My system crashes/freezes only when playing a game

sygyzy

Lifer
Oct 21, 2000
14,001
4
76
It never ever crashes when I am not using a game. I am overclocking a E6400 CPU and I can run Pi and all those stress tests all day long and not a problem. But 15 seconds into a full screen game, even something as simple and outdated as Evil Genius, the sound starts stuttering then a second later, total lockup. I am using a X1900 that is NOT overclocked and I have an aftermarket HSF on there. I get strange lines through the game sometimes, like diagonal artifacts.

How can I tell if this is due to the CPU overclock or if there's an issue with the ATI X1900 card?

Maybe I applied the heatsink wrong? What is a good temp range a GPU should stay in?

Thanks in advance for any help you can share.
 

stipalgl

Member
Jul 17, 2008
118
0
0
My first assumption would be the video card. If you're running stress tests and passing, yet encountering trouble with games, then the GPU is exhibiting signs of age. It's not always a matter of overclocking or temperatures, sometimes products just kick the bucket.

If you have a spare video card laying around, perhaps swapping it with the X1900 and running a few games (any will do) to see if the problem persists may aid in weeding out the issue.

My other instinct is to suspect the RAM may be causing the issue. A case of overcloced RAM, poor settings ( ie. divider ratios, etc.) may also attribute to lockups and crashes, especially in games.

Again, if you have extra RAM sticks laying around, perhaps swap them, or better yet, if you have many sticks, take them out one at a time and test for stability, systematically targetting which stick may be corrupt.
 

TJCS

Senior member
Nov 3, 2009
861
0
71
Since only your CPU is oc'ed why don't you restore bios setting to default spec settings to determine if your OC is causing the problem? This should be one of the most basic troubleshooting steps you take.

edit: Not sure why I didn't read your post correctly the first time, but diagonal artifacts and the other symptoms that you mentioned all points to a hardware failure problem.
 
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lifeblood

Senior member
Oct 17, 2001
999
88
91
It really sounds like the video card, specifically when the computer goes into 3D mode. That would explain the fact that only games trigger it.

Try to beg, borrow, or steal a newer video card and run it.
 

Ben90

Platinum Member
Jun 14, 2009
2,866
3
0
Yea it sounds almost 100% like a vcard issue, my guess would be VRAM
 

ronopp

Senior member
Dec 2, 2002
290
14
81
I have had the same issue when ONLY gaming...switched back to onboard and problems went away..........my .02...:)