I don't understand this...stability problem again

[CrazeD]

Well, after I changed my RAM timings a bit I'm stable at 2.4GHz according to prime95. Around 13 hours with 0 errors, 0 warnings. However, sometimes while playing BF2 the sound will all of a sudden loop, my screen freezes, and then goes black and the light goes orange. The PC is still running, and I can still hear people on team speak, but I can't do anything except restart.

WTF?!! My RAM isn't even running at the rated speed, it's at 156MHz (it's DDR400) and the timings are 3.0-4-4-8 2T.

I don't understand?

 

[King X13]

sounds like a video card problem aside from the sound loop...is that oced?

 

[CrazeD]

Yeah, slightly. But it happened before I OC'ed it.

Could dodgy RAM do this?

 

[King X13]

if your running everything oced, cpu, ram, vid card, etc., it could be creating a heat issue, maybe even a power issue i dont know what psu you got.

ram issue would most likely happen prior to booting, and under your stress test if it were to be it, so it leads me to stray away from that being the issue. maybe even loosen the timings up to 4-4-4-12, i dont know what they are supposed to be but maybe they are to tight.


try running everything at stock settings for a couple of days and stress it and play games and see if it continues.

ive had the kinda of issue your talking about with my ati card when i increased the voltage, and i also got that when i decreased it to much when i was playing around with them, so check there as well.

seeing as its only durning the game and the computer doesnt crap out im leaning towards vid card.

 

[CrazeD]

No, it's only during BF2....which leads me to believe the game just sucks. I can run 3dmarkXX, play other games, run prime95....etc, but nothing happens. However, BF2 crashes with an OC.

My RAM timings are supposed to be 2.5-3-3-8. I have them at 3.0-4-4-8. 3.0 is the highest I can go on the CAS.

I have a few month old Antec 500w Smartpower power supply...definitely not a power issue. It's not a heat issue either. My video card has a Zalman VF900 w/ AS5, and my CPU has the stock AMD cooler, but it's around 35*C idle and ~45*C load.

If I run Memtest86, is it better to just use all my RAM or one stick at a time?

 

[OatesyX]

look,, im sure any bf2 gamers will agree,, bf2 is simply unfinished in the fact they forgot to program the friggin thing to work with hardware at all right,, thousands of people with perfectly built systems cant get the thing to run right,, if your using a creative card try removing it,, they cause alot of problems in b2,, my working audigy 2 card occasionly screecches at me in bf2 even though i know its fine

 

[CrazeD]

Nah I don't even have sound card drivers installed. I have a USB headset so there's no need for sound drivers/cards.

I agree BF2 is very unfinished and buggy. The people I play with have the famous crash to desktop occasionally, but none of them have what I have....just complete ...BLAM! Gone.

I dunno, maybe it is a BF2 problem - but I don't understand why it only occurs with an over clock???

 

[Nagasama]

yeah i have the crash to desktop issue once in awhile.
never goes black though. also, i have the problem where it says, "there is a problem with your connection", and boots me, even though i can tab out and get on the internet just fine. dodgy game.
but crazed you say it only happens when you overclock?
hmm. i would say maybe return everything to stock, see if it happens. then tighten you ram timings, since you seem to lean towards that being the problem. then overclock cpu to where you want it. see if it happens. if so, go back to stock and overclock the cpu only. see if it happens.
i dunno man, thats a strange problem you have there.
when i run memtest, i test every bit of my ram at once. kinda like p95...you may not ever have it maxed out, but you want it to perform if it is...

 

[CrazeD]

I have turned it to 2.2GHz and it does not happen (I was at 2.4GHz). I ran a memory tester last night (not memtest cause it wasn't working for some reason) for almost 12 hours (46 loops) with no errors.

My RAM is running at DDR333 speeds after being overclocked. It's DDR400 RAM with loose timings. I can't see what I'm doing wrong here, or why it won't work.


I think if people want a rock-solid over clock, to get a stability check on BF2 instead...LOL.

 

[Nagasama]

does your mobo have a htt multiplier? in cpuz this number would be close to 1000...ie 200 x 4 (4 is the htt multiplier)
if it does, try going down one number...
i know my abit board does not like for the ht bus to run over 1000, and you lose absolutely no performance by setting the multiplier lower (ie to like 3).