Is Max Payne the only game in which the system crash ?
Did you install SP2 ?
Did you download the <A HREF="http://www.amd.com/products/cpg/athlon-duron/amd_win2k_patch.html" target="_new">AMD registry patch for Win2k</A>?
If May Payne is not the only game crashing your system, try turning the hardware acceleration tab down by one notch. This setting can be found... (sh|t, I don't remember where, someone help please because I am not home right now) It personnally resolved all my crashing problems.
You should also take a look at <A HREF="http://www.geforcefaq.com" target="_new">http://www.geforcefaq.com</A>
It took me some time to get a perfectly stable system under Win2k (especially with a VIA chipset) but it definitely worth it.
First thing I would try would certainly be the hardware acceleration tab, it is somewhere in the vid card properties(however, I think this can only resolve crashing problems if your mouse is on USB, correct me if I'm wrong)
Hope this helps
"Before you give someone a piece of your mind make sure you can get by with what you have left"