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Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2011 11:28 pm
by Stu
:gah:

ok so - this is what I've done.

-Reseated RAM
-Checked CPU seating
-Checked GPU seating

Updated installed new Nvidia Drivers.

Installed 4 new 120 mm fans

Demonstrated by my brilliant graphical illustration the fan placement and directional flow!

I'm updating to SP1 Win 7 and will check this again... Edit - Checked SP1 same situation. Game loads can play for about 40 - 50 seconds then freeze of death.

done some subsiquent research and it appears that this is a card issue... If I stand to be corrected. I don't have anyone who lives in my vacinity who could test the card... Duiwel? would u test it for me in your box?

Let me know

Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:05 am
by Paul
Just because you are having such a kak time with your PC I am not going to inform the depths of wrongness with which you spelt demonstrated.

Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:22 am
by Phatso
Stu, if that GFX card temp is while a game is running or just after, thats perfectly fine. 60-70 degree's is fine even when under load.

Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:37 am
by Megageth
Stu if noone closer can test it, you can bring it round to my spot. I have the GTX260 running so no driver change necessary.

Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 8:46 am
by J_Th4ng
Good to see that you've got some good airflow going there, Stu. I would probably take one of the fans off the top of the case and mount it in front (if there is a mounting for a second fan) blowing air in.

What to try next?

Have you tried different driver versions? Have you tried other games to see if they cause the same issues? Does 3DMark and Furmark work okay?

I'd agre that it's a GPU issue, but not sure yet whether it's hardware or software related. Lee ran this card for two years without issue, so I'd check software problems first i.e. drivers, reinstall Windows etc.

You wanted to install the 64bit version of Win7 anyway, this might be a good reason to do it.

Finally, when you first took the PC home, I thought that it was running BC2 just fine? I thought that for the first couple of nights it was running okay?

Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 9:49 am
by SlipperyDuck
now that you've got excellent cooling (Kudo's on the setup)

Try running Furmark..... Furmark is a tool that stresses your GFX WAY MORE than any game ever will.... in fact it's designed to send your GFX card utilization to absolute MAX and heat it up as much as possible.

If Furmark freezes your machine, then you may have a problem with power supply to the GFX card.....
Not sure if your power supply is dual or single rail, if it's a Dual Rail setup, you will need to have the six pin connector comming from the same rail as your hard drives n all that, then the 8 pin connector on a rail ALL OF ITs OWN.

If it's Single Rail, then theres no problem with power, you will need to look at software..

As suggested above, the best setup from my experience (I have a Q9450 and used to have the GTX280) is Windows 7 x64 Fresh install, fully updated 1st with no pagefile on the system drive, but rather on an alternate drive.

Don't load any "funny" programs that load system drivers to emulate hardware - like daemon tools - or this will cause problems that cannot be explained.

anyway, lots of things that can be looked at and tried.
1st step now after cooling is Furmark to stress the card and see what happens. *note the card will get VERY HOT, it's designed to operate at 100°C, but good-enough Temp under stress is in the 90-96°C range.

Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:06 am
by Stu
BFBC2 was working perfectly from when I received the build for 5 to 6 days no issues

ok Cool thanks for the pointers fella's

I seem to have misplaced my 64 bit installation. But I will have a look at it!

@ LEE no Daemon 'Tools'? I did recently install this? Could this really cause this?

@ Geth I may take you up on your offer. I have a wedding to attend so it may only be during the evening after work next week some time if that suites you?

Anyone else second the power issue? Thanks for the feedback chaps go lots more digging around to do.

Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:10 am
by flycatchr
2nded

Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:32 am
by J_Th4ng
PSU is single rail: http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6643

There should not be any power issues whatsoever with your setup. That's a 750W single rail PSU, you should be capable of running SLI with that monster.

Re: GFX Failure

Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2011 10:33 am
by SlipperyDuck
@ LEE no Daemon 'Tools'? I did recently install this? Could this really cause this?


Yes, and YES - emphatic YES

Daemon Tools on Win7 = bad news

Think back, did the problems start once you installed Daemon tools? - I know the answer is yes, coz, I've experienced the same thing....

Problem though is, now that daemon tools is installed, uninstall does not get rid of the SPTD driver (SCSI Pass-Through Direct).
SPTD will stay in your system forever... Need to format re-install