System instability, any ideas?

FishDog3 · 06-19-03, 09:02 PM

I am able to overclock my FSB to 166mhz and run HotCPU Tester, Toast, Prime95, or F@H for 24 hours+ without any system issues. But when I start up a video game the system locks up and I have to hard reset. This seems to happen a lot more frequently when I have multiple applications running, especially if they are running behind a game. I know I am pushing my system on second tier cooling but I am trying to figure out what might be causing the crashes. My first suspect would have to be the memory because running pc2100 at 333mhz is pushing pretty hard, but it seems odd that I don't get memory errors in something like prim95 or HotCPU.

Also some times my keyboard and mouse just stop working and I have to reset, both of these problems are aliveated when I go back to 133 FSB.

System specs are in my sig, anyone have any ideas?

RIPUS · 06-19-03, 09:08 PM

try memtest. This gonna test your memory stick and show you any error your mem can give you. I'm pretty sure the problem comme from your mem, i use to get the same problem than when i test it with memtest, i found error. Changing your stick for pc2700 or 3200 would be the solution. test it, you'll be fixed.

FishDog3 · 06-19-03, 09:14 PM

Yeah I have run memtest overnight, but I can't remember if it was when I had 1 256meg stick or if I had installed my replacement second one. I will run that tonight and see if I can get any errors.

Any other recomendations?

InThrees · 06-20-03, 12:44 AM

Well, graphics, obviously.

Whether it's AGP related, or what, I couldn't tell you, but if you ONLY have problems when starting up a game (which is usually gfx intensive) then I would suspect that.

Try the opengl screensavers at high resolutions and complexities and see if those cause problems too.

trdsw20 · 06-20-03, 05:09 AM

got my money on the RAM being the cause

RoadWarrior · 06-20-03, 05:58 AM

I'd try 3Dmark, if that bombs the graphics are flakey, back off the AGP speed and try it again (like drop from 8x to 4x) if that don't work drop the GPU core speed.

ferria · 06-20-03, 01:17 PM

its your vidcard ,back down the speed so she wont get so hot or have better casecooling

FishDog3 · 06-20-03, 08:42 PM

:\ I ran memtest overnight on the defult settings, no errors. I also ran 3DMark2k3 in a loop on the game and sound tests for like a hour and got no crash... yet games still crash at this overclock but not at 133fsb.

Like I said, it seems to be hapaning when I have multiple apps open. Hope I can figure out what is going on, don't want to upgrade my mem and have it not be the problem :|

FishDog3 · 06-20-03, 09:17 PM

Well scratch that, I ran trillian and winamp playing a shoutcast stream while doing the 4 game tests and the sound tests in 2k3 and it crashed twice when it got to the sound tests.

Zerileous · 06-20-03, 10:59 PM

Sounds like a problem with the HDD or the controller on the PCI bus. What spec is your PCI at?

FishDog3 · 06-21-03, 04:12 AM

PCI is running at 166/33, I don't know much about the PCI bus or HDD and how they interact with overclocking other than having the PCI running higher than 33mhz is the cause of instability. Is there anything I should be looking at/for to help determin if that is causing a problem? and if so is there any way to twak it or get it to run better?

james.miller · 06-21-03, 04:19 AM

well if winamp's runninng while 3dmark is trying to do a sound test im not surprised. multiple programs dont like to play the game when it comes to playing sound.

FishDog3 · 06-21-03, 09:33 PM

I was able to get it to crash repetitively on the 2k3 sound test phase, and several times in 2k1. This was with only defult survices and norton anti-virus running in the back ground.

InThrees · 06-21-03, 10:41 PM

Ok, a starting point.

Three things I would try:

1. See if there are updated drivers for the soundcard, and updated chipset drivers for the motherboard.

2. Reinstall DirectX. (This cannot hurt, even if there is no problem.)

3. Move the soundcard to a different slot, to see if it can get a different irq. Frequently motherboards assign irq's based on location, so moving the card to the closest available slot on the opposite end of the row may help. (or swapping the card with something else, like you nic, etc.) Before you do this, research to see what items are using what resources, and what if any are being shared, etc.

06-19-03, 09:02 PM	Thread Starter #1
FishDog3 Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Santa Barbara, CA	System instability, any ideas? I am able to overclock my FSB to 166mhz and run HotCPU Tester, Toast, Prime95, or F@H for 24 hours+ without any system issues. But when I start up a video game the system locks up and I have to hard reset. This seems to happen a lot more frequently when I have multiple applications running, especially if they are running behind a game. I know I am pushing my system on second tier cooling but I am trying to figure out what might be causing the crashes. My first suspect would have to be the memory because running pc2100 at 333mhz is pushing pretty hard, but it seems odd that I don't get memory errors in something like prim95 or HotCPU. Also some times my keyboard and mouse just stop working and I have to reset, both of these problems are aliveated when I go back to 133 FSB. System specs are in my sig, anyone have any ideas? __________________ I7-920 5850 6G DDR3
	QUOTE Thanks

06-19-03, 09:08 PM	#2
RIPUS Registered Join Date: May 2003 Location: Mtl Canada	try memtest. This gonna test your memory stick and show you any error your mem can give you. I'm pretty sure the problem comme from your mem, i use to get the same problem than when i test it with memtest, i found error. Changing your stick for pc2700 or 3200 would be the solution. test it, you'll be fixed.
	QUOTE Thanks

06-19-03, 09:14 PM	Thread Starter #3
FishDog3 Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Santa Barbara, CA	Yeah I have run memtest overnight, but I can't remember if it was when I had 1 256meg stick or if I had installed my replacement second one. I will run that tonight and see if I can get any errors. Any other recomendations? __________________ I7-920 5850 6G DDR3
	QUOTE Thanks

06-20-03, 12:44 AM	#4
InThrees Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Southeast US	Well, graphics, obviously. Whether it's AGP related, or what, I couldn't tell you, but if you ONLY have problems when starting up a game (which is usually gfx intensive) then I would suspect that. Try the opengl screensavers at high resolutions and complexities and see if those cause problems too.
	QUOTE Thanks

06-20-03, 05:09 AM	#5
trdsw20 Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: bay area	got my money on the RAM being the cause
	QUOTE Thanks

System instability, any ideas?

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06-20-03, 05:58 AM	#6
RoadWarrior Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada	I'd try 3Dmark, if that bombs the graphics are flakey, back off the AGP speed and try it again (like drop from 8x to 4x) if that don't work drop the GPU core speed. __________________ Folder in disgrace. Folding rigs may be back online eventually, just as soon as real life gives me enough breaks. Black Belt Ubercloxx0r "Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous Folders have fallen or may fall into the grip of OCAU and all the odious apparatus of [H]ardOCP rule, we shall not flag or fail." "We shall go on to the end, we shall fold on the Newcastles, we shall fold on the Northwoods and Prescotts, we shall fold with growing confidence and growing strength on Venice, we shall defend our Forum, whatever the cost may be, we shall fold on the Winchesters, we shall fold on the Bartons, we shall fold on the Applebreds and Thunderbirds, we shall fold on the Coppermines; we shall never surrender!"
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06-20-03, 01:17 PM	#7
ferria Member Join Date: Feb 2002	its your vidcard ,back down the speed so she wont get so hot or have better casecooling
	QUOTE Thanks

06-20-03, 08:42 PM	Thread Starter #8
FishDog3 Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Santa Barbara, CA	:\ I ran memtest overnight on the defult settings, no errors. I also ran 3DMark2k3 in a loop on the game and sound tests for like a hour and got no crash... yet games still crash at this overclock but not at 133fsb. Like I said, it seems to be hapaning when I have multiple apps open. Hope I can figure out what is going on, don't want to upgrade my mem and have it not be the problem :\| __________________ I7-920 5850 6G DDR3
	QUOTE Thanks

06-20-03, 09:17 PM	Thread Starter #9
FishDog3 Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Santa Barbara, CA	Well scratch that, I ran trillian and winamp playing a shoutcast stream while doing the 4 game tests and the sound tests in 2k3 and it crashed twice when it got to the sound tests. __________________ I7-920 5850 6G DDR3
	QUOTE Thanks

06-20-03, 10:59 PM	#10
Zerileous Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Kansas City, MO	Sounds like a problem with the HDD or the controller on the PCI bus. What spec is your PCI at? __________________ Main Rig \|Athlon XP Barton 2500+ @ 200x11=2200 MHz @ Stock Vcore ~ SLK-947U w/ 92mm Enermax (64CFM) ~ Abit NF7-S Rev. 2.0 ~ 512MB PC3200 Mushkin Black Level 1 @ stock vdimm. 2-3-2-11 ~ ATI Radeon 9800 Pro with XT hardware and XT bios Mod ~ Onboard Soundstorm ~ Logitech Z640s ~ WD Special Edition 120GB ~ Samsung 5400rpm 40GB file drive ~ Sony DRU-710A Dual layer +/- DVD Burner ~ 16x LiteOn DVD-ROM ~ Logitech MX500 Optical Mouse\| Lappy: Dell Inspiron 9300 \|Pentium M 1.86 Ghz ~ 1GB DDR II ~ nVidia GeForce FX Go6800 256MB ~ 17" Widescreen 9200x1200 ~ 60GB 7200RPM HDD ~ DVD Drive/CD Burner combo ~ Centrino a/b/g interal WiFi and internal Bluetooth ~ 2x 80watt/hour batteries\|
	QUOTE Thanks

06-21-03, 04:12 AM	Thread Starter #11
FishDog3 Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Santa Barbara, CA	PCI is running at 166/33, I don't know much about the PCI bus or HDD and how they interact with overclocking other than having the PCI running higher than 33mhz is the cause of instability. Is there anything I should be looking at/for to help determin if that is causing a problem? and if so is there any way to twak it or get it to run better? __________________ I7-920 5850 6G DDR3
	QUOTE Thanks

06-21-03, 04:19 AM	#12
james.miller Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dunstable, uk	well if winamp's runninng while 3dmark is trying to do a sound test im not surprised. multiple programs dont like to play the game when it comes to playing sound. __________________ The HTPC E2160 @ 2.7ghz \| Thermaltake The Orb cooler \| Asus p5w-dh \| 4Gb DDR-II pc6400\| 1.00Tb of WD AAKS storage \| Asus Xonar D2\| 360 HD-DVD drive Pioneer bd204 bluray sata drive \| Corsair HX620w PSU \| *BFG GeForce 8800GTX* \| Silverstone SST-LC17b \| 22" dell e228wfp \| 40" 1080p SONY 40w2000 ONKYO TX-SR805 \| bi-amped mission m71i fronts \| eltax center & bipolar rears 2x 12" custom built subwoofers powered by a denon pma-100m \| PS3 with linux and a 250gb 3.5" internal drive \| Nintendo wii
	QUOTE Thanks

06-21-03, 09:33 PM	Thread Starter #13
FishDog3 Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Santa Barbara, CA	I was able to get it to crash repetitively on the 2k3 sound test phase, and several times in 2k1. This was with only defult survices and norton anti-virus running in the back ground. __________________ I7-920 5850 6G DDR3
	QUOTE Thanks

06-21-03, 10:41 PM	#14
InThrees Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Southeast US	Ok, a starting point. Three things I would try: 1. See if there are updated drivers for the soundcard, and updated chipset drivers for the motherboard. 2. Reinstall DirectX. (This cannot hurt, even if there is no problem.) 3. Move the soundcard to a different slot, to see if it can get a different irq. Frequently motherboards assign irq's based on location, so moving the card to the closest available slot on the opposite end of the row may help. (or swapping the card with something else, like you nic, etc.) Before you do this, research to see what items are using what resources, and what if any are being shared, etc.
	QUOTE Thanks

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