GTX 460 issue

[vyder]

HI guys, I have been getting some graphical artifacts on screen only when i boot up to windows and then they disappear. I think it maybe the PSU or the graphics card as my CPU only shuts down during games. I am going to test another video card in my tower but wanted advice first. If someone has had experience with this sort of thing please advise me before I proceed. If it is a faulty PSU causing it or Mobo, i dont want to place another card in there for fear of it messing up the borrowed card.

Would be grateful for any help that can determine the root of my problem. On another note, I am trying to find someone with a PSU tester to see if my PSU is bad. Problem is, CPU crashes only during games (an audio loop can be heard as well, like the sound is stuck) and I dont think PSU testers can test under load.

AMD 960T
2GB Ram
GTX 460
Win 7 Ultimate
Corsair TX 650W PSU
Gigabyte MA790X-UD4P mobo

 

[rolli59]

Based on what your PSU is I suspect the card first. You will then find out when trying another one. You are low on your ram there unless you are running 32bit OS!

 

[Gman450]

The PSU looks like a good one.
Could be a problem with the GPU. Which drivers are you using? And are you saying that your PC shuts down while playing games?
It could be an overheating component. Use HWMonitor or EVGA Precision to monitor your GPU and CPU temps, on full load as well at idle.

 

[vyder]

I was considering the GPU but I have an older 6800 Ultra that I was using which ran great for a long time. It locked up here and there so I thought it might have been RAM. I got new RAM and the issue was still there but didnt happen that often to be a concern. I finally upgraded to the GTX 460 and it was locking up even more.

I play a lot of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the 2gb was sufficient to run the game well. I have run speedfan and my temps are all in line and I have the side of the cpu open for extra cooling when I thought it was temps. When the computer crashes, what it does it lock up usually with the screen frozen and with looping audio so it doesnt really shutdown.

A hard reset is the only way to restart the computer.

I am using the latest drivers from the manufacturer and I am using 296.10 drivers from Nvidia. not sure if these are the latest ones but the issue has been there no matter what version I use.

 

[Gman450]

A new Beta has been released, but I recommend you go back to a previous one. i.e 295.73 or before that.
Also, did you run the 6800 Ultra with the same driver? 296.10?

 

[vyder]

Didnt use the same drivers as this one as the 6800 ultra as I have been using this gtx 460 for a few months now. I recently wiped my computer and upgraded to win 7. when I was using the 6800, my OS was Windows XP Pro. So basically same freezing/audio loop error over 2 different OS'es and different driver versions.

 

[Gman450]

So this happened with the GTX460 too, just when you got it?
Tried another driver? Say like, the 280.26?

 

[monsta]

Your cpu shuts down during gaming?
Open up the pc and see if the cooler for the cpu is clogged with dust, you could possibly be having an overheating problem from build up.

 

[Gman450]

Your cpu shuts down during gaming?

He said that his PC doesn't shutdown but it just hangs, and he has to do a hard restart.

 

[monsta]

You definately need more Ram , you could be topping it out.

 

[vyder]

Hey monsta, thanks for the help. I find it hard to believe it would be the RAM! I have been playing COD4 for years with 2GB with no problem. then all of a sudden I start getting hang ups. I thought it was the video card, so I replaced it. I thought it was the RAM so i replaced it. I have pretty much replaced all the cpu components except for the mother board. I am at my wits end! I think it is the motherboard as the temps and voltages seem to be inline based on speed fan and precision X. how do I post my results?

May just make sense to but a new mobo . I have borrowed a card from my friend but I am scared to test it for fear that the board is screwed and it will screw up his card as well. this really sucks . Cant wait for the day when computers will tell you what the hell is going wrong. Is there a way to stress the computer and monitor RAM usage etc and log those results to see if the RAM is indeed capping out?

 

[monsta]

Just Alt control delete whilst in game and see in the task manager what your ram usage is.

 

[vyder]

Ok will definitely give it a try. I am thinking of just ordering a new motherboard as I think that has been the only consistent piece of hardware throughout my upgrades and issues. It occured to me that also maybe both the old video card and the new video card are dying at the same time.... man what a headache. I have borrowed a video card from my friend but I am afraid to test it on the motherboard for fear that if the mobo is electronically screwed, it may screw up his video card . Do you think under these circumstances it might be safe to test the cards?

I think that these next couple links to pictures that I took might help to narrow down the situation. Sometimes when I boot up, the windows screen has graphical artifacts. When I log in they disappear. These graphical errors only occur during windows bootup. I know that when a video card is going bad, the screen should be messed up while I am booting up and before I get to windows. I suspect that the graphical errors could be caused by any number of things, the same things that are causing my freezes such as a bad mobo, bad sli port, bad ram, bad card or bad psu. I am hoping these pics will assist in diagnosing the problem. The graphical artifacts in 01 will usually clear themselves up before I even log in. picture 02 shows that the artifacts are gone.

http://www.dimensionrift.com/images/temp/GTX460_01.jpg
http://www.dimensionrift.com/images/temp/GTX460_02.jpg

 

[vyder]

Ok changed out the RAM to my old ram and same issue persists, so I am ruling out the RAM. Just going to have to test with a another Video Card .

 

[vyder]

Ok, after testing my machine with a HD 5770, the system has not froze. I have been playing for over 1 hr, something I could not do before with the GTX 460 in the case. Man this sux!! 2x GTX 460 screwing up . Thank you all for your assistance. Should have done this way earlier as I have gone through some much hardware thinking that it was not the GPU. RAM was fine, speedfan reported all normal temps and voltages. I guess its a process, although extremely frustrating. Looks like my older 6800 Ultra is on its way out. what a coincidence, 2 cards dying at the same time :S.

 

[vyder]

Best answer selected by vyder.