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computer freezes (locks up) when running games

W

wheedwacker

n00b
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Messages
27
My comp:
Geforce 8800gts
thermaltake 700w
amd x2
2gb ram

When I run games, my computer locks up. The higher the graphics quality of the games, the sooner it crashes. In Gunz: The Dual, it has rediculously low graphics requirements and will only run at 1600x1200. Even at the highest settings i get like 400fps. That game lasts almost an hour before the computer crashes. However on games like C&C 3 or Silkroad, It only lasts about 10 minutes or less :(

I use RevaTuner to make the geforce's fan go at 100% all the time. With it on auto, it crashes more frequently, and even crashes when not playing a game. However, at 100% or less, after it crashes, if you turn it off, the card isnt that hot. So I don't think it is overheating. Any idea what the problem is?
 
Does it do a SQUEAL OF DEATH, could be your Audigy.
Well it does this to me all the time, I have to put audio to Basic acceleration.
 
What is a sequal of death?

EDIT: squeal, sorry, didnt read it right. It doesn't squeal. However, if sound is on, it skips like a broken record on the last bit of sound.

EDIT2: also, I usually disable sound in games.
 
It's the squeal.
Creative says it's not audio related, right...
 
Because other people in my house don't like listening to it :-p

I'll try using the ram sticks one at a time and seeing if they work.
 
By the way, I don't know if this matters with the ram problem, but I tried memtest and it passed, no errors.
 
do you overclock anything? i've had games freeze like you mention cuz of overclocking
 
Rambo said:
do you overclock anything? i've had games freeze like you mention cuz of overclocking
Click to expand...

I had a problem with my xfx graphics card being factory overclocked, so I had to use some software to slow the speed back down to what it was actually supposed to be and that cured most of my problems. What model number is your video card?
 
Have you run a stability run of Prime95/Ortho ?

Anytime I change my system I usually run Prime to shakeout memory/CPU heat issues.

I had a lockup problem a while back that took me forever to trace, I was blaming windows, etc.. Turned out to be a faulty graphics card. I finally found a testcase that would lock it in 30 seconds, it was an ATI card and it turned out that ATI demo is what would lock it instantly. I was lucky enough to have a friend with the same card so a bit of swapping later I was positive it was the card. It was replaced and my problems went away.
 
I had the same problem for a little while when I had an 8800gts. I could play anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour before a lock up.

In my case it was overheating due to poor ventilation. I was using 5 year old dust encrusted case fans with 4 hard drives right behind the intake fans. I never recorded any temperatures but the heat coming out of the slot fan under my GTS was a good indication of the problem.

I just left the side panel off until I could buy a new case. It stopped locking up after that.

At the very least, try that and see if stops the lock ups. I’d also download a program to monitor your ambient temps with the panel on and off. While your video card might weather the built up heat pretty well, you could be overheating your ram or processor.

Good luck!
 
artificiary hit the nail on the head.

Sounds like CPU overheating. Make sure its got decent airflow, under volt if you can, and perhalps reseat your heatsink (wait, you did use the tim that came with the cooler right? you did peel off the little plastic sucker on the hs/f to expose that nasty black tim right?)
 
I haven't done any overclocking and the GPU wasn't overclocked from the factory either.

I have an antec P180 case, with all of its built in fans.
It could crash with or without the front filters cleaned (tested it)

I have monitored my 8800gts, and the odd thing is, it only gets up to 65 degrees C with the fan on 100%. It has only rarely gone a little bit over that.

The CPU is using a Zalman fan, and it crashes even when that is on max. What is a tim? and what is an hs/f? And I applied the paste over the CPU before installing. If I reseat it, would I have to replace that paste?

What voltage would it be safe to bring the CPU down to?
 
My 8800gts is factory overclocked, but stay at 65load max. I mean IF it was the vidcard wouldn't it show some visual bugs?
 
Ok, you don't overclock the video card... do you overclock the CPU? I had games freeze because of the CPU overclock. If you overclock the CPU, turn it down to stock and try redoing the oc later.
 
I forgot to mention that I have the same problem in all games and I have no overclocks.
It hapened out of nowhere, no hardware change whatever. I'm ready to bet it's my sound card, I'll do tests and keep you informed.
 
The game freezes when I play counter strike.. but not the computer .. i can still quit the game and everything.
All temps are normal...
8800gts never goes above 60C it's a evga 320
cpu is a 6420 and 4gb of ocz ram... nothing overclocked. I have no clue as to what it might be.
 
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