9800 Pro Locking Up... Help please

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
P

plas7208

Distinguished
Dec 29, 2004
11
0
18,510
Specs:

AMD 64 3000, 1gb Ram, ATI 9800 Pro video card., 1gig RAM, 350 watt Enermax PSU, 160gig HD, CD/DVD

Every so often I get a totally frozen screen when playing games where it is just black, or i get what appears to be streaks across the screen with about 2 or 3 colours or game completely freezes on screen. Computer completely locked up.

I have to restart system by holding power button down then everything is well. This happens once in awhile with CS Source and for some reason ALL the time with Madden 2005. I have CoD, UT2004, WoW too and this hasnt happened at all. Oh ya, it also does this when I run 3D mark 2005, fairly often. (About 2 out of 3 times)

I have latest detonator drivers from ATI, I installed after removing previous drives from control panel, so Im sure Ive installed drivers properly, and have tried a few different sets or drivers also, including the original ones that came with the card. I just recently put in the new PSU cause people suggested it and also put in a PCI slot VGA cooling fan and still problems.

Anyone else have these problems? Help would be appreciated.
 
cleeve

cleeve

Illustrious
Mar 7, 2003
12,012
0
40,790
You bought a new 350 watt Enermax? Man, with that setup I would have gotten at least a 400 watter. But if it's enermax the 350 is probably up to your current task...

What are your temps, CPU and case? Have you checked your memory with Memtest386 yet?

If it's happening in specific games, it sounds exactly like a problem I used to have with an insufficient PSU. But the Enermax *should* be OK... can you try the videocard in another system to see what happens?

________________
<b>Radeon <font color=red>9700 PRO</b></font color=red> <i>(o/c 332/345)</i>
<b>AthlonXP <font color=red>3200+</b></font color=red> <i>(Barton 2500+ o/c 400 FSB)</i>
<b>3dMark03: <font color=red>5,354</b>
 
N

Nitrom

Distinguished
Oct 21, 2004
121
0
18,680
CLEEVE...where do I get MEMTEST 386 from ? and how does it work?...
The one I am using now (free download to try) called GOLD MEMORY (stand alone memory test) the free version only tells me that my memory PASS or it does not PASS...and to have complete info about it I have to buy the paid version.
 
cleeve

cleeve

Illustrious
Mar 7, 2003
12,012
0
40,790
Memtest386 is a memory tester that runs off of a bootable floppy...

Can't finds it anywhere on a cursory search. I'll post it to my website tonight and provide a downlaod link if you're interested, although if you've already run a memory testing program I doubt the result will be any different.

________________
<b>Radeon <font color=red>9700 PRO</b></font color=red> <i>(o/c 332/345)</i>
<b>AthlonXP <font color=red>3200+</b></font color=red> <i>(Barton 2500+ o/c 400 FSB)</i>
<b>3dMark03: <font color=red>5,354</b>
 
mrface

mrface

Champion
Oct 23, 2002
23,458
86
50,940
www.phukface.com
its just memetest<b>86</b>
<A HREF="http://www.memtest86.com/" target="_new">http://www.memtest86.com/</A>

"Never underestimate the predictability of Stupidity."
<A HREF="http://www.cameronwilliamson.com" target="_new">-={Neurotic Narcissist.}=-</A>
<font color=blue>R.I.P. O.D.B.</font color=blue>
 
cleeve

cleeve

Illustrious
Mar 7, 2003
12,012
0
40,790
There's that too, but there's a newer version called Memtest386 that doesn't disable the CPU cache...

Memtest86 is pretty old.

________________
<b>Radeon <font color=red>9700 PRO</b></font color=red> <i>(o/c 332/345)</i>
<b>AthlonXP <font color=red>3200+</b></font color=red> <i>(Barton 2500+ o/c 400 FSB)</i>
<b>3dMark03: <font color=red>5,354</b>
 
P

plas7208

Distinguished
Dec 29, 2004
11
0
18,510
OMG, I went to Future Shop to find out what was going on and they laughed at me when they noticed that I had 2700 & 3200 RAM in my motherboard. I put it in the 512mb of 2700 awhile ago with the advice of a Best Buy dude. I have now learned that you have to have matching sticks of RAM and this likely is the cause of my motherboard causing freezes when playing high graphics games. Possibly messed up controller.

So yesterday I went to my local computer supply store BCom and decided to pickup a decent motherboard, they lead me on to the Asus K8V SE Deluxe, which should perform good for gaming and match the Athlon 64 3000 in my prebuilt. I then got another 512mb 3200 RAM to match the other 512 in the prebuilt system. Then I decided that if I am going through all this I really should put this in to a cool case so I picked up a Aerocool Jr case.

When I got home I read the motherboard manual and my maximum PC mag with had a section on how to build systems.
I then stripped out the powersupply, CPU & heat sink, DVD drive, harddrive, Ram from the prebuilt and installed in to the new case. I never bothered with floppy, may add later.

I never realized how easy it actually is till now to build your own. The only problems I had was fooling around with the heat sink locks and the front panel case plugs were all separate smaller plugs and I had to figure out where they went.

Once it was all together I plugged in and it WORKED. :). Only problem was I need new Windows XP, the version that came on the Cicero recovery disc does not work. :( I cant wait to put the OS on any try this out. Surely no screen lockups with this ASUS and proper RAM.
 
mrface

mrface

Champion
Oct 23, 2002
23,458
86
50,940
www.phukface.com
congrats on the new rig and the self build man. keep us informed.

how much did you eventually drop on all of that?

"Never underestimate the predictability of Stupidity."
<A HREF="http://www.cameronwilliamson.com" target="_new">-={Neurotic Narcissist.}=-</A>
<font color=blue>R.I.P. O.D.B.</font color=blue>
 
P

plas7208

Distinguished
Dec 29, 2004
11
0
18,510
Spent $350 for case, motherboard and 512 Ram and also $65 for Enermax 350watt PSU. This is in Canadian funds so $330 total US.

This place I go to in Edmonton "BCom" has awesome prices and also has boxing week deals right now. I will see if I can figure out how to post some pictures...
 
V

Vapor

Distinguished
Jun 11, 2001
2,206
0
19,780
Actually, you don't need matched RAM as long as you're willing to underclock to the worst one's speed.

Maxtor disgraces the six letters that make Matrox.
 
RichPLS

RichPLS

Champion
Aug 24, 2004
15,886
0
50,780
But you might be able to overclock the worst one to the highest stable which could raise said speed.

<pre><font color=red>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre><p></font color=red>
 
mrface

mrface

Champion
Oct 23, 2002
23,458
86
50,940
www.phukface.com
ahh ok, cool nice upgrades though you cant go wrong with an asus board.

i love da case...

thanx for the pics btw.

"Never underestimate the predictability of Stupidity."
<A HREF="http://www.cameronwilliamson.com" target="_new">-={Psychotic Sociopath.}=-</A>
<font color=blue>R.I.P. O.D.B.</font color=blue>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom