Failing P4G8x deluxe MB?

HI,

I am trying to narrow down the failing component/software here on my computer. It has a P4G8X deluxe motherboard with the onboard SATA RAID. The symptom is it will just shutoff with no warning. I did discover that the cooling fan on the video card had failed, so I removed that fan and replaced it with another one, and now I have the sides off the case and a fan blowing on everything. A computer science professsor at the University where my wife is a professsor suggested that it might be a failing motherboard. This was before I discovered the failed fan on the video card, which is a Nvidia Quadro 1000 with 128mb of ram onboard. I use the computer for work (I am a yacht designer, so use it for CAD work with a lot of solid modeling, so I need a good video card).

I have tested the memory with both memtest86 and Microsoft's program and the memory tests fine.

ALso, frequently I have to wiggle the vieo card in the AM or the monitor does not work This of course could be the video card or the socket AGP socket on the motherboard.

When it dies, the green LED under the power switch stays on but the computer does not respond to either the reset button or the power button, I have to either shut off the UPS or unplug the power supply cord for several seconds and then it restarts fine.

Any thoughts? If it is the motherboard I will probably just replace the mother board as the machine is still adequate for what I need, maybe I will double the RAM,which is currently 1GB. If the video card I will deepsix the whole thing as this video card is ~ $700. In that case I would build a whole new machine with more up to date components.

I have felt the power supply immediately after the failure and it is not hot at all.

It worked fine during the memory tests but will not last long runing under Windows XP.

I am using a 250GB Iomega external hard drive for backup with their Iomega automatic backup pro software, which has saved me more than once.

I can rebuild a 4 speed transimission and differential in a 70 Plymouth Road Runner but I am definitely a novice under the bonnet of a computer.

We live in the tropics so it is a harsh environment for electronics in general.

Thanks, Dave

 

Okay, so nobody has an idea. Anyway, I am thinking I have a major problem with Windows. Now I get a blue screen of death for a short nanosecond and then the system reboots. The power supply seems to be fine, as I am typing this from the same computer. I am running the computer from a CD that has knoppix linux on it, so obviously something in the hardware works.

I have tried to reinstall the operating system from my IOMEGA backup. Same problem, Windows XP starts, gets to the black screen after theBIOS stuff and then the nanosecond BSOD before rebooting. I start pounding on the F8 key, it ignores it, no safe mode. Surely someone has some idea.My floppy drive has gone south and Windows in their infinite wisdom when installing a setup does not give the option of installing a driver from a CD-ROM but only from a floppy. so I am out of luck even on the reinstall front.