Custom Built PC Random Lag Out

WeeManRyan · 06-08-2006, 05:23 PM

When I am playing Silkroad or any game at all my computer will lag out (freeze) when playing after about an hour. Got any ideas?

Specs -
AMD Athlon XP 3000+
1.5GB DDR333 PC2700 RAM
PNY nVIDIA GeForce 6600 256MB
5 Case Fans
630 Watt Power Supply
MSI nForce 2 Delta2

**Bartender** · 06-09-2006, 06:19 AM

Did your mobo CD come with a temp monitoring program, or can you d/l & install Speedfan? You mention "custom built PC"; do you mean you built it?
Reason I ask these 2 questions is CPU overheating and shutting down would be one of the first guesses in the situation you describe. There may be too much/not enuf thermal paste between the CPU & heatsink, or the heatsink may be improperly installed, or the heatsink fan isn't spinning, etc.

I'd set up a temp monitoring program (Speedfan or one you may already have), d/l install CPU Burn-in, and run them. I suggest CPU Burn-in rather than your game because you'll have your hands full playing the game. With CPU Burn you can just set it to run for an hour, then bring Speedfan up on the monitor, go to Charts, and ask it to trend your CPU temp. Sit back with a cup of coffee and watch the trendline.

BTW, latest MaximumPC magazine has a good article on configuring Speedfan. I don't think Speedfan works quite the same in W2K as it does in XP but most of the info is valid.

It'll take some time to figure out what Speedfan is telling you. It doesn't ID where the temps are coming from, it just lists the ones it finds. You've gotta figure out which is which. (It will ID SmartDrive hard drives as HD) CPU temp is generally 1st or 2nd, not hard to verify. It'll be higher than the mobo temp and will jump when you run CPU Burn.

WeeManRyan · 06-09-2006, 01:49 PM

I am running CPU Burn-in with SpeedFan. My CPU temperature is between 55-56C. How much thermal paste should there be between the heatsink and CPU?

WeeManRyan · 06-09-2006, 02:15 PM

I just put like more thermal paste on my CPU and now when I run it without the error correction thing or whatever its between 50-52C. Now to try and play a game.

**Bartender** · 06-10-2006, 06:55 AM

A real simple way to test the temp theory further is open up the case and point a room fan in there. Speedfan should show CPU temps plunge 4 or 5C. If your games still lock up then I'd say it's looking like something else - power supply, too many applications running at once, etc.
Have you looked into the Startup menus and weeded out unnecessary programs?
EDIT: Sorry I didn't see your post regarding thermal paste. Lots of folks put on too much. If you take off a heatsink that's been run for a while (in other words, gone thru numerous heating cycles) you'll probly see a layer of paste that's almost translucent because it's been squeezed so thin. Maybe a coupla thousandths of an inch. Too much is as bad as none. I like to take a credit card and spread a layer over the entire contact surface that's thin & even, less than the thickness of a coat of paint. Sounds like you got it about right.

06-08-2006, 05:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
WeeManRyan Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3 OS: XP	Custom Built PC Random Lag Out When I am playing Silkroad or any game at all my computer will lag out (freeze) when playing after about an hour. Got any ideas? Specs - AMD Athlon XP 3000+ 1.5GB DDR333 PC2700 RAM PNY nVIDIA GeForce 6600 256MB 5 Case Fans 630 Watt Power Supply MSI nForce 2 Delta2

06-09-2006, 01:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
WeeManRyan Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3 OS: XP	Thanks for reply. I am running CPU Burn-in with SpeedFan. My CPU temperature is between 55-56C. How much thermal paste should there be between the heatsink and CPU?

06-09-2006, 02:15 PM	#4 (permalink)
WeeManRyan Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3 OS: XP	Ok. I just put like more thermal paste on my CPU and now when I run it without the error correction thing or whatever its between 50-52C. Now to try and play a game.

06-10-2006, 06:55 AM	#5 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	A real simple way to test the temp theory further is open up the case and point a room fan in there. Speedfan should show CPU temps plunge 4 or 5C. If your games still lock up then I'd say it's looking like something else - power supply, too many applications running at once, etc. Have you looked into the Startup menus and weeded out unnecessary programs? EDIT: Sorry I didn't see your post regarding thermal paste. Lots of folks put on too much. If you take off a heatsink that's been run for a while (in other words, gone thru numerous heating cycles) you'll probly see a layer of paste that's almost translucent because it's been squeezed so thin. Maybe a coupla thousandths of an inch. Too much is as bad as none. I like to take a credit card and spread a layer over the entire contact surface that's thin & even, less than the thickness of a coat of paint. Sounds like you got it about right. Last edited by Bartender; 06-10-2006 at 07:01 AM.

06-09-2006, 06:19 AM	#2 (permalink)
Bartender Mentally divergent Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Chehalis, WA, USA Posts: 1,285 OS: W2K, Ubuntu 8.04	Did your mobo CD come with a temp monitoring program, or can you d/l & install Speedfan? You mention "custom built PC"; do you mean you built it? Reason I ask these 2 questions is CPU overheating and shutting down would be one of the first guesses in the situation you describe. There may be too much/not enuf thermal paste between the CPU & heatsink, or the heatsink may be improperly installed, or the heatsink fan isn't spinning, etc. I'd set up a temp monitoring program (Speedfan or one you may already have), d/l install CPU Burn-in, and run them. I suggest CPU Burn-in rather than your game because you'll have your hands full playing the game. With CPU Burn you can just set it to run for an hour, then bring Speedfan up on the monitor, go to Charts, and ask it to trend your CPU temp. Sit back with a cup of coffee and watch the trendline. BTW, latest MaximumPC magazine has a good article on configuring Speedfan. I don't think Speedfan works quite the same in W2K as it does in XP but most of the info is valid. It'll take some time to figure out what Speedfan is telling you. It doesn't ID where the temps are coming from, it just lists the ones it finds. You've gotta figure out which is which. (It will ID SmartDrive hard drives as HD) CPU temp is generally 1st or 2nd, not hard to verify. It'll be higher than the mobo temp and will jump when you run CPU Burn.