Odd issue

[botreaper10]

Ok, I have no where else to turn at this point. So I recently built an X2 5000+ BE on a gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H mobo. (I don't care for this Mobo at all). I'm using 2 gigs of crucial ballistix ram and installed an 8800GTS 512. I planned on using my watercooling setup on this new rig but couldn't mount the block to the mobo with anything. I settled using a retail HSF from my old 3000+.

Everything was working great. My temps were a little high but other than that, the system ran fine. I decided to get a new HSF because i didn't feel that the old retail one was going to cut it anymore. After installing the new HSF shit hit the fan. Games were crashing out to the desktop, sometimes even causing a system reboot. I was getting internet explorer crashes too.

I reverted back to the retail HSF and hoped for the best. The problems continued even after I swapped back. Now, the reason I posted this here is because I'm getting odd artifacting in games now. The gts 512 gets pretty damned hot and the artifacts seem to happen when its scorching hot. I never catch the temp at over 71C on the panel but I'm sure thats a lot lower than what it hits mid-game. I finally figured out how to get the watercooling going on it and my processor temps are maxing around 45C...but the problems continue.

I'm out of ideas here. If anyone can help me figure out this problem, I'd be incredibly greatful.

Dan

 

[AndonSage]

I suppose it's possible something went wrong with the CPU when you used the second HSF, and now it's bad.

 

[Superdemon]

You may have gotten thermal paste somewhere it wasn't supposed to go. That stuff is generally conductive and nothing on a board likes to be shorted out.

 

[botreaper10]

When I pulled the 2nd HSF off, i noticed it did not make good contact with the processor. I'm leaning towards the processor having some issues now. I did do everything I could to remove the old thermal paste.

There is an odd issue with the video card though. I've never overclocked it at all. I thought maybe the graphical issues were caused by it. I tried underclocking it and it won't pass the tests at all. I tried putting it down to 600/900 and it refused to pass the tests. I'm running the 169.29's off of nvidias website.