Games freezing on ASUS GTX460 DirectCU

[scapegoat_44]

Hiya fellow members,
For the past 3 days i have been encountering random freezes in Dirt3 and BFBC2 . The system doesn't turn off and the screen just freezes along with the appearance of the cursor . I tried minimising the resolution to 800X600 and turned off AA and basically the same thing happens . Then i ve to start the task manager and i get the header that the program has stopped responding . The other thing i noticed was that i get basically the same frame rates with lower resolutions as the higher resolutions.

This is a summary of the stuff i get ( Show additional details )

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: dirt3_game.exe
Application Version: 1.0.0.0
Application Timestamp: 4daccacb
Fault Module Name: dirt3_game.exe
Fault Module Version: 1.0.0.0
Fault Module Timestamp: 4daccacb
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 001bff5c
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

I ve tried reinstalling the drivers but to no avail and i m in need of some help . When i benchmarked the card furmark for 30 mins to simulate a game kind of environment the babe ran just fine . 4AA , 99% GPU load the temp never went above 78'C . I even ran Heaven Benchmark and it didnot seem to crash . This seems weird


My PC specs :
Core2QuadQ8200 @ 2.33 Ghz
Intel DG35EC
4GB Dynet DDR2 800MHz
ASUS GTX460 TOP DirectCU 1GB
Seagate 160 GB HD
iBall Sprinter 600 W ( 42A x 12V )
Samsung SyncMaster 933 SN (1360*768 )


Any help is very much appreciated ... Thankss

 

[scapegoat_44]

I forgot to add something , PES 2011 runs without a hitch even after prolonged gaming ... Hope this helps

 

[calguyhunk]

Try and use the onboard video on your mobo. Remove the graphics card. Now remove the CMOS battery for a few minutes before putting it back in. That should reset your CMOS so that all your settings (clock, times etc.) will be gone and your integrated graphics will resume working.

It's probably heat that's causing your problem. Particularly since you've put in a fairly high end video card into a plasticky case, you quite likely don't have sufficient air flow to properly cool the video card, as you admitted in that last thread yourself.

I say this, 'coz a low GPU load game like PES doesn't seem to have any problems apparently.

Do this - take the side panel off of the system and let it run like that during gaming. If the problem abates, congrats, you've got yourself a solution. If it persists, then something you'll have to look at something else.

BTW, pardon my condescension if you will, I'm assuming the latest drivers are downloaded directly from the site rather than the accompanying disk, right?

EDIT: 42 Amps on the +12V Rails is technically enough to power the GTX 580, but I don't trust these PSU brands at all. Still don't think it's a PSU issue at all.

 

[scapegoat_44]

Update : Removed the sidepanel and it doesnt seem to help either . The game still keeps crashing .

The game freezes and crashes only when LOADING from one stage to another and i donot experience any freezes or crashes during GAMEPLAY ; its silky smooth

The point where the game crashes :

 

[calguyhunk]

Have you updated your NVidia drivers from the website? Also the BIOS from the Intel website?

 

[scapegoat_44]

Have you updated your NVidia drivers from the website? Also the BIOS from the Intel website?

Yep , i have the latest drivers and BIOS . The issue started only some 3 days back and before that i didnot have any kinda issue.

 

[Gman450]

Does the games freeze exactly at that point or randomly?
Which OS are you running and did you do any sorts of updates to it?
Have you tried patching the games?

 

[calguyhunk]

Check your memory with Memtest86+ (at least Windows memory diagnostic)

Boot in Safe-Mode. Without the NVidia drivers. Do reset the CMOS battery.

If nothing else works, here's a trick I do - Install your OS on a different partition, and install the gfx drivers over on that installation as well. If the trouble doesn't happen there, you know that it's a minor software issue and the worst case scenario is that you'll have to re-install Windows.

If however the exact same issue crops up there as well, then...well, - and I'm sorry to say this - you're screwed.

In that case, it's a hardware issue, troubleshooting which is gonna be a huge PITA.

 

[scapegoat_44]

Does the games freeze exactly at that point or randomly?
Which OS are you running and did you do any sorts of updates to it?
Have you tried patching the games?

The games freezes exactly at the samepoint as depicted in the picture and it crashed once when i started the game
during the initial loading just before we go ahead with our career mode ...

My PC runs Windows 7 32bit and i didn't do any sort of updates for the past two weeks

I haven't tried any patch bcoz i didn't have any issue whatsoever, and thats excluding this week

 

[scapegoat_44]

Check your memory with Memtest86+ (at least Windows memory diagnostic)

How do i use it ??

 

[calguyhunk]

Download the following link, decompress, burn the image on a disk and boot from it - Memtest86+

You can use this tool to burn your ISO.

 

[gnomio]

Run both games in DX 9 mode

Documents>BFBC2 and open up "settings"
- Add "DxVersion=dx9" to the list (without quotation)

 

[scapegoat_44]

Run both games in DX 9 mode

Documents>BFBC2 and open up "settings"
- Add "DxVersion=dx9" to the list (without quotation)

I changed the DirectX version like you described in the post , but the game crashed during the loading part after completing one of the checkpoints . The game lasted for about 15 mins prior to the crash 🙁

Is there something wrong with my GPU ??

 

[gnomio]

Have you tried turning of bloom

 

[scapegoat_44]

Have you tried turning of bloom

Bloom ??? Pardon me , I'm a layman

 

[calguyhunk]

Bloom

He meant turning "off" bloom

 

[scapegoat_44]

I played the game at the lowest resolution and lowest possible detail , yet the game crashes only during loading b/n stages and not during gameplay .

Neither the rig turns off nor it restarts during these random freezes . There are no crashes or restarts when running furmark and MSI Kombustor .

I'm able to play any single stage for hours if i manage to stay in that stage ( For reference Dirt 3 : The stage that we are supposed to complete numerous tricks in the backyard/garage like the KenBlock challenge )

 

[calguyhunk]

Is there something wrong with my GPU ??
................................................................

There are no crashes or restarts when running furmark and MSI Kombustor . I'm able to play any single stage for hours if i manage to stay in that stage

................................................................

There's nothing wrong with your graphics card. Relax.

Have you troubleshot all the steps I'd asked you to? Go through my previous posts and see that do you go through those steps and then report back. I've already laid out the following troubleshooting steps in previous posts, but seeing as you are not saying anything 'bout that I'll list 'em again. Doesn't look as though you haven't really done any of that.

1. You need to boot in "safe mode" without the Nvidia drivers (using the on-board video).

2. Check your memory as already described.

3. Install Windows on another partition and install your graphics card on that installation and see if the problems recur there as well to ascertain whether it is a software or hardware issue.

4. See if you can get a quality name brand PSU from a friend or cousin for a day or two to swap this one out to check if it's a PSU problem. If so, then you've got your fix right there.

5. IDK if you can put together a PC. If you can, just do 2 things - completely disassemble the whole thing and put it back together diligently one part at a time after resetting the CMOS battery as described in a previous post of mine.

If you're not upto that, then do consult your PC guy.

PS: Step 3 has solved a lot of issue for me over the years. It's not so much troubleshooting as it is a workaround. It's really easy and you won't need nobody's help for that. Now just get on with your troubleshooting already.

 

[scapegoat_44]

There's nothing wrong with your graphics card. Relax.

Have you troubleshot all the steps I'd asked you to? Go through my previous posts and see that do you go through those steps and then report back. I've already laid out the following troubleshooting steps in previous posts, but seeing as you are not saying anything 'bout that I'll list 'em again. Doesn't look as though you haven't really done any of that.

1. You need to boot in "safe mode" without the Nvidia drivers (using the on-board video).

2. Check your memory as already described.

3. Install Windows on another partition and install your graphics card on that installation and see if the problems recur there as well to ascertain whether it is a software or hardware issue.

4. See if you can get a quality name brand PSU from a friend or cousin for a day or two to swap this one out to check if it's a PSU problem. If so, then you've got your fix right there.

5. IDK if you can put together a PC. If you can, just do 2 things - completely disassemble the whole thing and put it back together diligently one part at a time after resetting the CMOS battery as described in a previous post of mine.

If you're not upto that, then do consult your PC guy.

PS: Step 3 has solved a lot of issue for me over the years. It's not so much troubleshooting as it is a workaround. It's really easy and you won't need nobody's help for that. Now just get on with your troubleshooting already.

I ll try the trouble shooting procedures that you ve mentioned and ll get back to you soon