 5V and AUX as in the Red. . . So. it looks like I need a new power supply. . . .

I'll order another power supply. . . . Meanwwhile, since the Enermax distribution and repair center is only a few miles away, I'll try to get them to repair the defective unit

Thanks for replying and the suggestion. . . I totally forgot to check the power supply.

Flintstone

No Sweat! I hope that's it and all of your problems are solved!!

Flint