All games crash during game play: VIDEO CARD?

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HAVOC

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Ok. I have two PC's one is a high-end gaming PC that I built myself and the other is a DELL Dimension 8300 that my wife bought last april.

I'm having problems with the 8300. Here let me give you the specs.
425watt PSU (which I upgraded)
P4 3.2GHz 800MHz FSB
2 gig (PC3200)
2 (SATA) 250 gig hard drives
DVD-ROM
DVD-RW
SB Audigy 2 ZS
Radeon 9800 pro 128MB (NEVER OC'ed)

Here's the problem. With-in the first 6 months everything worked fantasic. Games, multimedia, everything... But lately you can't play games on this PC. Every game that I start playing crashes in the same way.

"The game freezes and the audio makes a horrible high pitches static noise." Sometimes it happens right away, and sometimes it happens somewhere into the games. I've check all the IRQ's and there aren't any sharing conflicts.

I've also noticed that this is also happening once in awhile when watching DVD's or high quailty video files. All other applications run as smooth as silk and I never have any problems.

I've also upgraded to the latest Catalyst drivers and it still happens. Then I even reinstalled the Catalyst Drivers that came with the PC. I'd also like to mention that I have a Dual Monitor Setup on this Video Card. Well, actually I have a 17" monitor and a 27" TV connected by an S-CABLE. I've tried to disconnect the s-cable to the TV and reset the display properties to single display. These crashes still happen.

Do you think that there is a problem with the 9800 Pro? May-be it's fried? This card used to kick ass. I could play FARCRY and DOOM 3 on med-high settings with absolutely no problems.

Please give me your ideas?
 
Before you throw that card out...mail it to me :) Just kidding :D If you can, try it on your wife's computer, or any other computer. This will rule out the rest of your computer or it will rule out your video card as being the problem.

Also, make sure to do the regular stuff: Virus scan, spyware scan, defrag....
 
Oh and I can't test this Video Card in my other PC because my gaming PC is PCI-Express. This card is AGP.

Ad-ware/spyware/viruses/defrag/anything else you can think of is a part of my regular routine. These aren't the issue.

I'm just trying to determine if this card needs to be smashed with a hammer and a new x800 needs to be purchased.
 
It doesn't matter you can still try it on your high-end one. Just take the PCIe one out and plug the moniter into that one and reload the drivers for the video card onto the high-end rig you've got. Your high end rig has to have AGP or...well...or...try it on someone else's comp w/ an AGP slot.
And whoever suggested that is right: then you'll at least rule out all the rest of the components of the computer if the games don't work.
 
hmmm... yeah know, let me look in my MOBO manual and see if it has a AGP slot. You know I never thought it might. But I know that some PCI MOBO's come with an AGP. If it doesn't have a AGP - i'll proably try the 9800 pro on a PC at work and see if it works.

Or, may-be i'll just buy a new x800 and call it a day?
 
Get a utility that will monitor and read out the voltage on your rails, if they are fluctuating with a range greater or less than 5% of the actual voltage they should be, there is a problem.
 
I'm just trying to determine if this card needs to be smashed with a hammer and a new x800 needs to be purchased
Manufactureres warrenty dude. Get it replaced if you think it turns out to be the problem.

Lower your Ram clock timings.
Why would he have to do that? He didn't even specify his timings and if it's not overclocked, that's not the problem unless the RAM is fault which means he needs to test it with memtest86+ to see if errors occur. If they do RMA them. Lowering the timings is not even an option.

t a utility that will monitor and read out the voltage on your rails, if they are fluctuating with a range greater or less than 5% of the actual voltage they should be, there is a problem.
Sound advice.


It doesn't matter you can still try it on your high-end one. Just take the PCIe one out and plug the moniter into that one and reload the drivers for the video card onto the high-end rig you've got.
The new boards don't have both. That would be redundant. I believe there is like...one board out there that has both but the AGP slot sucks on it...point being it's not at all common
 
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