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I just recently moved my hardware to a new case/power supply (Antec Sonata case w/ 380 Truepower ps). I have also recently reinstalled windows and SP2 (this was before the case swap). Ever since then, If I leave my computer on and not doing anything, after about (I'm guessing 15-30 minutes) my moniter loses video sync (but the screen that would normally appear when there is no signal (that bouncing box) doesn't appear). The green light on the moniter goes orange. My optical mouse is still red but does not glow brigher when moved. The Numlock light on keyboard is still green but when I press numlock or capslock, nothing happens. The three finger salute doesn't work either (CTRL+ALT+DEL). I have to press reset on the case to get it back.

NOW here is the weird thing. If I open up winamp and have it continuously playing, I can leave my computer on for as many mp3's I have. I don't know much about PSU's, but could I possibly have a faulty one and that when winamp is playing, it is constantly drawing power, but if I have nothing running, could one (or multiple) rails drop below the required voltage which causes everything to stop responding (yet not to far as to shut the system down).

My temps are well below average (MB is 34 now and case is 25). I have 2 120mm vantec stealths in it). and my rails fluctuate around these numbers.
(I checked a few days ago and these are the results. the numbers are slightly different today)

+5.0v = 5.03 - 5.003
+12v = 11.791 - 11.619
-12v = -11.989 - 12.030
-5.0v = -4.976 - -5.026

VCore 0 1.632
BAT - 3.360 - 3.392
+5 VSB - 4.945 - 4.969

Also, my power saving features in windows are turned off and they are also turned off in my BIOS.

WIN XP SP2
ASUS KT4-V
Barton 2500+
1GB Ram

Does ANYONE have any suggestions? It's driving me insane!

Thanks

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Dani AI

Generated

Observation from 's report — a system that stays powered but becomes completely unresponsive unless an audio stream is playing — points to two likely fault classes: a power-supply/regulation problem at very low system load, or an interaction between motherboard BIOS/ACPI idle states and hardware/driver behavior. Both can produce a hard “freeze” where fans spin but the CPU/GPU stop driving interrupts or video sync.

Try these focused, ordered checks (easy first):

  • Toggle BIOS idle/sleep options: disable deep C‑states (C1E/C3/C6) or set the ACPI standby type from S3 to S1 (or disable CPU power-management features). Reboot and observe.
  • Reproduce under a different OS or safe state: boot a Linux live CD/USB or Windows Safe Mode to see whether the hang is Windows/driver-specific.
  • Disable per-device power saving: in Device Manager turn off "allow the computer to turn off this device" for USB root hubs and network adapters.
  • Swap the PSU with a known-good unit (borrow if necessary). PSU regulation at very low load often causes rail instability; audio playback keeps periodic interrupts that can mask the issue.
  • Run a quick stress/idle comparison while measuring voltages: note rail voltages at idle (when it hangs) vs under steady load (CPU stress or audio playing). If voltages sag or jitter only when idle, that implicates the PSU or minimum-load behavior.

Advanced steps and cautions: update the motherboard BIOS/chipset drivers before changing hardware. Run memtest and a CPU stress test to rule out RAM/CPU faults. Do not open the PSU — if visual inspection is needed, check for bulging capacitors on the motherboard and card connectors instead. If swapping the PSU fixes it, return the faulty unit for RMA.

Prioritize BIOS idle-state changes and a PSU swap. That sequence usually isolates whether the hang is firmware/driver-related or hardware (power) related.

Member Avatar for RandomSkratch

My comp is set to on all the time (under power settings) and hibernate is set to off.

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