3d intensive games/apps hang, help.

[Paradox]

Ok, heres my problem... after running Q3, UT, or any MadOnion benchmark for a few min, my comp will randomly hang up. Resulting in me cursing at the computer, and resetting it.

Some other stuff that happens:

The music in the MadOnion benchmarks continue.
No visual distortion at all.
In Q3, there is about 1second of sound constantly being looped.

Some more info: The G400 gets IRQ 10 for itself. I'm using the latest drivers, and even tried the latest certified drivers.


Help!

[wiggo]

Are you doing any overclocking? And what OS are you using?

[ayoub_ibrahim]

does it only hang with intensive cpu usage? if affirmative, would tend to suggest a heat releated problem!

[Paradox]

I don't think overclocking is the problem:
TBird 800mhz(default speed) = 3d apps hang
850-950 = 3d apps hang

Ram: I've run my PC100 ram up to 124mhz, CAS 2(very stable! I had the G400 at this time too) before when i had a BX mobo.
current CAS rating: 3

Motherboard: ABIT KT7-RAID, I used the RAM guide found at <a href="http://www.casema.net/~howland/kt7faq/faqram.html"> www.casema.net/~howland/kt7faq/faqram.html </a> to set my ram to the "Safest RAM setting".. still no luck.

OS: I'm using Winblows 98 SE

The wierd thing is that sound still plays during the hang-up.

[Paradox]

Thanks for the quick responses.

Heat shouldn't be a problem, since i'm using a peltier + waterblock combo.

Idle temps: 3-8degrees celsius
Running D.net after 24hours+: 43degrees celsius

I don't think the cpu is a problem, since I'm able to run D.net for days at a time. It only hangs in 3d applications, and when it hangs, sound continues.

[TTCharon]

Paradox

Well.. It sounds pretty familiar!

You might wanna check this thread: http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum4/HTML/004186.html

It may not be your problem. But it could help you troubleshoot!

BTW. I'm still having some lockups (3D Only) and the only way I can solve it, is by rebooting (Coldbooting) my machine until it solves itself!?! Weird! I'm quite sure that it is some AGP instability prob!

TTCharon



------------------
Abit BE6-2 (Rev 1.1), P3-600E@800(6x133/4), 192mb MCT 8ns CAS3, G400MAX(OC'ed 110%), SBLIVE, AHA 2940AU, WDC 4.3, WDC 6.4, IBM GXP34 20.5, Mitsumi FX48, Yamaha 4416S, Zyxel Prestige 100IH, 3Com 905C-TX On W98SE, DX 7.0a, PD 5.55

[xhktm]

hi,
Im not sure if this can help but try it anyway, i have similar problems in quake 2 and i found out that sometimes the computer isnt really froze, its just the game not responding and therefore causing the sound card to still make sound. what i do is this -play quake2 in windowed mode(not fullscreen) and tab+alt will work properly when it stuffs up, then simply use ctrl+alt+del, click the quake2(not responding) and close it. I know this isnt really a good solution but at least you wont have to reset the pc.
By the way, your problem might not be exactly the same as mine. Here is the difference:
- i have G200(not G400)
- problem occurs less frequently if runing software mode instead of opengl.
- problem occurs more frequently if playing multiplayer quake 2 on internet
- problem occurs more frequently if downloading something and playing in opengl at same time but not if playing in software.
- sometimes its just the game not responding
- sometimes its the actual computer itself frozen(so the above solution wont work in this case)

[xhktm]

oh yeh i also have quake3 and the same problem occurs.
Right now im downloading all these drivers and certified drivers from the matrox website to try fix the problem.

[archangle]

Same problem here, Kingpin & Half-Life randomly lock up inbetween 10-30 minutes of gameplay. Locks up less if G400 DH is not O/Ced.

I'm running Athlon 500@650 on K7M, W2K, G400 DH all hte latest bios/drivers/patches.

[antdude]

In case it is a heat problem or not, try running cpuburn: http://users.ev1.net/~redelm/

see if it still crashes your system. I had the same symptoms and found out it was my heat problem (thermal pad!) and my old motherboard (DFI).

[archangle]

Just figuerd out my problem, down clocked from 500@650 to 500 and it's stable. I can even O/C the G400 V hard and it's fine.

I took apart my cpu to find that the contact between the cache chips and the heatsink was massive and simply filled with thermal paste. The thermal paste had started to ease out of the gap meaning that there wasn't enough cooling...

My core is rated at 650 & it used to run at 700 stable, maby I should get that new fan

[archangle]

Paradox,

your problem sounds just like mine. Because the CPU cahce was at fault, the sound would continually loop at the point it crashed, this means that it gets no new instructions to change the sound being prossed, same with the graphics card. There both fine.

You've O/Ced like I had, I was running Athlon 500@700 for 2-3 months then at 650 for 2-3 months, now it won't stay stable at that speed because my cache has been damaged (still works fine at 500). Heat damage from O/Cing can take a long time to effect the tollerences that the chips can take.

I want to upgrade soon anyway, just got a better reason to now.