Screen freezes while gaming, goes blank, and then recovers...??? HELP

slawsonk

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Mar 30, 2010
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So when I am playing WoW my computer screen will randomly freeze for a few seconds, go blank, and then recover. Its a 10 second or so process but it can be more than trivial at times. I'm using an I7 930, xfx 5850, and samsung 1080p monitor running windows 7 64 bit. Thank you so much for your advice
 

Yahiko81

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Jul 17, 2001
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Have you downloaded the latest drivers for your video card? A couple of other things I might do, download and run speedfan - This will let you know your system temps, and voltages. Also download and run prime95 and let it run for a minimum of 4 hours. Watch your temps and voltages to make sure you're not fluctuating to much.
 
Download and install the latest Catalyst drivers for your 5850. Once those are in place, download and run HWMonitor. Start WoW and play for about 10-20 minutes, then close the game and check the maximum temperature on your video card.

Speedfan is another option, but I find it's a little unreliable for accurate readings.
 

JessicaD

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Slawsonk,

To repeat what others said -- yes, check to ensure you have the latest drivers for all of your hardware and then run 3DMark or another application (Furmark) to check your graphics.

Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 Support Forum located here http://tinyurl.com/9fhdl5 . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to also check the threads available there for additional assistance and guidance.

Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team
 

slawsonk

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There is a screenshot of my hwmonitor readings. This thread goes into some detail about the problem I am experiencing (http://forums.amd.com/game/messageview.cfm?catid=260&threadid=134427) and indicates that among many possible reasons for the TDR, a faulty power supply could be among them.
The max voltage under my +12V is 5.12 volts, could this be an indicator of a power supply issue?
 
I would use a power supply tester on it to confirm. If that really was the case, none of your fans or hard drives would be able to spin up on only 5 Volts. If you don't have one and neither do any of your friends, you can pick one up one from Frys here, if you live in the U.S.

If you're in Canada, buy one from here

And if you're in the UK, you can find one here.

If you're in another country and can't or don't want to buy from any of the suggested places above, I'm sure local shops have them as well. They aren't too hard to find, and they don't cost very much for a decent, reliable tester.

Regarding the temperatures shown in your screenshot, they look pretty normal, but given the voltage issue you pointed out on the 12V rail... this certainly looks more like a power supply problem now.