kikki09

Hello,

I apologise if this is in the wrong section - but I couldn't think of anywhere else.

When I am running specific games, my computer will often freeze (when the game is running) and the sound will also freeze and will repeat the same thing over and over again, after a few seconds (most a minute) it will unfreeze and will resume, to then only do the same thing again a few seconds later. I was wondering if this was a temperature problem or not. I ran SpeedFan. Here are my results:

GPU: 57C when idle, and then it goes up to 58-60 when I start up a game.
Temp1: 31C
Temp2: 35C
Temp3: -128C (?) - Don't quite understand this one
Core: 26C

I would greatly appreciate any support that can be given.

Phædrus2401

Speedfan is not very reliable at all when it comes to temperature monitoring, voltage monitoring... Anything, really, aside from adjusting fan speed, and it only works on fans plugged into the motherboard, and not always.

Use GPU-Z to monitor your GPU temps:
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/
It shouldn't go over ~70-75C.


What are your system specs?
Motherboard
CPU
RAM
Graphics card
Power supply

Tyree

Those reported temps are fairly normal but, as Phædrus2401 said, Speedfan is far from being a reliable monitor.
The Bios is the most reliable source for Temps & Voltages.

Nexxtech

In addition I would look into a possible Video and or Audio driver update from the manufacturer's website if you haven't already.

greenbrucelee

To be honest this sounds to me that you are probably running a game at too high a resolution and setting for your system to handle.

Am I right in thing the freeze is only for a few seconds then is ok for a while again?

please post your system specs

dai

what are you running
video card
cpu
m/board
ram
power supply
brand
wattage

check the listings in the bios for voltages and temperatures and post them

kikki09

GPU-Z says that my GPU temperature is 54C-55C when idle and it's 56C-57C when I run Dawn of War II.

Specs:
video card - I often ask myself the same question. I've ran plenty of programs in the past to try and find specific detail on this. Some say my video card is NVIDIA GeForce 8200 and then others say it's NVIDIA GeForce 9200 and it's honestly confusing me. On my 'Device Manager' tab, it says it's NVIDIA GeForce 8200, but when I try to update via NVIDIA website, it will update them and then come up with NVIDIA GeForce 9200 installed. Could anyone give me a solid way to check this? (Program, etc?)
cpu -
m/board
ram - 3.00G
power supply - I believe it's 300+ (I can't remember specifically)
brand - What exactly is meant by this?
wattage - I found the following information on BIOS and I assume it may be one of these:
Vcore: 1.232V
+3.3Vin: 3.328V
+5Vin: 5.107V
+12Vin: 11.712V
VBAT: 3.152V

As for the CPU and Mother Board, could someone please give me a program which will give me the correct result for these two, so I can post it here please?

At first, the game was in higher resolution, this was completely reduced (by me) and it made no difference at all.

The game will freeze for a few seconds - the most it would freeze for a minute (so far) and then it unfreezes and the time period until it freezes is unpredictable. Sometimes it can be immediately after and sometimes it can be a few seconds, etc.

However, both games: Dawn of War II and Age of Empires III - I can't even get onto the actual campaign's or any kind of play mode before it starts freezing, and they will often freezes on the main menu screen or at any point generally.

I appreciate all the responses here and all the help being given. I would like to just get this problem sorted as quickly as possible.

Thank you all!

dai

this will show the running temp of the cpu in the tray,but the temps look ok

http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/

this will list the components

http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php

your 12v line is to low

take the side off the case and look at the psu label for

brand
model
wattage

kikki09

Temperatures according to CoreTemp: 24-25C without any game running and then once I run the game it goes up to 28-31C.


According to cpuid:

Manufactorer: Packard Bell BV
Mainboard: Packard Bell Unspecified
Bios: American Megatrends Inc.
Chipset: Nvidia nForce 720a

To I need to update any of the above? If so, how do I go about doing that, could anyone please specifically tell me? As I've never updated any of the above if you are meant to.

I also took the side off the computer and I couldn't locate what you asked for =| Sorry!

dai

see if you can borrow a 80+ 550w power supply to try in it

Phædrus2401

Your power supply is running at a lower voltage than it should be (11.7V instead of ~12.0V), which speaks that you're underpowered, or that the power supply is low quality/dying.


Your GPU temperatures are a little high, but acceptable, and your CPU temperatures are excellent.

You probably don't need to update any drivers or anything. I'd say it's the power supply going, the ATX specs technically allow as low at 11.4V on the +12V rail, but I have yet to see a system actually work when the +12V was much lower than 11.6V, and I see a lot of instability at 11.7V.

The brand and rated wattage of the power supply should be visible on its side. The PSU is the big box unit located at the top of the case where the power cord plugs in, it will have a large bundle coming out of it with cables leading to the motherboard and other components. There should be a sticker with the brand name and rated wattage.

kikki09

I do apologise to you both, I wasn't to sure what you meant by PSU. I'm used to just calling that the power supply.

The wattage is 500W and I'm not too sure on the brand. The only thing to point to a brand is this small thing that says RoHS, I do however have the model: LPK9-4

Do you think that perhaps my power pack is dying then? I should mention that this one is from my old computer, but was bought fairly new(ish) for that old computer, perhaps about 1.5 years ago. It's also doesn't have a fan underneath it, like most power packs seem to have these days. When I got this new computer, it only had a 250V power pack and I knew immediately that was no where near good enough for a computer.

Edit: Do you think that buying a brand new 520W ATX Power Supply SATA would fix the problem? It's not too pricy and if it fixes the problem, it's well worth it.

wrench97

If this is the supply then more then likely it's the problem> http://www.amazon.co.uk/ARIANET-LPK9.../dp/B002BAPNYU

kikki09

It's the same model, however, mine is 500W and not 350W. Also, on the side of it, where it's got the two different set of holes in the casing for cooling, mine only has one set and not the two different sets. If that makes sense. Essentially, it is identical to that one, just it's supposed to be 500W

wrench97

At those prices it's not going to be a very good unit and 500w is probably a peak number.
Something like this if you ever plan on adding a discrete video card> http://www.dabs.com/products/corsair...-psu-4Q0T.html

kikki09

I've been to a local computer shop nearby and spoken with them and they seem to think that it can't be the power supply simply because it wouldn't start up if it was the problem. They seem to think that it's my video card, because it's on board.

dai

simple to check

borrow one from a friend 80+ quality 550w or better

Phædrus2401

Then they obviously don't know anything about power supplies. A bad PSU can cause all kinds of problems, not just failure to start. The low +12V rail and the low quality of the supply make me think your PSU is on the verge of failure. It may not be the cause of your random freezes, but regardless that PSU is going to go to the big gaming rig in the sky soon, and it may take the rest of your PC with it when it goes.

kikki09

I was going to instead save up for a new video card, but one that is no longer onboard to help prevent overheating, etc. However, you obviously know your fair deal about computers and specifically psu's and therefore I will take your advice. I don't want to find myself in a situation where by my psu goes and takes my computer with it, because the cost would be significently more. I will buy a new psu as you've suggested and if that fixes the problem, then that's great, and if it doesn't, then at least I know it's not my psu and I can sleep knowing my psu is working properly and won't result in my computer completely breaking.

Would you suggest I buy another 500W now or should I wait about a week and buy perhaps a 600W one? The computer shop locally sells up to 750W ones. Is there anything else I should look for when buying a psu as well as the wattage? I'm thinking about getting a 600W with perhaps a fan underneath it to deter heating issues. Any advice I would appreciate greatly.

Thank you.

greenbrucelee

it doesn't matter if you get one with a fan underneath or whatever what matters is that you buy a good quality unit.

You should be looking at Corsair, Seasonic and PC Power and cooling and you should be going for atleast 600w

Whatever you do please do not buy a cheap bad brand psu or you are just asking for more trouble.

The power supply should be your most important consideration when buying or building a computer.