Program Crash

[alanbates]

I just got a new computer yesterday,

AMD 2.6
Kingston 512 RAM DDR400 (PC3200)
Asus A7N8X nForce2 mother board
MSI GeForce FX 5200 128mb

I was playing NFS: Underground at FULL graphic settings and it ran excellently, I was pleased. But after playing for about 15 minutes the program crashed and I got kicked backed into windows. After it happened a few times I checked my processor temp, it was about 50C, which i was told is still ok.
So I am thinking that my graphics card was the thing that overheated, i have a similar experience with my old Creative Banshee 16mb card. Any comments? For my Banshee i had screwed a mini fan on the heatsink and it was fine after that. Should I try this here too? I'm a bit reluctant because this is NEW.


Also my RAM's frequency clocks at 200 megahertz. Isnt it supposed to be 400? I checked the CMOS and had alternated the setting between "Auto" and "By SPD". When on "By SPD" it clocks at 200, and on "Auto" it clocks at 133. Anything else I should try?

Thanks a bundle

 

[alanbates]

Forgot to add that my program crash problem goes away when I leave my casing open...

thanks again

 

[AnonymouseUser]

How many fans do you have in your case, and are they all spinning with the correct direction of airflow?
Does the video card have a fan, and does it spin?
Is there a PCI card installed in the PCI slot directly beside the AGP slot?

The RAM runs @ 200 MHz, but since it is DDR it technically runs @ 400 MHz (hence the name Double Data Rate).

 

[alanbates]

Thanks for the RAM answer, makes a lot of sense.

I currently have a Cooler Master XDream II FAN on my processor and another casing fan more or less next to it. So airflow for the processor is good.

There is no fan on the VGA card. I was thinking of DIY-ing a small one on it myself. Maybe a fan from a old CPU unit.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Originally posted by: alanbates
I currently have a Cooler Master XDream II FAN on my processor and another casing fan more or less next to it. So airflow for the processor is good.

There is no fan on the VGA card. I was thinking of DIY-ing a small one on it myself. Maybe a fan from a old CPU unit.

Did you build this yourself, or is it an "off the shelf" computer? If the latter, what brand/model?
Any other case fans (eg, lower front)?
What power supply (brand/model/wattage)?

 

[alanbates]

sorry, i should have thought about giving theseinfo.
its a self build PC, as in i chose the parts.

No more Fans, just 1 casing fan at the back and the CPU fan.
Unfortunately the casing doesnt have any vents to put a fan in the front. unless i bore a hole in the casing itself.
Not sure what the brand of the power supply is, but it is a 480watt

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Originally posted by: alanbates
sorry, i should have thought about giving theseinfo.
its a self build PC, as in i chose the parts.

No more Fans, just 1 casing fan at the back and the CPU fan.
Unfortunately the casing doesnt have any vents to put a fan in the front. unless i bore a hole in the casing itself.
Not sure what the brand of the power supply is, but it is a 480watt

The lack of a fan in the front may cause the graphics card to overheat, if the PSU + rear fan doesn't provide adequate ventilation. Does the rear fan blow in or out (preferably out)? You may want to invest in a PCI-slot fan or add a fan to the video card if you need the additional airflow (haven't determined this to be the cause yet, but is likely).

 

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally posted by: alanbates
Forgot to add that my program crash problem goes away when I leave my casing open...

thanks again

You've answered your own question .... its a temp problem! Is the fan blowing onto your CPU fan or is it blowing out? If you're relying on a software temp/voltage monitoring program from windows, they are notoriously not all that accurate. Next crash, check temps in your bios. If you're sure you've got the heatsink installed correctly with the right amount of thermal paste, consider improving the airflow by adding an exhaust fan at the back. Also, take this for what it is ... I heard once from someone and I can't remember who .... that a fan blowing directly ON your cpu fan can disrupt the normal airflow because it can flex the fan blades :shocked: and create an overheating problem.

 

[alanbates]

hmmm, the fan is pulling air out.
i'll try a few things and then post feedback on it.

Thanks for all the help

 

[blodhi74]

Originally posted by: alanbates
hmmm, the fan is pulling air out.

it should be blowing air towards the CPU/heatsink also you stated that you have AMD 2.6 .... is it a 2600+ or is clocked @ 2.6 .... you also need good air circulation in the case intake/exhust

 

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally posted by: blodhi74

Originally posted by: alanbates
hmmm, the fan is pulling air out.

it should be blowing air towards the CPU/heatsink also you stated that you have AMD 2.6 .... is it a 2600+ or is clocked @ 2.6 .... you also need good air circulation in the case intake/exhust

The fan should definately be blowing air in at that location .... I guess it wasn't clear that my comment about the case fan blowing on the hsf was supposed to be "one of those things you hear" that you don't put any stock in.

You should have at least one good fan blowing in at the front or side of the case and one blowing out at the back of the case .... preferably towards the top as heat rises. This is critical for proper airflow .... which is just as important in keeping things cool as a good quality HSF. If all you do is move the air in, but don't have an adequate way to get it all out .... heat within the case will still build up significantly. The same is true in hot weather, or putting your tower inside that cabinet that many computer desks have. Let your baby breathe and she'll settle down!