Computer Hard Crashes on almost any game

[dmuell353]

Hello,

I have been having some gaming/graphical issues for quite some time and have just run out of ideas trying to fix it. My problem is similar to those described in other threads but I didn’t want to highjack anything being a new member here. After playing a game for an amount of time, which varies from game to game, the graphics seem to spaz out and the audio gets stuck in a loop. (ex: StarCraft 2 : 1 minute in a game, CoD:MW2: 20-25 minutes in single player) I have included a screen shot I have below although I have many others. After the crash the system requires a hard reboot. I have included as much information as I could think of, based on what you nice folks ask for in other posts.

I got a new Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX + graphics to replace a Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT. I also replaced my power supply because I found that my amps were spread between 4 rails and thus was not giving my graphics card enough juice. Now I have a single rail model.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3.00GHz
RAM: 4 1028mb cards
OS: Windows XP Service pack 3
PSU: ThermalTake Toughpower XT 675 Watt Modular Cables(56amps on +12v rail)

Voltages/Temps taken from BIOS:
Vcore: 1.18v
3.3V: 3.31v
5V: 4.99v
12V: 12.03V
CPU: 50 degrees C
M/B: 37 degrees C

Others have suggested that my CPU is overheating, which it could be, but all efforts to lower its temp have gone no where. I have a Zalman 9500 CPU cooler and two Antec Tricool case fans going and it still rarely gets below 50 degrees C.

Screen Shots:
http://s859.photobucket.com/albums/ab155/dmuell353/
All temps shown are when the computer was idle.

Any ideas?

 

[udg]

well for cooling I used to open teh side of teh case and have a desktop fan blowing in to get it more cool.

I'm taking it your PC was working fine before you upgraded.

If it was I would put the old parts in give your PC a run playing the games etc etc and see if it still happens, if it runs fine then your new components are causing it.

Try putting the new stuff back 1 at a time and giving it a run, to me it looks like the Vid Card is screwing up Ive only ever had 1 go on me (Never buy Sparkle if you live in the UK they have no tech support here)

 

[dmuell353]

Sorry no. I had all the problems before I replaced the components. I replaced the Video card because I though that might have been the problem, although it appears it was not. The power supply didn't have enough amps on the +12V line so I got a better one that did. The fans were all replaced to help with cooling although thus far the CPU is not the slightest bit cooler.

 

[RickyT23]

Have you recently cleaned all of the krud out of the heat sink? Use compressed air to blow all of the dust and *** that will have built up between the metal fins of the heat sink. That will help.

 

[dmuell353]

The Zalman heat sink I mentioned has been in the computer only 4 days. The previous cooling device, the intel stock cooler, was blown out a number of times to no avail. Is there anything else that might cause the game crashes shown in my screen shots?

 

[daship]

50C in the Bios is way to hot. Your definatly over heating. Get some new thermal paste and rest the heatsink. You should be more like 23C in the bios, not 50.

 

[dmuell353]

I've put new paste on three times in the last two weeks and upgraded from the stock cooler to the zalman 9500 cpu cooler.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118003&cm_re=zalman_9500-_-35-118-003-_-Product

I've tried multiple methods of applying the paste, spreading it, putting a rice size drop on and letting the heatsink flatten it, etc... Nothing made any difference.

 

[dmuell353]

This problem still remains unsolved and Tom's Hardware keeps asking me to select the best answer, which I obviously can't do. Anyone have any other ideas as to either what could make my CPU run at 50 some odd degrees all the time, even under load, or what could cause the graphical errors shown in the screen shots?
I'm more then willing to provide more information, just let me know what you need.

 

[Guest]

It could very well be your motherboard causing the issue?

 

[jay_l_a]

Check if there is a BIOS update for your motherboard. Some of the older LGA775 motherboards did not support the Wolfdales without an update. That may help with the temps.

Once you get the temps under control, you can start looking into stability issues.

 

[gamerk316]

Whats your motherboard?

My 790i did the same exact thing for over a year, and i destroyed half my system before finding out it was a mobo issue. In my case, forcing a 1:1 FSB-RAM timing ratio, plus extra voltage to the Northbridge, CPU, and RAM essentially fixed the problem [although it still occurs maybe once every two months or so, but I'm not toying with it now that its stable again...]

Also, I've learned to ignore the temperature gauge on the BIOSl I've never had one read correctly. Use Realtemp/Coretemp from within Windows. 50C idle isn't THAT horrible...you can also log your temps to a .txt so if you overheat, you'll catch it after reboot.

 

[dmuell353]

Hello,
My current motherboard is a Asus P5N-D Rev. 1.02G
According to winmsd my BIOS is:
Phoenix Technologies, LTD ASUS P5N-D ACPI BIOS Revision 0402, 3/5/2008

I see on the Asus website there are a number of updates to this BIOS. I am, however, hesitant to mess around with it based on all the horror stories I have heard about people turning their fancy PCs into blocks of government cheese.
Is it really as bad as all that?

What would you gentlemen and/or ladies recommend?

 

[gamerk316]

I make a note: You're mobo is a 750i, so I think its VERY likely you're having the same problem I have/had. In this case, while I don't usually endorse doing needless BIOS updates, I think one is in order.

If a BIOS flash doesn't fix the issue, try my recommendations above and see if it helps.

 

[austin23]

I got the same problem only my graphics dont get all wierd like yours, my sound gets all choppy and crackly and the fps drops and then it crashes so i feel your pain.