Legit Reviews

Ok, so here is the problem..certain programs are causing my pc to completely crash (hard shutdown required). Either my screen locks and whatever sound was on loops continuously, or my entire screen gets replaced with weird diagonal lines, or a combination of both. This happens with Google Earth (won't even start), sometimes with C&C Generals (especially with certain mods in use), and with the Flight Sim X demo. Below are the specs on my pc.

Vid Card - Albatron PC6600Q GeForce 6600 256MB DDR PCI Express x16
PSU - Antec TruePower Trio 650W
MB - ABIT AW8D (975X Intel chipset)
CPU - Pentium D 820 Smithfield (2.8 GHz / LGA 775)
RAM - Corsair ValueSelect 1GB (2x512) 240-pin DDR2 533 (4200)
HDD - WD 250GB SATA 3.0, WB 120GB PATA
Optical Drives - Lite-on DVD+-R (DL), CD-RW
OS - XP Pro SP2
Monitor - Samsung SyncMaster 913v
Additional Control - Silicon Image SiI 0680 ATA/133 Controller (as the board only has one PATA connection)

I've downloaded the latest driver updates, am fully updated on Windows Updates. I've tried lowering my resolution, refresh rate, and color quality. I've gone through the dxdiag for directx 9.0c and have had no errors found.
The only overclocking done on this machine is through the uGuru util which came with the MB. The crash occurs regardless of whether I'm overclocking and regardless of how long the computer is on...I don't see how it could be anything overheating.

If anyone has any fixes I would greatly appreciate it! Need more info, just ask I would be happy to provide.

Just found out that the Folding@Home software causes a complete crash with the screen showing the odd lines. Looks like I won't be adding to the LR folding group just yet...hopefully someone knows how to fix this.

Thanks,
Coop

Which version of F@H are you running?

Depending on the version, it might be that if you want to fold you will have to just turn the folding program off whenever you want to play games/3d apps.

Dan

Sorry, I probably wasn't clear. I can't fold period. I was doing nothing else. I just installed Fold@Home and after it installed and let me set the options it locked up the entire computer. This is not the case of it doing that while I was trying to game. It won't do either.

Thanks.

That's not a F@H issue. Sounds like either a Windows issue or a Graphical Drivers issue or Hardware, perhaps a PSU issue.

I would agree that it is not the software that is the problem...those are just the only programs that this problem is occurring with. FSX (Demo), C&C Generals, Folding@Home.

I have the newest drivers from NVidia, and I have a PSU that has shown no other problems. I also have an Antec PSU tester and my PSU shows no problems.

Could it be that my surge protector is not providing enough power? I'm going to be away the rest of the day, but I may try plugging straight into the wall to see if that is the problem. If anyone else has any ideas I would greatly appreciate it.

is your vid card oced at all?

My graphics card has never been oc'd.

Also, tried using different surge protector (i.e., plugged straight into the wall) no better still crashing.

Is there any way to test my video card (other than the dxdiag.exe tests that already came back all clean) to tell if it is bad?
I don't want to just buy another video card because I won't be able to return it if that is not the problem.

I could be way off base here, but the first thing that popped into my mind when reading your original post is CPU overheating.
Didn't all the Pentium D's run really "warm"?

I know my wife's PC will sometimes do the same thing as yours after about an hour's worth of Crysis.
She's running a D 945.

Just a thought for ya.

As for testing your video card ...
Sticking it into another machine would be the easiest way to test it I suppose.

if you want to test your vidcard then download 3dmark 06 from the guru 3d website. good all around strees test and benchmark

The best (and probably easiest) way to test your graphics card is to grab ATITool, and run it's built in artifact scanner.

Dan