256mb RADEON 9600 Pro problem

Mandragora · 10-15-2006, 06:20 AM

Hey :)

I installed a Radeon 9600 Pro recently. When I try to play games (I've tried Battlefield 2 and Spellforce 1) the game loads up, then there's problems with screens going blank (while the game is playing), with occassional freezes. The screen seems to change and the monitor clicks, as if it's changing resolutions. The VPU recover function comes up frequently as I try to play.

I have a A7v8x-x motherboard, 1024 meg DDR333 ram and windows XP.

Any ideas? I've tried updating drivers, then rolling back drivers, uninstalling the ATI control panel and so on... I'm out of ideas.

Thanks for your time!

**koala** · 10-15-2006, 06:38 AM

Did you uninstall the previous drivers and ATI software before reinstalling?

Post your full system specs including the details from the label on the side of the PSU.

Check your system's power requirements here (add 30% to the total to allow for PSU inefficiency)

Download Sensors View and post a screenshot of its readings from when you first switch on, and another from when your games start freezing.

Mandragora · 10-15-2006, 07:15 AM

Thanks for the reply!

Yes I made sure to uninstall and reinstall properly. Learned my lesson on the previous ATI card

The power calculator says my minimum power should be 253 watts, I have a 400 watt PSU.

Full system specs:

Windows XP SP2
ASUS A7V8X-X motherboard
1.65 gigahertz AMD Athlon 2000+ XP
Two 512 Mb DDR400 RAM sticks running at DDR333
Gigabyte 256Mb RADEON 9600 Pro
HP71 17" Monitor
One 80 gig hard drive; 22 gig free space
One 10 gig hard drive; 5.9 gig free space
One LG 16speed DVD burner
Philips [Tevion] TV7131 WDM Video Capture
SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio (Integrated)
3Com 3C905TX-based Ethernet Adapter (PCI)
VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter (Integrated)
D-Link DSL-302G Modem
400 Watt PSU, but I'll have to give you the specs later. But it's in good condition and seems to cover what I need.

The video card is currently running on the Omega drivers. They didn't make a difference. I'm wondering if it's a refresh-rate issue?

I'll have to download and run that other program tomorrow; my net is really dragging at the moment.

**koala** · 10-15-2006, 07:26 AM

Could be to do with refresh rate. Try setting it to 60Hz using the buttons on the front of the monitor, and also 60Hz in the display options and in-game settings (if the games allow this).

Is it a CRT or LCD monitor? What resolution do you use for the desktop and games?

Check the monitor cable is firmly plugged into the card and has no bent pins.

Post back with the other details when you can.

Mandragora · 10-15-2006, 07:44 AM

I've attached two screenshots, since my net seems to be going again.

My desktop display is 1152x864, 32 bit, 60 Hertz.

Game resolution for BF2 was 800x600, I think at 60 Hertz. One of the low settings that worked for my previous Radeon 9200SE.

Game resolution for Spellforce was a bit more ambitious, 1024x768, and I'll mess around with the settings to see what I can achieve.

sensor-at-start.jpg is the sensor software at normal operation.

sensor-gamefreeze1.jpg is the sensor when the game froze. When I went back into the game after recording it, the game froze then the monitor appeared to lose the signal--the green light went off and the orange light started blinking. I had to reboot from the button on the tower.

I'll play around with the refresh rates and maybe the fastwrite settings and so on, see if I can get it working.

Thanks for your help

edit: Turning off the Fastwrites didn't make any difference. Turning down the graphics during the game didn't make any difference either.

**UncleMacro** · 10-15-2006, 11:21 AM

Have you tried slowing the AGP speed from 8X down to 4X? I've seen AGP instability cause screens to go blank quite a few times.

Mandragora · 10-15-2006, 04:45 PM

4 Speed AGP works! As far as I can see, no time to test it properly this morning.

But I have an 8 speed capable system and an 8 speed card... why on earth wouldn't 8 speed work?

Especially when my 9200SE worked fine on 8 speed

I'm going to have to investigate this further... at least it's working, though! Thanks very much for your help guys, you've been awesome.

**UncleMacro** · 10-15-2006, 05:08 PM

Quote:

But I have an 8 speed capable system and an 8 speed card... why on earth wouldn't 8 speed work?

AGP 8X is flakey on lots of machines. Mine, for instance. It crashes at least once an hour at 8X. I had another machine which did the same thing except it crashed much faster. AGP 8X pushes your video card GPU, motherboard northbridge, and motherboard layout to the limits. Some video cards/motherboard combos can handle it and some can't. By the way, don't worry about any speed loss going from 8X to 4X. It's usually only a couple of percent slower or less.

Mandragora · 10-15-2006, 05:46 PM

Fair enough then... So long as it works, I guess! I'm just glad to have the video card running smoothly

**Fr4665** · 10-16-2006, 12:49 AM

had the same issue back in the day when i had my 9600 but good that u got it fixed happy gaming ^^

Mandragora · 10-17-2006, 02:12 AM

Damn... it didn't solve the issue after all. I can now play the game for about 40 minutes or so, then it does the freezing thing, screen goes blank, and then only the cursor shows up with the game running on an otherwise blank screen. I can move the cursor.

This is for SpellForce.

*Sighs* More messing around with settings, I can feel it.

**Fr4665** · 10-17-2006, 02:28 AM

so bf2 works fine now even if u play m ore then 40 minutes ?

Mandragora · 10-17-2006, 03:38 AM

I've got to install it again, I uninstalled BF2. I'll get back to you :) It'd be nice if it's just this game. I'll have to try some other games too.

**Fr4665** · 10-17-2006, 03:42 AM

also check your fastwrite settings in the catalyst and also in the bios that seems to mess with these cards alot too. also possibility would be to give the omega drivers a shot.

Mandragora · 10-19-2006, 11:30 PM

I've tried fastwrites on and off, seems to be the same problem.

I've also flashed my BIOS, no help there...

in the SmartGart settings, AGP Write is set to 'off' and I can't set it to 'on'--the setting always changes back. Is this a problem?

Mandragora · 10-20-2006, 06:35 AM

Sorry for double posting, but I've solved the issue. For anyone who searches with a similiar problem--

I turned off the AGP Read and AGP Write options on the SmartGart, and I turned off the AGP Fastwrites from the BIOS. I'm not sure the Fastwrites need to be turned off, but I played a game for one and a half hours straight with no problems.

Thanks very much for your help guys!

**Fr4665** · 10-20-2006, 06:45 AM

for the 9600 fast write needs to be off.

thx for posting back :) have fun gaming

Mandragora · 09-30-2007, 03:02 AM

I updated the driver to the 7.6 Catalyst ones, and the infinite loop error happened again... and I couldn't turn off the AGP Read. When I turned it off and restarted, the computer would go to the blue screen of death and freeze there, requiring a hard reboot.

I upgraded to the latest 7.9 Catalyst drivers and the problem remained. So I've rolled back the drivers to 7.4 and I successfully turned off AGP Read, so it remains to be seen whether games will work ok now.

I just thought I'd post a heads up for anyone with similiar problems, the 7.6 and 7.9 drivers aren't any good at solving the issue. *Shakes head* this is a really silly kind of problem to have, but oh well.

10-15-2006, 06:20 AM	#1 (permalink)
Mandragora Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 30 OS: Windows XP	256mb RADEON 9600 Pro problem Hey :) I installed a Radeon 9600 Pro recently. When I try to play games (I've tried Battlefield 2 and Spellforce 1) the game loads up, then there's problems with screens going blank (while the game is playing), with occassional freezes. The screen seems to change and the monitor clicks, as if it's changing resolutions. The VPU recover function comes up frequently as I try to play. I have a A7v8x-x motherboard, 1024 meg DDR333 ram and windows XP. Any ideas? I've tried updating drivers, then rolling back drivers, uninstalling the ATI control panel and so on... I'm out of ideas. Thanks for your time!

10-15-2006, 06:38 AM	#2 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,433 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	Did you uninstall the previous drivers and ATI software before reinstalling? Post your full system specs including the details from the label on the side of the PSU. Check your system's power requirements here (add 30% to the total to allow for PSU inefficiency) Download Sensors View and post a screenshot of its readings from when you first switch on, and another from when your games start freezing. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

10-15-2006, 07:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
Mandragora Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 30 OS: Windows XP	Thanks for the reply! Yes I made sure to uninstall and reinstall properly. Learned my lesson on the previous ATI card The power calculator says my minimum power should be 253 watts, I have a 400 watt PSU. Full system specs: Windows XP SP2 ASUS A7V8X-X motherboard 1.65 gigahertz AMD Athlon 2000+ XP Two 512 Mb DDR400 RAM sticks running at DDR333 Gigabyte 256Mb RADEON 9600 Pro HP71 17" Monitor One 80 gig hard drive; 22 gig free space One 10 gig hard drive; 5.9 gig free space One LG 16speed DVD burner Philips [Tevion] TV7131 WDM Video Capture SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio (Integrated) 3Com 3C905TX-based Ethernet Adapter (PCI) VIA Rhine II Fast Ethernet Adapter (Integrated) D-Link DSL-302G Modem 400 Watt PSU, but I'll have to give you the specs later. But it's in good condition and seems to cover what I need. The video card is currently running on the Omega drivers. They didn't make a difference. I'm wondering if it's a refresh-rate issue? I'll have to download and run that other program tomorrow; my net is really dragging at the moment. Last edited by Mandragora; 10-15-2006 at 07:18 AM.

10-15-2006, 07:26 AM	#4 (permalink)
koala Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Posts: 12,433 OS: XP/7/Ubuntu My System	Could be to do with refresh rate. Try setting it to 60Hz using the buttons on the front of the monitor, and also 60Hz in the display options and in-game settings (if the games allow this). Is it a CRT or LCD monitor? What resolution do you use for the desktop and games? Check the monitor cable is firmly plugged into the card and has no bent pins. Post back with the other details when you can. __________________ New members: Subscribe to your thread (Thread Tools) to receive an instant email notification when you get a reply. TSF Folding@Home Team 85015 - details here

10-16-2006, 12:49 AM	#10 (permalink)
Fr4665 aka mr.fraggs Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA or Germany Posts: 2,965 OS: Win XP,Vista,Android My System	had the same issue back in the day when i had my 9600 but good that u got it fixed happy gaming ^^ __________________ I don't subscribe to threads please PM me if i miss a reply. ------- Everest SensorView Pro DriverCleaner how to fix your game

10-15-2006, 11:21 AM	#6 (permalink)
UncleMacro TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 2,133 OS: Vista SP1 My System	Have you tried slowing the AGP speed from 8X down to 4X? I've seen AGP instability cause screens to go blank quite a few times.

10-15-2006, 04:45 PM	#7 (permalink)
Mandragora Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 30 OS: Windows XP	4 Speed AGP works! As far as I can see, no time to test it properly this morning. But I have an 8 speed capable system and an 8 speed card... why on earth wouldn't 8 speed work? Especially when my 9200SE worked fine on 8 speed I'm going to have to investigate this further... at least it's working, though! Thanks very much for your help guys, you've been awesome.

10-15-2006, 05:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
Mandragora Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 30 OS: Windows XP	Fair enough then... So long as it works, I guess! I'm just glad to have the video card running smoothly

10-17-2006, 02:12 AM	#11 (permalink)
Mandragora Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 30 OS: Windows XP	Damn... it didn't solve the issue after all. I can now play the game for about 40 minutes or so, then it does the freezing thing, screen goes blank, and then only the cursor shows up with the game running on an otherwise blank screen. I can move the cursor. This is for SpellForce. Sighs More messing around with settings, I can feel it.

10-17-2006, 02:28 AM	#12 (permalink)
Fr4665 aka mr.fraggs Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA or Germany Posts: 2,965 OS: Win XP,Vista,Android My System	so bf2 works fine now even if u play m ore then 40 minutes ? __________________ I don't subscribe to threads please PM me if i miss a reply. ------- Everest SensorView Pro DriverCleaner how to fix your game

10-17-2006, 03:38 AM	#13 (permalink)
Mandragora Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 30 OS: Windows XP	I've got to install it again, I uninstalled BF2. I'll get back to you :) It'd be nice if it's just this game. I'll have to try some other games too.

10-17-2006, 03:42 AM	#14 (permalink)
Fr4665 aka mr.fraggs Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA or Germany Posts: 2,965 OS: Win XP,Vista,Android My System	also check your fastwrite settings in the catalyst and also in the bios that seems to mess with these cards alot too. also possibility would be to give the omega drivers a shot. __________________ I don't subscribe to threads please PM me if i miss a reply. ------- Everest SensorView Pro DriverCleaner how to fix your game

10-19-2006, 11:30 PM	#15 (permalink)
Mandragora Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 30 OS: Windows XP	I've tried fastwrites on and off, seems to be the same problem. I've also flashed my BIOS, no help there... in the SmartGart settings, AGP Write is set to 'off' and I can't set it to 'on'--the setting always changes back. Is this a problem?

10-20-2006, 06:35 AM	#16 (permalink)
Mandragora Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 30 OS: Windows XP	Sorry for double posting, but I've solved the issue. For anyone who searches with a similiar problem-- I turned off the AGP Read and AGP Write options on the SmartGart, and I turned off the AGP Fastwrites from the BIOS. I'm not sure the Fastwrites need to be turned off, but I played a game for one and a half hours straight with no problems. Thanks very much for your help guys!

10-20-2006, 06:45 AM	#17 (permalink)
Fr4665 aka mr.fraggs Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA or Germany Posts: 2,965 OS: Win XP,Vista,Android My System	for the 9600 fast write needs to be off. thx for posting back :) have fun gaming __________________ I don't subscribe to threads please PM me if i miss a reply. ------- Everest SensorView Pro DriverCleaner how to fix your game

09-30-2007, 03:02 AM	#18 (permalink)
Mandragora Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 30 OS: Windows XP	Re: 256mb RADEON 9600 Pro problem I updated the driver to the 7.6 Catalyst ones, and the infinite loop error happened again... and I couldn't turn off the AGP Read. When I turned it off and restarted, the computer would go to the blue screen of death and freeze there, requiring a hard reboot. I upgraded to the latest 7.9 Catalyst drivers and the problem remained. So I've rolled back the drivers to 7.4 and I successfully turned off AGP Read, so it remains to be seen whether games will work ok now. I just thought I'd post a heads up for anyone with similiar problems, the 7.6 and 7.9 drivers aren't any good at solving the issue. Shakes head this is a really silly kind of problem to have, but oh well.