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Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned!

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nick.rout at gmail

Sep 6, 2010, 2:58 PM

Post #1 of 10 (806 views)
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Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned!

My frontend (a hp/compaq 7100 small form factor with a half height PCIe
GT8400GS) has been running like a dog lately. Skipping, out of sync, jumpy.
Same in mythtv, xbmc and mplayer. I was unconcerned as it is mainly used by
the kids and I hadn't realised how bad it had got. Finally sat down to
diagnose on sunday.

Ultimately thought some update or other must have screwed something in the
nvidia drivers. Finally decided to do a reinstall. There is no data to speak
of on the machine.

Complete reinstall and update, still running like a dog. Run nvidia-settings
and discover the video card appears to be running at 148 deg C and auto
slows down at 130 or 140. Yikes. I know in the past it runs at low 70s at
idle and mid to high 70s decoding 1080p.

Turn off, unplug, open up. Just happened to buy a can of compressed air
yesterday [1]. clean out system fans and video card fans, boot up and card
running at 72 deg.

Wish I had thought of that a while ago. There was an important setting I
forgot to back up before reinstalling and now I have to trawl through masses
of alsa documentation to fix it.

C'est la vie.

[1] complete co-incidence, happened to be at counter at Dick Smith and saw
someone else buy one and thought yeah, I need another can of that!

miles.rout at gmail

Sep 8, 2010, 3:19 AM

Post #2 of 10 (772 views)
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Re: Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned! [In reply to]

Thanks dad. Good to know you care.

:)

On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 9:58 AM, Nick Rout <nick.rout [at] gmail> wrote:

> My frontend (a hp/compaq 7100 small form factor with a half height PCIe
> GT8400GS) has been running like a dog lately. Skipping, out of sync, jumpy.
> Same in mythtv, xbmc and mplayer.* I was unconcerned as it is mainly used
> by the kids and I hadn't realised how bad it had got*. Finally sat down to
> diagnose on sunday.
>
> Ultimately thought some update or other must have screwed something in the
> nvidia drivers. Finally decided to do a reinstall. There is no data to speak
> of on the machine.
>
> Complete reinstall and update, still running like a dog. Run
> nvidia-settings and discover the video card appears to be running at 148 deg
> C and auto slows down at 130 or 140. Yikes. I know in the past it runs at
> low 70s at idle and mid to high 70s decoding 1080p.
>
> Turn off, unplug, open up. Just happened to buy a can of compressed air
> yesterday [1]. clean out system fans and video card fans, boot up and card
> running at 72 deg.
>
> Wish I had thought of that a while ago. There was an important setting I
> forgot to back up before reinstalling and now I have to trawl through masses
> of alsa documentation to fix it.
>
> C'est la vie.
>
> [1] complete co-incidence, happened to be at counter at Dick Smith and saw
> someone else buy one and thought yeah, I need another can of that!
> _______________________________________________
> mythtvnz mailing list
> mythtvnz [at] lists
> http://lists.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/mythtvnz
> Archives http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/mythtvnz/
>
>

nick.rout at gmail

Sep 8, 2010, 1:05 PM

Post #3 of 10 (763 views)
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Re: Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned! [In reply to]

On Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 10:19 PM, Miles Rout <miles.rout [at] gmail> wrote:

> Thanks dad. Good to know you care.
>
> :)
>
> On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 9:58 AM, Nick Rout <nick.rout [at] gmail> wrote:
>
>> My frontend (a hp/compaq 7100 small form factor with a half height PCIe
>> GT8400GS) has been running like a dog lately. Skipping, out of sync, jumpy.
>> Same in mythtv, xbmc and mplayer.* I was unconcerned as it is mainly used
>> by the kids and I hadn't realised how bad it had got*. Finally sat down
>> to diagnose on sunday.
>>
>> Ultimately thought some update or other must have screwed something in the
>> nvidia drivers. Finally decided to do a reinstall. There is no data to speak
>> of on the machine.
>>
>> Complete reinstall and update, still running like a dog. Run
>> nvidia-settings and discover the video card appears to be running at 148 deg
>> C and auto slows down at 130 or 140. Yikes. I know in the past it runs at
>> low 70s at idle and mid to high 70s decoding 1080p.
>>
>> Turn off, unplug, open up. Just happened to buy a can of compressed air
>> yesterday [1]. clean out system fans and video card fans, boot up and card
>> running at 72 deg.
>>
>> Wish I had thought of that a while ago. There was an important setting I
>> forgot to back up before reinstalling and now I have to trawl through masses
>> of alsa documentation to fix it.
>>
>> C'est la vie.
>>
>> [1] complete co-incidence, happened to be at counter at Dick Smith and saw
>> someone else buy one and thought yeah, I need another can of that!
>>
>>
Lesson two: don't make assumptions - I now discover the fan on the video
card isn't working, so will have to find another fan.

It's a small 40mm one, anyone know where I could get one?

criggie at criggie

Sep 8, 2010, 1:10 PM

Post #4 of 10 (783 views)
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Re: Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned! [In reply to]

On 08/09/10 22:19, Miles Rout wrote:
> Thanks dad. Good to know you care.
>
> :)
>
> On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 9:58 AM, Nick Rout <nick.rout [at] gmail
> <mailto:nick.rout [at] gmail>> wrote:
>
> My frontend (a hp/compaq 7100 small form factor with a half height
> PCIe GT8400GS) has been running like a dog lately. Skipping, out of
> sync, jumpy. Same in mythtv, xbmc and mplayer.* I was unconcerned as
> it is mainly used by the kids and I hadn't realised how bad it had
> got*. Finally sat down to diagnose on sunday.

Nick - you need to teach them to not top-post.
Miles - you need to clean your room.

:-)

Ob-quake: http://criggie.dyndns.org/pictures/?pic=quake/qfirewall2.jpg
That's my new work desktop - old one was reallocated to a customer. At
least it still works.

--
Criggie

http://criggie.dyndns.org/

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tortise at paradise

Sep 8, 2010, 1:18 PM

Post #5 of 10 (768 views)
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Re: Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned! [In reply to]

----- Original Message -----
From: Nick Rout
To: MythTV in NZ
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 8:05 AM
Subject: Re: [mythtvnz] Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned!

> It's a small 40mm one, anyone know where I could get one?

Must have been wondering why the FE was so quiet?

Buy a cheap video card and flogg its fan or maybe http://www.overclockers.co.nz/product/fans/fan4060.shtml - or if room consider a
bigger fan tied on (lower RPM = quieter) I can vouch that their Evercool EC12025SL12S (120x120x25mm) DC 12V Fan. 1400 RPM, 53.4 CFM
are very quiet, the quietest fans I've treid. I expect the Evercool EC9225L12S (92x92x25mm) DC 12V Fan. 1800 RPM, 32.12 CFM would
be more likely to fit and also much quieter than any small dia high rever.

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criggie at criggie

Sep 8, 2010, 1:19 PM

Post #6 of 10 (761 views)
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Re: Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned! [In reply to]

> Lesson two: don't make assumptions - I now discover the fan on the video
> card isn't working, so will have to find another fan.
>
> It's a small 40mm one, anyone know where I could get one?

PITA size. I ended up buying some 40mm fans from quietPC in the UK for
my cisco switch. However they went buzzy in about three months.

Little fans have to spin with high RPM to move any air

The best fan I've used is something like this
http://www.trademe.co.nz/316104467

These things on slow move more air than a small fan revving like a racecar.

Otherwise dealextreme.com has cheap fans, or you could try South Island
Components
http://www.sicom.co.nz/fans-xidg8613.html

--
Criggie

http://criggie.dyndns.org/

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steve at greengecko

Sep 8, 2010, 1:30 PM

Post #7 of 10 (773 views)
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Re: Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned! [In reply to]

On Thu, 2010-09-09 at 08:10 +1200, criggie [at] criggie wrote:

>
>
>
> Ob-quake: http://criggie.dyndns.org/pictures/?pic=quake/qfirewall2.jpg
> That's my new work desktop - old one was reallocated to a customer. At
> least it still works.
>
That'll buff out no problem (:

--
Steve Holdoway <steve [at] greengecko>
http://www.greengecko.co.nz
MSN: steve [at] greengecko
Skype: sholdowa

Attachments:

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robert at fisher

Sep 8, 2010, 1:57 PM

Post #8 of 10 (783 views)
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Re: Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned! [In reply to]

Nick - you need to teach them to not top-post.

Craig, that is priceless. I love it.
Rob

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robert at fisher

Sep 8, 2010, 2:01 PM

Post #9 of 10 (755 views)
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Re: Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned! [In reply to]

That's my new work desktop - old one was reallocated to a customer. At
least it still works.

I suggest that you turn it around. It might get straightened by an aftershock.
Rob.

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nick.rout at gmail

Sep 8, 2010, 2:12 PM

Post #10 of 10 (763 views)
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Re: Diagnosing the jitters - lesson to be learned! [In reply to]

On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 8:10 AM, <criggie [at] criggie> wrote:

> On 08/09/10 22:19, Miles Rout wrote:
> > Thanks dad. Good to know you care.
> >
> > :)
> >
> > On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 9:58 AM, Nick Rout <nick.rout [at] gmail
> > <mailto:nick.rout [at] gmail>> wrote:
> >
> > My frontend (a hp/compaq 7100 small form factor with a half height
> > PCIe GT8400GS) has been running like a dog lately. Skipping, out of
> > sync, jumpy. Same in mythtv, xbmc and mplayer.* I was unconcerned as
> > it is mainly used by the kids and I hadn't realised how bad it had
> > got*. Finally sat down to diagnose on sunday.
>
>
> Nick - you need to teach them to not top-post.
> Miles - you need to clean your room.
>
>
right on both counts!

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