Game crashing

Bendo · 04-13-2009, 11:49 AM

Hey guys,

I posted a topic in audio section, first believing sound would be the problem but now im just confused. So i just thought i'd post it again here. Sorry if i wasn't allowed to do that.

Straight to the point, my pc keeps freezing within one hour of playing certain games (usually within 15 minutes). It totally crashes with only the sound in the back ground looping, with the only solution is to hold the power button and restart. It happens with random games and there are no patterns when playing more graphically advanced games.

A friend explained it may have to do with my sound card rather than my graphics card. So i tested it, i ran godfather 2 with sound card disabled and it didnt crash for 1 hour and 20 mins. Might of been lucky however.

First playing with godfather 2, i was able to play it for 5 hours straight but for unknown reasons, i cant play it for more than 10 minutes now. I had problems with other games which i got rid of and it really pissed me off when the same happens to this one too.
Examples of games i had problem with was Assassins creed, Fall out 2 and Devil May Cry. Games i am able to play with no problems are F.E.A.R. 2, Saints row 2, Wheelman and Crysis. If it helps, i can try to get the games which froze and disable the sound if necessary.

In terms of my PC compatibilities, i feel its more than up to running these games. I just bought it new last year summer time. Made by Packard Bell..

Specs:
Packard Bell
Quad Core Q6600 @ 2.40Ghz
3GB RAM
Vista 32 Bit
Nvidia Geforce 9600 GS
Realtek High Definition Audio- According to device manager. Not sure if its onboard.

Used PC wizard to obtain the following information:

PC on and no general activities

After 30 minutes of playing Godfather 2

10 minutes before it froze again (15 minutes after last picture)

Any help would be much appreciated. I really want to get this problem fixed, even if i have to invest in a new sound card. Try not to use technical language :P

Thanks :)

Mcninjaguy · 04-13-2009, 11:59 AM

first question and the biggest one (two parts)
did you upgrade to a 9600GSO graphics card and whats your current PSU (brand and wattage)

so your temps are all good 35C on idle and 55C on load for your CPU
your graphics card looks fine too but I wonder if it has lower temperature threshold.

speed up your graphics card fan to 60% with rivatuner
http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=163

(beside forceware driver) - system settings then go to the fan tab

download the latest drivers for your graphics which is this one (182.50)
http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvist...2.50_whql.html

Bendo · 04-13-2009, 12:06 PM

Thanks. I updated my driver already but i'll try speeding up my graphics card fan now.

Forgot to mention that i just bought this pc last year summer time. It was already built by a company called Packard Bell. I didn't opened the case, so i haven't changed anything since i bought it.

**RockmasteR** · 04-13-2009, 12:19 PM

pre-built PCs or the ones built by a company are known by their very weak PSU
try to open up the case and take a look at the stickers on the PSU

Bendo · 04-13-2009, 01:17 PM

Update: I tried increasing the speed of the fan to 60%. It froze 3 times yet again within 20 minutes.

I got a early start tomorrow so ill open the case tomorrow afternoon. Any more suggestions would be great and ill try doing them tomorrow.

Thanks guys.

Mcninjaguy · 04-13-2009, 02:10 PM

I would say this might be case of a failing PSU or a a bad video card...

try running ATI tools and see if your graphics card makes any artifacts
http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/
run it for around 1/2 an hour

Bendo · 04-14-2009, 12:42 PM

Good afternoon guys. Update:

I ran the ati tool for 30 minutes and got 0 artifacts.

I'm running it again while im away from the computer.

Here's a picture of my PSU

I'm hoping we got a step closer to fixing this problem :P

Update: no errors after 45 minutes. I tried it again for the 3rd time and i get a message about the graphics card i selected does not seem to be used by windows, which im pretty confused about lol.

Also, maybe offtopic, when i delete words/letters by holding the backspace button, it deletes one letter at a time, at a slower rate. Im completely lost and like one problem isn't enough, i get another.. :(

bump >.>

csc2000e · 04-15-2009, 08:26 AM

Well, it looks like your power supply is under powering your system. Your psu says it has two +12v rails, one at 8A and the other at 14A. Plus the total wattage output is only 250 watts! You need to buy a new power supply I would say. Something like this should work fine: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005
It's on sale for a really good price.

Bendo · 04-15-2009, 09:07 AM

Im from England so.. lol Maybe find a good one on ebuyer.com for me ? :P

It would also help if someone could confirm this advice is recommanded and it will hopefully fix my problem. No offence to you csc2000e, but i dont want to spend £50+ on what one person said. :)

I am pretty scared that i might mess something up aswell when it comes to changing it lol. In the past, i upgraded my old pc with a new memory stick which totally messed it up :(

csc2000e · 04-15-2009, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bendo

Im from England so.. lol Maybe find a good one on ebuyer.com for me ? :P

It would also help if someone could confirm this advice is recommanded and it will hopefully fix my problem. No offence to you csc2000e, but i dont want to spend £50+ on what one person said. :)

I am pretty scared that i might mess something up aswell when it comes to changing it lol. In the past, i upgraded my old pc with a new memory stick which totally messed it up :(

No problem. I would prefer that some others post their conclusions as well. I found that same psu on ebuyer as well.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135514

Bendo · 04-15-2009, 09:19 AM

i was looking through ebuyer.com, trying to find out how much 250w psu's are and they aint even listed lol. least you can get is 300w which is £10. Wow...

When i bought this pc, this was listed as a gaming pc and i just bought it last year summer. Pretty poor lol.

Anyway, now i need help finding a new psu. Is spending loads on a top brand recommanded? I think i will probably invest in a 650w psu but there are loads of different ones avaliable. Are there any more information needed about my pc?

Thanks guys

Quote:

Originally Posted by csc2000e

No problem. I would prefer that some others post their conclusions as well. I found that same psu on ebuyer as well.
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/135514

Thanks but the price is a little steep. Is it recommanded to spend high on a good brand? :P

~~connor-53~~ · 04-15-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bendo

Thanks but the price is a little steep. Is it recommanded to spend high on a good brand? :P

You get what you pay for, remember that. That is worth the money also.

Bendo · 04-15-2009, 10:56 AM

OK, just checking. Sometimes you can pay too much for something which isn't worth it and i had to make sure :P .

Few other people recommanded buying this also. Even if doesn't fix my problem, 250w is very low and needs replacing. Someone explained to me how someone trashed his whole PC with a bad PSU. Also, my previous computer which is 5 years old has the same psu.

Ill order it tomorrow. I shall update once ive installed it (Kind of worried about that lol) which hopefully be next week sometime.

Thanks guy :)

Mcninjaguy · 04-15-2009, 11:15 AM

yea I've been Corsair PSU's and they're worth every penny

so keep us informed when you do get it.
I'm suprised you can even boot up your computer with that low of a PSU and that graphics card

Bendo · 04-22-2009, 11:33 AM

Hola!

Just an update. After some problems with supply, i finally received my power supply today. I've installed it after some minor problems such as the psu being too big and sound problems, which i was able to sort out.

I've only played godfather 2 for about 10 minutes but i will test it properly maybe tonight or tomorrow. Think if this freezing problem is not fixed with this new power supply, it may be because of my memory.

So far, very silent but my pc seems pretty congested with all the spare wires.

dai · 04-22-2009, 11:50 AM

tuck the ones you don't use out of the way,i shove mine into an empty cd bay

Bendo · 04-22-2009, 01:33 PM

bla just tested now and it still froze..... Next option, memory? Is there a way to test that?

Mcninjaguy · 04-22-2009, 06:59 PM

you can test your RAM with memtest 86
http://www.memtest86.com/

test your ram with only one stick installed at a time other results will be innaccurate

dai · 04-22-2009, 09:58 PM

check the voltage range of your ram on the makers site

Bendo · 04-23-2009, 07:48 AM

First test i did with the software was for the 2GB stick. The program told me to run it twice at the sametime, each 1024 megabytes. It showed no errors but when trying to stop it, i was waiting for 15 minutes to disappear. It did indicate it was stopping however. After few clicks, my pc froze (different way to inital).

Second test i did was for the 1GB stick which found no errors. Same happened but i was able to shut down while the program was stopping.

Do i check the maker of the ram or the desktop? The ram has no name on it but it has a logo of an M. I tried looking for what company that is but i cant find anything at the moment. Also got this from this from the ram: DDR2 667 CL5

Bump =/

Im pretty fustrated and close to just giving up on this stupid problem. Im guessing no one has any clue on whats wrong with it -_-

04-13-2009, 11:49 AM	#1 (permalink)
Bendo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 OS: vista	Game crashing Hey guys, I posted a topic in audio section, first believing sound would be the problem but now im just confused. So i just thought i'd post it again here. Sorry if i wasn't allowed to do that. Straight to the point, my pc keeps freezing within one hour of playing certain games (usually within 15 minutes). It totally crashes with only the sound in the back ground looping, with the only solution is to hold the power button and restart. It happens with random games and there are no patterns when playing more graphically advanced games. A friend explained it may have to do with my sound card rather than my graphics card. So i tested it, i ran godfather 2 with sound card disabled and it didnt crash for 1 hour and 20 mins. Might of been lucky however. First playing with godfather 2, i was able to play it for 5 hours straight but for unknown reasons, i cant play it for more than 10 minutes now. I had problems with other games which i got rid of and it really pissed me off when the same happens to this one too. Examples of games i had problem with was Assassins creed, Fall out 2 and Devil May Cry. Games i am able to play with no problems are F.E.A.R. 2, Saints row 2, Wheelman and Crysis. If it helps, i can try to get the games which froze and disable the sound if necessary. In terms of my PC compatibilities, i feel its more than up to running these games. I just bought it new last year summer time. Made by Packard Bell.. Specs: Packard Bell Quad Core Q6600 @ 2.40Ghz 3GB RAM Vista 32 Bit Nvidia Geforce 9600 GS Realtek High Definition Audio- According to device manager. Not sure if its onboard. Used PC wizard to obtain the following information: PC on and no general activities After 30 minutes of playing Godfather 2 10 minutes before it froze again (15 minutes after last picture) Any help would be much appreciated. I really want to get this problem fixed, even if i have to invest in a new sound card. Try not to use technical language :P Thanks :) Last edited by Bendo; 04-13-2009 at 11:56 AM.

04-13-2009, 11:59 AM	#2 (permalink)
Mcninjaguy Temporarily Banned Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 10,422 OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Game crashing first question and the biggest one (two parts) did you upgrade to a 9600GSO graphics card and whats your current PSU (brand and wattage) so your temps are all good 35C on idle and 55C on load for your CPU your graphics card looks fine too but I wonder if it has lower temperature threshold. speed up your graphics card fan to 60% with rivatuner http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=163 (beside forceware driver) - system settings then go to the fan tab download the latest drivers for your graphics which is this one (182.50) http://www.nvidia.com/object/winvist...2.50_whql.html

04-13-2009, 12:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
Bendo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 OS: vista	Re: Game crashing Thanks. I updated my driver already but i'll try speeding up my graphics card fan now. Forgot to mention that i just bought this pc last year summer time. It was already built by a company called Packard Bell. I didn't opened the case, so i haven't changed anything since i bought it. Last edited by Bendo; 04-13-2009 at 12:09 PM.

04-13-2009, 12:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
RockmasteR Moderator, Games Team Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lebanon Posts: 3,194 OS: Vista Ultimate 32bit My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Game crashing pre-built PCs or the ones built by a company are known by their very weak PSU try to open up the case and take a look at the stickers on the PSU __________________ CPUz GPUz Nvidia Drivers ATI Drivers System Information for Windows (SIW) Revo Uninstaller RivaTuner ATITOOL Directx 9.0C !!Please don't PM me for Tech Support!!

04-13-2009, 01:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bendo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 OS: vista	Re: Game crashing Update: I tried increasing the speed of the fan to 60%. It froze 3 times yet again within 20 minutes. I got a early start tomorrow so ill open the case tomorrow afternoon. Any more suggestions would be great and ill try doing them tomorrow. Thanks guys.

04-13-2009, 02:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
Mcninjaguy Temporarily Banned Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 10,422 OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Game crashing I would say this might be case of a failing PSU or a a bad video card... try running ATI tools and see if your graphics card makes any artifacts http://www.techpowerup.com/atitool/ run it for around 1/2 an hour

04-14-2009, 12:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
Bendo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 OS: vista	Good afternoon guys. Update: I ran the ati tool for 30 minutes and got 0 artifacts. I'm running it again while im away from the computer. Here's a picture of my PSU I'm hoping we got a step closer to fixing this problem :P Update: no errors after 45 minutes. I tried it again for the 3rd time and i get a message about the graphics card i selected does not seem to be used by windows, which im pretty confused about lol. Also, maybe offtopic, when i delete words/letters by holding the backspace button, it deletes one letter at a time, at a slower rate. Im completely lost and like one problem isn't enough, i get another.. :( bump >.> Last edited by dai; 04-26-2009 at 09:11 PM.

04-15-2009, 08:26 AM	#8 (permalink)
csc2000e Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 340 OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 My System	Re: Game crashing Well, it looks like your power supply is under powering your system. Your psu says it has two +12v rails, one at 8A and the other at 14A. Plus the total wattage output is only 250 watts! You need to buy a new power supply I would say. Something like this should work fine: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005 It's on sale for a really good price. __________________ These walls fall down around me but I will stand And though my body be burned away I will live

04-15-2009, 09:07 AM	#9 (permalink)
Bendo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 OS: vista	Re: Game crashing Im from England so.. lol Maybe find a good one on ebuyer.com for me ? :P It would also help if someone could confirm this advice is recommanded and it will hopefully fix my problem. No offence to you csc2000e, but i dont want to spend £50+ on what one person said. :) I am pretty scared that i might mess something up aswell when it comes to changing it lol. In the past, i upgraded my old pc with a new memory stick which totally messed it up :(

04-15-2009, 10:56 AM	#13 (permalink)
Bendo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 OS: vista	Re: Game crashing OK, just checking. Sometimes you can pay too much for something which isn't worth it and i had to make sure :P . Few other people recommanded buying this also. Even if doesn't fix my problem, 250w is very low and needs replacing. Someone explained to me how someone trashed his whole PC with a bad PSU. Also, my previous computer which is 5 years old has the same psu. Ill order it tomorrow. I shall update once ive installed it (Kind of worried about that lol) which hopefully be next week sometime. Thanks guy :)

04-15-2009, 11:15 AM	#14 (permalink)
Mcninjaguy Temporarily Banned Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 10,422 OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Game crashing yea I've been Corsair PSU's and they're worth every penny so keep us informed when you do get it. I'm suprised you can even boot up your computer with that low of a PSU and that graphics card

04-22-2009, 11:33 AM	#15 (permalink)
Bendo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 OS: vista	Re: Game crashing Hola! Just an update. After some problems with supply, i finally received my power supply today. I've installed it after some minor problems such as the psu being too big and sound problems, which i was able to sort out. I've only played godfather 2 for about 10 minutes but i will test it properly maybe tonight or tomorrow. Think if this freezing problem is not fixed with this new power supply, it may be because of my memory. So far, very silent but my pc seems pretty congested with all the spare wires.

04-22-2009, 11:50 AM	#16 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,753 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Game crashing tuck the ones you don't use out of the way,i shove mine into an empty cd bay __________________

04-22-2009, 01:33 PM	#17 (permalink)
Bendo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 OS: vista	Re: Game crashing bla just tested now and it still froze..... Next option, memory? Is there a way to test that?

04-22-2009, 06:59 PM	#18 (permalink)
Mcninjaguy Temporarily Banned Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 10,422 OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit My System Blog Entries: 1	Re: Game crashing you can test your RAM with memtest 86 http://www.memtest86.com/ test your ram with only one stick installed at a time other results will be innaccurate

04-22-2009, 09:58 PM	#19 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 56,753 OS: win 7 32x 64x rtm	Re: Game crashing check the voltage range of your ram on the makers site __________________

04-23-2009, 07:48 AM	#20 (permalink)
Bendo Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 OS: vista	First test i did with the software was for the 2GB stick. The program told me to run it twice at the sametime, each 1024 megabytes. It showed no errors but when trying to stop it, i was waiting for 15 minutes to disappear. It did indicate it was stopping however. After few clicks, my pc froze (different way to inital). Second test i did was for the 1GB stick which found no errors. Same happened but i was able to shut down while the program was stopping. Do i check the maker of the ram or the desktop? The ram has no name on it but it has a logo of an M. I tried looking for what company that is but i cant find anything at the moment. Also got this from this from the ram: DDR2 667 CL5 Bump =/ Im pretty fustrated and close to just giving up on this stupid problem. Im guessing no one has any clue on whats wrong with it -_- Last edited by dai; 04-26-2009 at 09:12 PM.