Graphics problems... again.

[SF2K4]

Ok, so, I'm using an eVGA e-Geforce 6800 Ultra in my machine. And, like everyone else who ran one, had a lot of problems when I started. However, after much tinkering and time spent, I was able to finally get this thing to run extremely well with no hitches at all. Then something odd happened. Ok, I was using GameSpy Arcade to find some servers for America's Army (before I realized my version wasn't up to date) and GSA prompted me to download the new patch. So I did, but when it asked to install it's downloader program, I declined and it left a dead AA patch on my desktop. It's icon was that of an empty window like for some programs you download (ones that don't have a cool little image) so I clicked on it, hoping maybe it had done something. Well, a MSDOS Command Prompt window appeared for no more than half a second and then it was gone. I did this a few more times wondering what was up before I decided to delete it. Trouble was, it couldn't be because it was "in use." I couldn't even delete it in Safe Mode. So, I used MoveOnBoot to delete the file upon restart before Windows could acknowledge it was there. File gone, I went to return to my gaming.

And it was back to the beginning.

Problem was, I have no idea what to do. All the changes I made to fix this initially are still there and I'm having the same problems: Lock-Ups in game, graphics turning into numerous black shapes and funky colors before crashing or locking, and this wierd blue screen that restarts the system, all to be told to me that it's the graphics driver's fault.

Ok, well, first my system specs:

CPU: AMD Athalon 64 FX-55
MOBO: Asus A8V Deluxe with v1008 BIOS (v1009 was released on the 29th of December, but I'd had not problems before, so...)
GPU: eVGA e-GeForce 6800 Ultra
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro
HD: Maxtor DiamondMax 10 300GB
RAM: 2GB

I guess that's all that really matters.

Next, the changes I made to fix these problems the first time around:

Disabled AGP FastWrite
Reduced GPU clockspeed on 2D/3D to 400/1100 on both
Assigned IRQ to VGA
Disabled VGA Palette Snooping
Turned the PCI Latency Timer to 128
Turned the AGP Graphics Aperture to 256MB (64MB or half total was recommended by nVidia, and since there was no option for a 1GB [half] aperature, I went with the largest possible)

Now, nVidia did recommend some other changes that I could not find:

Disable Video BIOS Shadowing
Disable Video RAM Shadowing
Disable USWC Options
Enable PnP O/S Installed (which at this very moment I remember seeing... heh)
Disable Video BIOS Cacheable
Disable Video RAM Cacheable

Now, I don't remember changing anything else from above, so, I'm out of ideas. Oh, my 6800 is using the 67.03 beta drivers from nZone and they had worked great. As I said, everything was working awesome until that patch thing.

Please... help.

 

[SF2K4]

Ok, well, we have a new development.

I read somewhere else while searching for a solution that the black bar thing can be caused by overheating... yay. So, I checked my GPU temp and, Holy Mother of God, it's at like 94 degrees. And from there it kept rising. I bolted down to check my fans. All 5 in the case, 2 on the PSU, 1 on the CPU and 1 on the GPU were on but the temp was still rising. I put my hand under the GPU fan and I felt hot air coming out (do GPU fans just pull air out? *shrug*). Finally, when the temp hit 104 (11 shy of the 115 threshhold) I shut the computer down, and it's still off. I don't want to turn it on until I get a solution worked out... and I'd really like that to be something other than leaving a fan next to the open-doored case.

Thanks.

 

[SF2K4]

Ok... I completely removed my drivers and reinstalled the 67.03 ones and I'm still getting a 66 and climbing temperature... ... ... ...

 

[daveybrat]

Hope you are using a Very high quality and high wattage power supply with a setup like that.

What are you using currently?

 

[SF2K4]

I'm using a Thermaltake PurePower 560W PSU. Up until today it hadn't had any problems... and I was assured that 560W would be plenty...

 

[Arcuivie]

94 degrees fahrenheit or celcius?

Yea, a good power supply is recommended, since the 6800's pull a lot of power. Make sure you have your case fans positioned to allow good airflow, and I would also consider a reinstall of windows.

 

[SF2K4]

Crap, a reinstall of Windows? Yeck... doesn't sound like much fun...

Yea, the 5 fans (3 fans, 2 exhausts) are running fine...

And I think it's celsius... either way, the nView display shows it in the red, so I assume it's bad.

 

[Arcuivie]

You could do a system restore to a time that you know it was working correctly.

 

[SF2K4]

Ok, it seems the fan is no longer running on the GPU. It does when the computer is booting up, but once Windows is loaded and going, the fan stops. Obviously, that means the card will overheat majorly, but I have no clue why it's stopping (it never did before). I thought maybe eVGA drivers, but they only give you the nVidia graphics drivers, none for the card itself, so... hmmm...

 

[Arcuivie]

Does your card have a spot for the power supply to plug into?