PC freezing - so new card and new RAM

lmartinefc

Distinguished
Mar 3, 2010
564
0
18,980
Hi

Just got a zotac h55 itx board. PC keeps freezing up. Even froze when tryng to install windows. Then when booting. seems to be RAM setup issues.

Games play ok (ish) but freezes ALOT during video streaming so thinking its the RAM

Going to replace the DDR3 im using for some GSkill i think

Also want to upgrade the 8800GTS 640mb im using. It runs all my games great, but if im using new mobo and new i3 with SSD, might as well get direct x11 to go with it.

Which one is best :

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/768MB-Gainward-GTX-460-3600MHz-GDDR5-GPU-675MHz-336-Cores-D-Sub-2x-DL-DVI-I-HDMI

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/768MB-Zotac-GTX-460-SYNERGY-3600MHz-GDDR5-GPU-675MHz-Shader-Clock-1350MHz-336-Cores-DVI-mHDMI

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/768MB-Inno-3D-GTX-460-3600MHz-GDDR5-GPU-675MHz-Shader-Clock-1350MHz-336-Cores-DVI-mHDMI

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/768MB-Palit-GTX-460-3600MHz-GDDR5-GPU-675MHz-Shader-Clock-1350MHz-336-Cores-DVI-D-Sub-HDMI

Thanks

Luke
 

lmartinefc

Distinguished
Mar 3, 2010
564
0
18,980
Hmmm thats what I was thinking. Only a few extra pennies. I'm thinking before I splash the cash on a new card I should really get to the bottom of the issues. So im taking out the RAM.

It runs alot more stable on 2gb than 4gb so thinking straight away its a ram issue. Im using 2 sticks from a triple channel kit and its the cheapest Crucial stuff available

I just ordered some G Skill Ripjaw CL8 dual channel kit....so ill plug this in and see how it goes.

I was using a dual core atom system before without issue but guessing this wouldnt have stressed the RAM nearly as much as the i3 is

The GPU (im thinking) is ok as COD has only frozen once. It is only normally when booting, shutdown or streaming content on the web that freezes happen so im thinking a RAM issue?

If someone could comment on this would be great. Also...is it worth spending the extra to get a GTX 265?
 

lmartinefc

Distinguished
Mar 3, 2010
564
0
18,980
Ok

To be honest i've been playing COD etc all on max settings, runs super fast! And im only using an 8800GTS 640mb.

But I am using an i3 530 with a Western Digital SSD....so load times etc are ridiculously fast, and guessing CPU is picking up most of the load, not making the GPU work too hard?

The only reason I want a new graphics card is to get direct x11....graphics look amazing with this

What is the cheapest Nvidia DX11 card available..i thought the GTX 4XX range was the only range using it?
 

lmartinefc

Distinguished
Mar 3, 2010
564
0
18,980
I used to have a 5770 with my Q6600.

I am steering toward Nvidia though to go with my i3. Good match?

The GTX460 looks like a beast of a card!

Which would be better....in general, ATI or Nvidia
 

lmartinefc

Distinguished
Mar 3, 2010
564
0
18,980
Perfect thanks.

Will install the new RAM tomorrow and see if this fixes the freeze issues. I will also try removing the PCIe card tonight and using the i3 integrated GPU...see if i get any freezing. That way i can rule out a faulty GPU
 

lmartinefc

Distinguished
Mar 3, 2010
564
0
18,980
Voltage set to 1.5v...ram is 1.5v

BIOS doesnt let me set voltage, just says default then i get options to + or - given amounts (worst BIOS i have ever seen, pure wank).

But CPU-ID is reporting it as being 1.5v

Just freezes, sounds loops, picture halts on spot (like a screenshot) and cursor wont move....no numlock

 

lmartinefc

Distinguished
Mar 3, 2010
564
0
18,980
HA HA! I've got to the bottom of the issue. It is definately not the GPU, it is the RAM and the timings. Using the i3 onboard GPU it still freezes when streaming etc. Same type of freeze. If i use latency of 9-9-9-28 (as per manufacturer) it freezes. Says there is a known bug where latency must be set to 10. Even then it was unstable until I fiddled with some more settings, shown below.

I do not have a clue what they do or what they are supposed to be. I just took a guess and system is much more stable now. What should these be for CL9 RAM ? (Crucial 9-9-9-28 RAM) :

DRAM tCL 10
DRAM tRAS 30
DRAM tRP 10
DRAM tRCD 10
DRAM tWR 10

DRAM tWTR ???
DRAM tRRD ???
DRAM tRTP ???
DRAM tFAW ???