Troublesome times.... please help

[willum_povy]

Hi,
I just built this new computer about a month.5 to 2 months ago.
I mainly use it for gaming and internet needs. I haven't messed with any OCing yet due to the issues I've been having with it as of late. I'll post my system specs at the bottom after I go through the problem. I don't know a whole lot about building systems but I'm trying to learn.

My system works great when I'm on the web or playing low res games. When I go into more high graphics game it tends to crash and it seems more and more common. I play a lot of Counter Stirke Scource, Left 4 Dead, Day of Defeat, Company of Heroes, UT3 and I've just picked up a copy of Lord of the Rings Online. CCS, UT3, DOD all run perfectly. I rarely have problems with them. I've had a few issues with Company of Heroes and I rarely make it through a single match on L4D without something going wrong. Lord of the Rings Online has also been giving me a lot of issues lately.

I get a lot of crashes to the desktop and I'm getting more blue screens lately. But I haven't salvaged any valuable info from the blue screen considering its only up for a second or two. The desktop crashes always say stuff like "*such and such* engine not responding" or "*so and so* client not responding"...
It all happens when I'm in game and its starting to tick me off big time. Its also completely random, I can play for 5 minutes... or 5 hours before it happens.

I've taken the whole thing apart and put it back together, I've added more, bigger, and better fans, I've swapped out the video card to try a new one, I've swapped out the heatsink on my vid card... I really don't know what else to do.

My specs:

Sigma Luna case
- 2 thermaltake 120mm blue LED fans (front/rear)
- 1 stock 80mm blue LED fan (side)
- *I mostly leave the side of the case off... for some reason I feel it helps. Everything is neatly done so airflow does well.

Gigabyte MA790XT-UD4P MOBO
- DDR3 1666+

AMD Phenom II Black x3 Processor
- 2.8Ghz x3
- AM3 Socket
- *I am using the stock heatsink. I've used AMDs before and the stock HS has alway been good.

Gigabyte Nvidia Geforce 9800GT GV-N98TOC-1GI Video Card
- 1Gb Gddr3
- Stock OC core clock 700Mhz
- SLI Ready (but currently not in use)
- *I removed the stock heatsink and put an all copper Zalman one on. Haven't noticed much difference.
- *I thought this was the issue for the longest time, I went and bought a Evga Nvid GXT 260 with 1Gb DDR3 and swapped it out and it did the same things. Returned it an put this one back in.

Rosewill RP550V2-S-SL Power Supply
- 550W
- 2 6pin connectors for video cards

G. Skill F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ Ram
- DDR3-1333
- PC3-10666 (Don't know what this number means?)
- 2Gb x2 = 4Gb (for those who can't add!)
- CL 9-9-9-24
- 1.5V

Seagate 500Gb SATA Harddrive
- *My harddrive felt SUPER hot one time when I was playing so I bought a thermaltake HD cooler and mounted it under. I really don't think the HD was the problem but the blue LED cooler works awsomely for 10 bucks!

I'm running Vista Premium 64bit as my OS... Not likely to change that.

 

[frozenlead]

To stop Windows from automatically restarting the PC after a BSOD:
http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsoft-support/windows-xp-support/109842-bsod-flashes-quickly.html

Right now, I think your problem could be heat, drivers, or power. You used two different GPUs and left the side off, so heat, if the problem, is likely to be CPU related. However, you should still record all your temps under load and report back. Drivers may be likely...have you used updated ones?
Your power supply is (on paper) plenty for your system, but Rosewill isn't exactly a high quality manufacturer. I wouldn't be shocked if that's your problem, but I don't think it's that likely. Test the other two first. PSU problems are usually indicated by random reboots anyway, but BSODs are possible.

 

[royalcrown]

Gotta go with frozen, likely a power issue as games draw more power because the gpus are busier, my 2 cents = power supply

 

[willum_povy]

To stop Windows from automatically restarting the PC after a BSOD:
http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsoft-support/windows-xp-support/109842-bsod-flashes-quickly.html

Right now, I think your problem could be heat, drivers, or power. You used two different GPUs and left the side off, so heat, if the problem, is likely to be CPU related. However, you should still record all your temps under load and report back. Drivers may be likely...have you used updated ones?
Your power supply is (on paper) plenty for your system, but Rosewill isn't exactly a high quality manufacturer. I wouldn't be shocked if that's your problem, but I don't think it's that likely. Test the other two first. PSU problems are usually indicated by random reboots anyway, but BSODs are possible.

I usually do leave the side of my tower off. It doesn't help though. I just do it cause my tower is right up on the desk and I don't mind looking into it.

How do I view my temps under load? And I've gone through the control panel and checked drivers and they say they're up to date.

 

[tecmo34]

Google and download these two applications:
- Prime95
- Speedfan

Install both applications.... Startup Speedfan to monitor your temps & then run the Blend test in Prime95 for at least an hour. This will put your system under full load and will point out temp issues!!!

Go to the Nvidia website and click on driver updates.... Run option 2 to have Nvidia determine if your drivers are the current version... Update if required...

 

[willum_povy]

Google and download these two applications:
- Prime95
- Speedfan

Install both applications.... Startup Speedfan to monitor your temps & then run the Blend test in Prime95 for at least an hour. This will put your system under full load and will point out temp issues!!!

Go to the Nvidia website and click on driver updates.... Run option 2 to have Nvidia determine if your drivers are the current version... Update if required...

I have prime 95... I'm not seeing a blend test though. I see the benchmark and stress test option.

 

[hunter315]

Do the stress test option, then choose the blend test option after that. That will determine if its a heat issue. I would bet on a power issue though, its not quantity so much as quality when it comes to PSU's you may be getting voltage fluctuations. If you have a multimeter try hooking that into your +12 and ground and booting the computer up see if you get any major spikes or extreme ripple.

 

[willum_povy]

Do the stress test option, then choose the blend test option after that. That will determine if its a heat issue. I would bet on a power issue though, its not quantity so much as quality when it comes to PSU's you may be getting voltage fluctuations. If you have a multimeter try hooking that into your +12 and ground and booting the computer up see if you get any major spikes or extreme ripple.

HAHA... I have no clue what you just said! I don't have a multimeter. And thers a cable from my psu already plugged into the +12 port. I think anyway. Its an 8pin conector.

 

[4Ryan6]

@willum_povy

Your Power supply is inadequate for the video card you're running, a 9800GT is probably pulling 22A your P/S is delivering 18A, that P/S has 2 12v rails @ 18A each, your Gigabyte manual recommends at least a 20A.

This Corsair has a 41A Single 12V rail, more than sufficient for your setup.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

 

[willum_povy]

@willum_povy

Your Power supply is inadequate for the video card you're running, a 9800GT is probably pulling 22A your P/S is delivering 18A, that P/S has 2 12v rails @ 18A each, your Gigabyte manual recommends at least a 20A.

This Corsair has a 41A Single 12V rail, more than sufficient for your setup.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

I always thought that if it WHERE a power supply issues I'd be blue screening all the time or the whole computer would freeze up and shut down. Never thought the power would be the problem. But I just ordered the new PS so hopefully that'll fix the problem!

Thanks so much. I'll post back when its all set up and done!