Strange crash happening

[XmarkstheSpot]

Hi all, pirst fost here.

I've been experiencing a strange new crash lately, and I want to know if anyone has had this before, or has any idea of whatever the hell that is.

It seems to happen while playing MOHPA (medal of honor pacific assault) or a game that really taxes the video hardware (DooM 3 and Half-Life 2 don't make it crash like this). The crash never occurs in windows, doom 3, half life 2 or anything like that.

It happens while playing, the game is going normally, then the screen turns all sorts of scrambled colors (the image disappears completely, it's not a badly rendered image, it's NOT an image at all, it's squares of many colors). This stays on for maybe half a second. Then the screen turns black. Then the screen acts like it's not plugged in the computer. The computer does not reboot or turn off, it is unresponsive to all commands but still on. And the screen acts like it's been turned off (that same static noise you hear when you shut down a TV or any CRT display).

Forgot to mention this usually happens after a while of playing, usually some 15 odd minutes, up to 30 minutes. Never in the same place however.

I'm doubtful it's a cooling issue. If you think it is mention it, but it's doubtful, not that I have such great cooling, but it's just that the videocard's massive heat sink and fan pretty much take care of cooling that.

My theory is that my terrible POWMAX 350W power supply isn't doing its job correctly, and when it hits a peak of power because of some particular activity, the +12V can't give enough power ( I think there's only about 140W on the +12V on this garbage power supply! ), crashing everything. Why it happens in MOHPA is a mystery, but probably due to the fact that it's an ancient engine pushed to the extreme limit and probably not all that well thought out.

Those garbage low quality power supplies always have all the power on the 3.3V and 5V.

Anyone thinks anything different before I throw out 100$+ for a (quality) power supply?

Remember that 6800GTs have a secondary 12V plug! They don't draw all their power from the mobo!

If you need specs:

Mobo: ASUS P4C800 deluxe
CPU: Pentium 4 2.6GHz C
RAM: 512mb (I don't remember timing and all)
Video: Leadtek Winfast A400 GT TDH (nvidia Geforce6800 GT)
Various:
A DVD burner (Plextor PX-708A)
A DVD reader (Some Sony thing)
A floppy drive
A network card

Well, thanks to anyone who can figure out what that problem is about! And all who are about to try too!

 

[meltdown75]

It is strange if it only does it during one game. Have you checked with MOHAA😛A's forums or website (EA Games I am guessing)? Could be a game-specific issue. I'd have to say that if it didn't happen in D3 or HL2, which stress the system pretty good respectively, that it must be a game issue.

However what it does to your monitor is kinda funky. Sounds like you are leaning in the right direction when you think it is a power issue. 350W is fine for your setup but you want 350W of quality power and you ain't gonna get that from Powmax IMHO.

edit: LOL... I typed MOHAA": PA" and it came out as the tongue face. heheh

 

[XmarkstheSpot]

Update: It does that with Chronicles of Riddick too, now.

It's an annoying problem to say the least. Thanks for your suggesting.

 

[meltdown75]

Ok. Well, at least now your initial troubleshooting path is set. Try upgrading your power supply... Like I said, there is nothing wrong with 350W. But get an Enermax or something - better yet you can check Asus' website for recommended power supply manufacturers, although last time I checked the list seemed a little in need of updating. You can always refer to the system builder's guides here on the AT forums and you will find a multitude of great suggestions that are tried & true. Good luck & let me know how you make out! 🙂

 

[VisableAssassin]

I have a crash that is similar to yours with my BFG 6800GT its strange since itll run for hours on end playing HL2,doom3 CS:S whatever...hell itll run 3dmark 2k1 with out a hiccup...but once I go into the control panel and set my AA and AF to "off" then run 3d mark itll give me a garbled screen..its weird. I know its not a PSU issue since theres no way Im taxing a PCP&C 510 Express with my system

 

[XmarkstheSpot]

Well I've been scouting about and I think I'm going to go with either an Antec Truepower 480W or an OCZ 420W.

VisableAssassin: Does the screen become many colors, then turn black but the computer stays on?

And you're saying this only happens when AA and AF are set on OFF? So you say when you set them to anything other than off it works fine?

 

[XmarkstheSpot]

Oh boy am I retard or what.

I pressed reset last time it crashed, and I noticed that the computer would not restart immediately, that it had to be left a little while off before it would restart. This = heat.

I restarted and I saw the videocard core temp at 80 degrees celsius, and that is after a restart, a while off and a disk scan. I knew something was wrong.

When I burned my first Athlon CPU, I burned it before my EXPENSIVE THERMALTAKE fan jammed on its second day of operation. I figured somthing similar must have happened.

Leadtek cards have an enormous, massive copper cooler, so I immediately assumed it couldn't be heat. Wrong. The Leadtek cards have some sort of netting over the fan to prevent dust from clogging the fan. A very neat and good idea. However if the dust doesn't get in the fan, it stays stuck in the net. And when the net is full, air doesn't get to the copper cooler anymore.

When I opened up the PC, I saw a nice, thick layer of dust over that netting. I undid it, used my trusty air can and blew it off. Lo and behold, just played Riddick for a few hours and everything works fine. When I took out the card I thought I was going to burn myself.

Goddamn haunted house. There's dust everywhere.

Lessons learned:
-Check Leadtek card fans at least once every three months.

I'm still gonna invest in that damned power supply, that Powmax thing is a joke.