3DFX Voodoo 3 3000 AGP Freezing, Crashing

[phreakindee]

An old build I have is giving me quite a headache. With graphic intense games, such as Speed Busters or NFS: Porsche Unleashed, after about 3 minutes of playing the system locks up. Doesn't power off, just freezes the screen and OS, sometimes the audio continues, usually it stops though.
It's also done so while messing around in Windows though, seemingly randomly. It also does it with older games after a long while, such as Need For Speed II SE in Glide mode. Any ideas as to the cause?
I have a GA-6BA mobo by Gigabyte with a 450MHz Celeron, 128MB PC100 RAM, 16MB Voodoo 3 3000 AGP, 200w PSU. I am running Windows 98 SE, with DirectX 8.1b, and the last Glide drivers, 1.07.

My guesses:
Faulty Voodoo card (it worked fine last time I tried it a couple years back)
PSU (low wattage? doubt it, maybe it's just inconsistent)
DirectX. Seems to work better with DX8.1b, DX7 was even worse. Doesn't seem to make sense.
Bad ram is ruled out, swapped sticks
Bad CPU?

Cooling seems to be fine.

Mobo BIOS is flashed to newest version, freezes with both old and new versions though.

However, I've used the Voodoo card before with no problems on another Celeron system. Don't have another rig to try the card out now.r

 

[papazulu]

This thread is freaking hilarious. LMAO. voodoo3. Please tell you are only joking.

 

[phreakindee]

No, why would I joke? This is 1998 isn't it? This is top of the line stuff we're talking about.

In all seriousness, if anyone has any ideas I'd be glad to hear. I've gotten advice for weirder stuff here before.

 

[Dekasav]

If I had a Voodoo 3, I'd hang it on my wall.

In all seriousness, I'd check different driver versions, and if you can, try a better PSU.

 

[emp]

Unless it's a software issue (easiest fix is formatting), then you might as well send that thing to the nearest dumpster. (if this thread is even serious...)

 

[phreakindee]

Geez, crucifixion, dumpster-chucking? Why so serious guys, no Voodoo love?

Seriously, I'm thinking it's not software now. Reinstalled 98, tried other drivers, nothing changes. Guess it's back to the old 486...

 

[Mousemonkey]

Ahhh, the 3dfx spirit lives on *sniff*, try another PSU if you can also check the the RAM, unless the VGA is all speckly I doubt the card is at fault (mine is operational in a CCTV/PC that was slapped together a couple of years ago as an experiment, and it can still run HL1 like a champ!).

 

[simo1000rr]

he has to be joking.. ur rig belong to the museum..

 

[romulus47plus1]

he has to be joking.. ur rig belong to the museum..

LOL!

 

[efeat]

No, why would I joke? This is 1998 isn't it?

In case anybody isn't sure of the seriousness of this thread.

 

[phreakindee]

So I'm figuring it's the card now. Reinstalling Win98 doesn't help, neither does switching RAM. Also seeing slight purple/silver artifacts sometimes when freezing. Not always though.

 

[coozie7]

Try putting small cooling fan on the card, your symptoms are typical of an overheating card.

 

[phreakindee]

Try putting small cooling fan on the card, your symptoms are typical of an overheating card.

Which was my first instinct... but opening the case and blowing air didn't seem to help. Though the card does seem hotter than it should be. Odd that it worked before on another case that was just as open, airflow-wise. Guess it's just old.

 

[radnor]

Which was my first instinct... but opening the case and blowing air didn't seem to help. Though the card does seem hotter than it should be. Odd that it worked before on another case that was just as open, airflow-wise. Guess it's just old.

Aaahhh, Old school !!!

I still have a working 3DFX V5 5000. 2 VSA Chips with 32 MB for each in SLI !!!!
Oh, and 2xV2 12MB still with all the cables. And still working !!!

Anyway, the V3 always heated up alot. I had one and i just got a 40mm fan and "glued it" to the heatsink. Much cooler.

I advice you to try several diferent drivers. That problem happened alot on NFS Porsche Challenge. Try several drivers and updated for NFS.

This thread made my sunday night I can go sleep smiling now

 

[djcoolmasterx]

Over at guru3d they still have the voodoo love.

http://forums.guru3d.com/forumdisplay.php?f=8

 

[phreakindee]

Aaahhh, Old school !!!
...
This thread made my sunday night I can go sleep smiling now

Well, I'm glad someone enjoyed this! Although at my expense, I don't care 😀

Here's an update, yay:

I had the idea to just go ahead and set up another system from around the same era and see if the card was at fault. Took the PSU, RAM, Voodoo and hard drive from the Celeron machine I was using and put it into a 750Mhz AMD Athlon machine.

Once it loaded all the new drivers, started up Speed Busters and... it ran flawlessly for a good while. Hmm. So, I tested it more, still no crashing. Cranked up the resolution, still no crashing.

So, I moved the Voodoo over to the Celeron machine which was unplayable, and took out the sound card. See, the Athlon machine had an integrated 32-bit sound chip. The Celeron machine had an ancient ISA ESS Audiodrive sound card from the DOS days. Now the machine runs great, no problems for about half an hour, and at higher resolution and full graphics on Speed Busters.

Maybe it was the ISA port? The drivers? Who knows, I don't care too much as it seems to have solved my problem.

Added a Creative PCI 128 card, and it's going great so far!

EDIT: Only one freeze after a couple hours of use. :-/ Then this, sound still playing...

Now THIS seems like the Voodoo card... strange that, after restarting, all is well.

 

[radnor]

Well, I'm glad someone enjoyed this! Although at my expense, I don't care 😀

Here's an update, yay:

I had the idea to just go ahead and set up another system from around the same era and see if the card was at fault. Took the PSU, RAM, Voodoo and hard drive from the Celeron machine I was using and put it into a 750Mhz AMD Athlon machine.

Once it loaded all the new drivers, started up Speed Busters and... it ran flawlessly for a good while. Hmm. So, I tested it more, still no crashing. Cranked up the resolution, still no crashing.

So, I moved the Voodoo over to the Celeron machine which was unplayable, and took out the sound card. See, the Athlon machine had an integrated 32-bit sound chip. The Celeron machine had an ancient ISA ESS Audiodrive sound card from the DOS days. Now the machine runs great, no problems for about half an hour, and at higher resolution and full graphics on Speed Busters.

Maybe it was the ISA port? The drivers? Who knows, I don't care too much as it seems to have solved my problem.

Added a Creative PCI 128 card, and it's going great so far!

EDIT: Only one freeze after a couple hours of use. :-/ Then this, sound still playing...

http://i43.tinypic.com/2eulsf6.jpg

Honestly i would slap a 40mm fan on the cooler. if you have old boxes laying around it won't be hard. I new many V3 that just burned out because they got too hot.

Those 40mm fans ussually have a 3 pin that you can directly plug it to the board.

Now THIS seems like the Voodoo card... strange that, after restarting, all is well.

 

[phreakindee]

Tried a spare CPU cooling fan, stable for a couple hours of 3D gaming now. If anything, it can't hurt!