Newly built system crashing . . . help!

[Rebel1022]

I hope this is the right place to post this . . .

I have just built a athlon 1.2Ghz, 256 ddr, Raedon LE video with tv out. When I run Soldier of Fortune after a couple minutes I loose my video . . . the monitor just acts like I disconnected it and the computer locks up. The sound continues to play.

I can run Quake III with no problems.

ANy suggestions?

thanks

 

[Jvolm]

Standard questions...

Do you have the most recent drivers?

Anything else running in the background? (virus scanner, software firewall, anything in the system tray, etc)

Are you OC'd?

Any other time that it crashes? Other games (not just SOF), apps other than games?

 

[dowxp]

i think its only a vid problem, not oc or background..

does solider of fortune run opengl? try another game or another vid card. try to pinpoint the problem rather than stabbing at it in the dark.

 

[Rebel1022]

I can run Quake III with no problems as well as run DVDs with no problems. I am currently downloading the newest drivers, but the ones that I have are new as of Feb 2, 2001.

Yes SOF run OpenGL.

There is NOTHING running in the background.

I tried changing from 4x to 2x mode on the agp port, but got same results. I also ran several different resolutions.

 

[dowxp]

if SOL is the only OpenGL game crashing, then its the game. reinstall it.

 

[Jvolm]

How about the aperature settings? Could that be set too low?

Barring that, tho, based on your answers, I'd go with Bangsailio; probably the game. Reinstall it.

 

[Rebel1022]

Yeah i reinstalled SOF and now I still crash, but it just locks instead of loosing the display.

AGP apature I increased to 128.

I am going to install half-life and see what kind of results that i get.

The system seems to run pretty flawlessly other than with SOF.

Does anyone know of a good system stability tester or benchmarking program?

Thanks for the help!

 

[nortexoid]

what u do is DECREASE the aperature...try 8M, or even 4M...
it happened to me on a Savage 2K video card, and this alleviated the rpoblem.

try disabling SBA and FW...also, disable the registry hack for HyperZ (even tho its only for D3D as far as i'm aware)...try AGP 1X...(there really is a tremendously small delta between 1X and 4X)..

also, if all else fails, install the OpenGL drivers for your video card (u know what i'm talking about, non?)...what 3d engine does that game run on?..try another game using the same engine if u can..

 

[Rebel1022]

Ok I tried installing the new drivers and I thought that is worked . . . I did not have problem for awhile, but eventually it locked up again. It definately seems to be better at least the delay in the amount of time before lock up, but still locking up.

Half Life was also locking, but I think maybe only after SOF had locked up. I dont think that I have gotten it to lock first on its on after a reboot. Actually Half-Life is locking up on its own.

I am not sure what engine SOF uses.

I am not sure exactly how to just install the OpenGL drivers for my video card or disable the other two items you mentioned (SBA and FW).

Thanks

 

[nortexoid]

i assume powerstrip can enable/disable Side Band Addressing (SBA) and Fast-writes (FW), otherwise, often a registry settings does it (for my 751+Geforce anyway)

u can confirm the status of SBA, FW, AGP, and Aperature Size in WCPUID or powerstrip i beleive. (i don't actually use powerstrip, but from what i hear)..

for downloading only the opengl drivers for your card, go here

 

[Jvolm]

If other games are crashing, too, I'd get OpenGL drivers. That's prob the problem.

 

[Rebel1022]

Well . . . I am downloading the OpenGl drivers now.

I installed the newest Radeon Drivers, the newest VIA drivers, and neither fixed the problem.

The problem is with Half-Life and Soldier of Fortune, but NOT Quake III demo or DVD's.

I have adjusted the aperature and speed from 1x 2x 4x. Any aperature under like 32mb gives me invalid page faults.

Thanks for the help . . . again.

 

[Rebel1022]

Ok . . . I tried to install the OpenGl drivers with the setup program and when it got to the end of the download and started installing the files it crashed with a invalid page fault error. Now what?

:|

 

[Jvolm]

Ouch!

Page fault just installing video drivers?

Try removing the card from the hardware profile, switch it back to standard VGA, and reboot. Then, look for anything that looks like it might be video related (OpenGL stuff, etc). Then, reinstall the latest drivers for the card. It's a longshot, but maybe windows just has some garbage in the driver set for the card.

My only other suggestions would be reinstall DirectX, or fdisk /mbr.

 

[Rebel1022]

In case anyone is interested I deleted the adapter from this system properties menu then finally installed the ATI Radeon Beta drivers and now it appears to be working fine . . . no locks or errors yet . . . I dont think I am going to try installing the new OpenGL Drivers right now.

 

[nortexoid]

don't install them until need be...it won't hurt however, it'll just waste your time...

still working?

note: don't bios flash that LE to a regular DDR or u'll lose t.v.-out

 

[Rebel1022]

Still working!!

nortexoid, I actually have another LE that does not have the tv out and I would LOVE to know where to get the bios flash. I saw someone metion that somewhere else, but they did not metion anywhere to get It and i have not had much luck trying to find it.