Posted: 1/7/2004 6:31:58 PM EDT
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Okay guys, I'm stumped on this one so I need your help. I've got a computer I built myself that after a year and a half of spotless use is now giving me problems. The following is the general configuration: Dual Athlon XP processors AMD762-W627HF system board 512 MB memory NVIDIA GeForce4Ti 4200 Fully patched Windows XP Pro OS The problem only manifests itself when playing a game. In this instance it's been America's Army and Ghost Recon (those are the only two I've been playing lately). After a few minutes of playing, I get a "No Signal" message on the screen and have to hard boot the system. It's not just a video problem because all game sounds stop along with the video so I can only belive that the OS is locked up. Additionally the Event Log shows no errors at all, just the normal services starting during the reboot. Most folks will ask what did I change on the system recently. The answer is the replacement of my old CRT monitor with a Viewsonic VA720. I've changed the driver back to the old plug and play driver but still the problem persists. I can't believe that the new LCD panel is the cause of the problem but I'm loosing all my patience here after racking my brain. It's a case of beer (your choice) on me if you can solve this problem. Please help before I use my Bushy on this damned thing!! E-95 |
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Six Gun, Yea, as a matter of fact I replaced my 300 watt with a 400 about two months ago. I knew I was a little short on power when I first built it but I was also a little short on cash (got spent on an RAS [:D]). And I've also got the latest drivers from NVIDIA's site. E-95 |
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Paul, The funny thing is that the system remains powered up when this little mystery event occurs. While I know hardware and software well (I'm a network engineer) I've always been a little week on electrical. Do you guys think that it might be a bad power supply that manifested itself coincidentally at the same time I replaced the monitor? E-95 |
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With two AMD processors, heat might be the problem. When you added the new monitor, did you move the computer or move anything close to the air intakes? A couple of years ago I moved an AMD system closer to a heat duct after replacing a keyboard since the new keyboard cable was shorter, and for the longest time I assumed the problem was related to the keyboard. Of course, connecting the old keyboard back up didn't fix the problem. I finally noticed the CPU temp screen in the BIOS by accident and noticed it was very high. Moving it away from the 110 degree airflow fixed the problem. Also, the computer runs hotter when playing games than when idle. That could cause it to lock-up only when playing games. You might want to run a memory test program or something else CPU intensive for an extended period of time to see if that will also trip-off the problem. Other than that, it really could be anything, but sixgunsblazing has the right idea to check the power supply. With two processors, you need a good one.z |
| look closely at all the capacitors on your mother board. I'm pretty sure you will find one or several that are bulging. When the system heats up due to the heavy gaming demands it will either lock up or reboot itself. My bet is replace the mother board and your troubles will disappear. It isn't a Gigabyte brand board is it? |
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Quoted: Make sure that all of your cooling fans are working. You don't have the CPU nxt to a heater or a heat vent outlet? We may have a winner! I checked the CPU, case, and power supply fans but I completely forgot about the video card since the card is inverted and the fan is on the bottom. I had to put my head on the floor and look up from the underside and . . . sure enough the fan is not turning. KA3B, just tell me how much for your choice of beer, IM me your address, and I'll shoot you a check if this fixes the problem. I'll let you know in a couple of days after I replace the heat sink and fan. E-95 |
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Okay, I'm going to pick up one of these: [img]http://www.thermaltake.com/images/coolers/chipset/a1349/g4a.jpg[/img] It's the only one I could find that is specifically designed for GeForce4Ti 4200. I'll let you know how it turned out and thanks to everyone for the help. I knew I could count on my ARFCOM bros. E-95 |
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Quoted: Quoted: It isn't a Gigabyte brand board is it? Yea, as a matter of fact it is. I have the feeling you're going to tell me something bad here. E-95 Nope, no bad. They are good boards, but they seem to be a bit more prone to overheating problems. I would replace the heatsink/fan that stopped working first and if that doesn't fix the problem I would replace the mother board next. Always do the cheapest stuff first. Let us know how it goes! |