IRQ Help...

[AJeightFive]

I've run into the IRQ_NOT_LESS_THAN_OR_EQUAL blue screen of death a few times trying to play Civ IV and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. I checked out the IRQ's in the hardware manager and this is what I have. Seems to me there are some conflicts here (IRQ16, 19, 21?). I do not feel comfortable trying to resolve these conflicts myself (if they are indeed troublesome). Any help would be appreciated.

(ISA) 0 System Timer
(ISA) 1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
(ISA) 4 Communications Port (COM1)
(ISA) 6 Standard floppy disk controller
(ISA) 8 System CMOS/real time clock
(ISA) 9 Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System
(ISA) 12 Microsoft PS/2 Port Mouse (IntelliPoint)
(ISA) 13 Numeric data processor
(PCI) 3 NVIDIA nForce PCI System Management
(PCI) 14 NVIDIA nForce3 250 Prallel ATA Controller (v2.6)
(PCI) 15 NVIDIA nForce3 250 Prallel ATA Controller (v2.6)
(PCI) 16 NVIDIA GeForce 6800GT
(PCI) 16 OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller
(PCI) 16 Realtek RTL8169/8110 Family Gigabit Ethernet NIC
(PCI) 19 Creative SB Audigy 2 (WDM)
(PCI) 19 VIA OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller
(PCI) 20 Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller
(PCI) 21 NVIDIA nForce 3 250 Serial ATA Controller (v2.6)
(PCI) 21 Standard Enchanced PCI to USB Host Controller
(PCI) 22 NVIDIA Network Bus Enumerator
(PCI) 22 NVIDIA nForce 3 250 Serial ATA Controller (v2.6)
(PCI) 23 Realtek AC'97 Audio
(PCI) 23 Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller

- AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Winchester
- MSI Neo2 Platinum
- 1GB (2x512MB) OCZ 3200 Platinum Rev.2
- eVGA GeForce 6800GT
- Sound Blaster Audigy 2
- Seagate Baracuda 120GB SATA
- WinXP SP2

 

[Markbnj]

As far as I know it is common for some devices to share IRQs now. I have several overlaps in my own system that are not causing any problems as far as I can tell.

 

[Muadib]

You have 2 sound cards!!!! Which are you using, the onboard or the Audigy? Disable the one you aren't using.

 

[AJeightFive]

Using both... one for surround sound the other for TeamSpeak so I can have a seperate radio channel through my headphones only.

What concerned me most was that my Gfx card is sharing with two other devices... shouldn't such an important component have it's own?

 

[Finns14]

Originally posted by: AJeightFive
Using both... one for surround sound the other for TeamSpeak so I can have a seperate radio channel through my headphones only.

What concerned me most was that my Gfx card is sharing with two other devices... shouldn't such an important component have it's own?

Could you explain that to me a littel clearer becasue to me it just seems like your using up your CPU becuase I used both team speak and vent and disabled my onboard and I have no problems

 

[AJeightFive]

I use my PC mostly for flight simulation. For the sake of "realism", I like to have my cockpit sounds coming from my surround sound speakers (Audigy 2) and the radio (TeamSpeak) coming through my headphones (Onboard). This requires two sound cards.

 

[Jiggz]

Actually you're right. The video card should have its own IRQ. In my system, the Nvidia card takes IRQ 19 by itself. I suggest removing the SB audigy card first and see if this will allow the system to allocate a dedicated IRQ for the video card. If it did, then re-install the SB card again. If it shared the same IRQ as the video card, you will have to manually allocate a different IRQ using the manual configurator.

 

[Muadib]

It would be much easier to disable the onboard sound, than it would be removing the Audigy, and the result would be the same. You might be able to use them both, after you fix what I see below.

You have 2 firewire controllers, and theres no way you are using both of them. Turn them off!! What about the com port? You don't have a modem, so why waste the irq on the com port? Turn it off, and free up the irq. If you got a usb mouse, you could turn off the ps/2 port, and free up another irq.

The nic & the video card sharing an irq is a huge no no.

 

[JEDIYoda]

using both soundcards are NOT causing the blue screen of death!!!

 

[Muadib]

You don't know that for sure. The intergrated sound is sharing with a usb controller. If he has his keyboard plugged into that controller, and they both need that irq at the same time that would indeed cause his trouble.

 

[LTC8K6]

Sharing IRQ's is perfectly normal with modern OS's and mobos. There is nothing wrong with it at all and it causes no problems.

The "IRQ not less than" stuff is not an IRQ conflict.

 

[Jiggz]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
Sharing IRQ's is perfectly normal with modern OS's and mobos. There is nothing wrong with it at all and it causes no problems.

The "IRQ not less than" stuff is not an IRQ conflict.

Not according to MS Knowledge Base. Sure it's not purely IRQ because it could also be a bad ram or bad drivers. Check this IRQ

 

[LTC8K6]

The error is very common and has been discussed here very often.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
The error is very common and has been discussed here very often.

Well clearly you weren't paying attention then.

 

[TimeKeeper]

Just curious, do you happen to have many USB devices?
Instead of looking into the IRQ.

Go to "Device by type"
expand "Universal Serial Bus Controllers"
double click on "USB ROOT hub"
go to "power"

Realize the total power available: 500 mA per port?
Make sure all your device's total power requirement does NOT exceed 500mA

ex:
My stupid web cam draw 500 mA by itself and every time I activate the bluetooth receiver, one of them doesn't seem to function properly.
Then I went to buy a AC-powered USB hub, just for that stupid web cam.


second option:
If you are using SATA drive. Have it connected to other port (1/2 to 3/4 or vice versa) where it doesn't share IRQ w/ your Network Bus emulator.

third option:
According to your manual:
AGP/ PCI 1 share irq
PCI2/ PCI 5 share irq
PCI 3 and PCI 4 appear to be independent. BUT it must share w/ either the SATA controller, or onboard sound , or onboard NIC.

switch PCI slot on your Audigy. That might help to "re-arrange" your IRQ hence your Video card will NOT be sharing IRQ w/ NIC


I can't say this will fix your problem, but wouldn't hurt to try.

 

[AJeightFive]

Thanks for the input everyone. Here are the measures I've taken so far:

- Disabled both IEEE 1394 Controllers since I was only using one Firewire device which I can use with USB anyway
- Disabled the second NIC since I no longer have two internet connections
- Disabled the communications port
- Physically rearanged my USB devices to ensure none of them were exceeding the 500mA limit on any one HUB.
- Reset the transfer mode on my HD to Serial ATA DMA from PIO (not sure how this was changed without me touching it).

Now my resources look like this:

(ISA) 0 System Timer
(ISA) 1 Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
(ISA) 6 Standard floppy disk controller
(ISA) 8 System CMOS/real time clock
(ISA) 9 Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System
(ISA) 12 Microsoft PS/2 Port Mouse (IntelliPoint)
(ISA) 13 Numeric data processor
(PCI) 7 NVIDIA nForce PCI System Management
(PCI) 14 NVIDIA nForce3 250 Prallel ATA Controller (v2.6)
(PCI) 15 NVIDIA nForce3 250 Prallel ATA Controller (v2.6)
(PCI) 16 NVIDIA GeForce 6800GT
(PCI) 19 Creative SB Audigy 2 (WDM)
(PCI) 20 NVIDIA nForce 3 250 Serial ATA Controller (v2.6)
(PCI) 21 NVIDIA Network Bus Enumerator
(PCI) 21 Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller
(PCI) 22 Realtek AC'97 Audio
(PCI) 22 Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller
(PCI) 23 NVIDIA nForce 3 250 Serial ATA Controller (v2.6)
(PCI) 23 Standard Enchanced PCI to USB Host Controller

Now I'm wondering if I can disable the SATA Controller on IRQ20, since I only have one SATA drive and it appears to be connected through the SATA Controller on IRQ23.

 

[TimeKeeper]

Now I'm wondering if I can disable the SATA Controller on IRQ20, since I only have one SATA drive and it appears to be connected through the SATA Controller on IRQ23.

You can disable it from BIOS. (I am not quite sure in your case, but 2 other NF4 mobo I am using can diable it in the BIOS)
But since you have nothing on your SATA port 3/4 that is sharing IRQ w/ your network emulator, you shouldn't have to worry about it.

Now it does looks good....go ahead and play your game, see if problem still occur.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: TimeKeeper

Now I'm wondering if I can disable the SATA Controller on IRQ20, since I only have one SATA drive and it appears to be connected through the SATA Controller on IRQ23.

You can disable it from BIOS. (I am not quite sure in your case, but 2 other NF4 mobo I am using can diable it in the BIOS)
But since you have nothing on your SATA port 3/4 that is sharing IRQ w/ your network emulator, you shouldn't have to worry about it.

Now it does looks good....go ahead and play your game, see if problem still occur.

Yes, he can disable the other SATA controller, but I agree with you. It's fine just the way it is now.

It's time for a few hours of gaming, and hopefully they will be problem free now.