computer freezes during gaming

N

noganlime

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Sep 14, 2008
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I've run into a problem I can't fix, so I've had to exit from lurk mode.

My computer booted fine once all together, but it seems to freeze after I've been playing any game for a bit. The monitor goes black, eventually shows that there's no input, and the sound loops. I'm pretty sure the HDD LED still blinks though, whether or not that matters.

My parts list is as follows:
Gigabyte gigabyte P45 DS3L
Intel Pentium dual-core E5200
G.skill 2x2gb DDR2 ddr2 1000 (PC2 8000)
Corsair PSU 550 VX
Radeon HD 2600XT
Running 32-bit vista on a new sata drive sata drive ; got two old pata drives hooked up for data as well
I can dig up the newegg newegg links easily, if needed.

I've put 2.0V across the RAM, as per the instructions of the manufacturer. I've then run 9 passes of the newest memtest86+ with no errors.

My cpu idles at around 44C, and gets no higher than 50C with a 100% load via prime95. I'm using an aftermarket heatsink heatsink ; Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 with arctic silver applied via the manufacturer's directions. I let the P95 stress test run for about an hour with no errors and the temperature didn't break 50C. Didn't let it finish the entire test though.

The cpu does seem to be underclocked a bit, but that might be the throttling of either gigabyte's DES or some built in chipset function? And that shouldn't make the system unstable?

The gpu idles at 50C, according to GPU-Z. Haven't tested it under load, not quite sure how to effectively.

I'm really stumped as to what the problem could be, so any help at all is appreciated. I finally have a system that can run the source engine, and I can't do it for more than twenty minutes at a time, or so. Quite frustrating.
 
Your GPU may be overheating by the sounds of it.

The way I watch my GPU temps is through Rivatuner.

Rivatuner has a graphing mode where it makes a line graph of your GPU Temps. Basically load that tool,check your GPU temp with nothing loaded (From the sounds of it, it should be near 50c), go into a game, play the game for 5 minutes (if you can without your problem arising), minimize, you should see the chart recording your temps, look at it, it should list your max temp wherever the peak is.
 
I use the ATITool's "Scan for Artifacts" test to stress the GPU while I have RivaTuner open show clocks and temps.
That way I can see real time graphs.

If it passes try running both Prime and scan for artifacts at the same time to max stess the CPU, Vid card and PSU together.

Also how hot does the air feel coming out of the PSU when its under load ??

Luck ............ :D
 
Well this is an interesting development. I alt+ctrl+del'd my pc as it was starting up because I forgot to hit the boot menu key, and as it restarted there was no signal on the monitor at all. Apparently though I can blindly login to windows, and shut it down, and it makes the corresponding noises that let me know its doing those things.
I guess that sort of isolates it to the GPU as the problem, correct? I checked the cable connections and made sure the card was seated well.
 
Yet another strange development.
I changed the cable to the video card's other DVI port, and cycled the power to the monitor. One of these things fixed something, because it then got signal (main screen turn on).
I ran ATI's artifact test for an hour with no errors, GPU temperature seemed to hit 72 and stayed there (monitored with GPU-Z).
I am now in the process of running prime95 alongside the artifact test. Half an hour in, no abnormal temps and no errors.
Should I call an exorcist, perhaps?
 
So after five hours of ATITool+p95 testing with no erratic temperatures or errors I thought it might've fixed itself somehow. I started up a game and it still died within ten minutes.
It's handled every test I've thrown at it perfectly. Could it be a directx issue? I'm not running SP1, could that matter? I've exhausted all ideas that I can come up with.
 
That's a strange problem.

Could a busted capacitor on the GPU cause a problem like this? I'm just taking a wild guess here.
 
Disconnect any unnecessary USB devices, there isnt enough power (amps wise) going to the core parts of the computer. Get a seperate power supply, hook the hard drives up to it and see if it still crashes. I dont think it the GPU, i have the same problems and it always lies in the power supply. I really regretted buying a cheaper PSU.
 
Hm, I definitely didn't skimp on the PSU; it cost a fair amount and by all accounts I read that corsair make at the very least decent units.
Anyhow I disconnected the two PATA drives from it. So the PSU was only powering a low-end video card, two sata things, an underclocked low-end CPU, underclocked ram, the motherboard and fans. I'd really like it to be the PSU, as then I would at least know the issue, but game still locked up after about ten minutes.
I upgraded to Ultimate SP1, in hopes that it would help, somehow. No dice.

The video card is the only part of this PC that isn't completely new. It had been laying around for quite some time, not really protected anyhow. It wouldn't surprise me if something on it was busted, but I don't understand why the stress tests don't kill it.

Before this problem showed up I had planned on buying a new video card anyhow. If I do that and this problem still occurs, I might go crazy. I'm open to any more suggestions in the meantime,
 
Sorry to keep bumping this topic up, but I just ran into something odd.
I was loading more than a few mp3s from an external USB hard drive up in foobar2k when my computer froze. Same blank screen, no video input, hard reset required.
This is the first time that has happened outside of a game. I sort of assume this points to the RAM being at fault, but I'm not completely sure, and it has passed memtest nine times over. Thoughts?

edit: For closure's sake, I thought I'd update the computer status.
I got a new video card in and installed it, fixed all the troubles. Thanks for everyone's suggestions.
 
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