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View Full Version : Hard to control rebooting and freezing problems


Mehbody
04-02-05, 01:27 PM
Can't really find the right words for the problem. Just recently installed the Ti4200, and it was crashing before completing benchmarks and crashed about 4-10 minutes into any game, and Linux tends to freeze up without warning; this was a localized problem with my FX5200 installed, in which it could complete benchmarks and play OpenGL games for hours on end, and most D3D games. Linux had no problems, either. The few games that did freeze were the ones I really liked to play again and again because they are fun to me; THPS2, THPS4, and Spider-man, all made by activision.

But now, it's launch-up-any-game/benchmark and the computer reboots instantly, greeting me with a resolution change on my monitor and a charming bios screen (it's good to know that i have a Ti4200 in there when I reboot, the FX5200's bios never showed a screen before). The rebooting happens after awhile while in Windows.

Figuring it was a software problem, I've tried multiple drivers (running the driver cleaner between each installation, who wouldn't?) and I am on a fresh installation of XP (installed ATI's IGPGART, VIA's latest 4-in-1's (older ones never made a difference) and currently running XG's 76.10 drivers), and the rebooting still occurs.

I changed my cooling setup for my case fans, I only have 2 (side and rear), so i changed it from 2:0 (outtake:intake) to 1:1, with the side being intake. Doesn't seem to help anything. I've changed the memory many different ways, swapping it out for a different stick (same thing), adding both (even swapped the memory from slot-to-slot in this case, same thing) and I am now running on the same memory the FX5200 was running cleanly with, with a heatspreader thingy on it (no effect!) I'm at a loss at what the problem could be, but I'm sure it's a hardware problem. But. i'm not sure what piece it is.

Just thinking while writing this post, perhaps I need to fiddle around in the bios, or even wipe the battery. What do you guys think I should do? I've hit rock-bottom with money, so it better be fixable... (i'm 50% sure that nearly no-one here feels what it's like to have no money and leaving on the bits and pieces put into one case, most of it being really cheap and giveaways, etc.)

quick edit: I wish i had something to check the temps in this case (there are no sensors on the motherboard itself, mbm5 and other programs just won't work right) because I have an odd feeling it's a cooling problem or a PSU problem. But if it ends up being a motherboard problem, i guess the thread would have to be moved then. Who knows, I don't.

saturnotaku
04-02-05, 03:01 PM
Random reboots/freezing are often a sign of bad RAM. Try replacing that and see if your problems go away.

Mehbody
04-02-05, 03:05 PM
Actually, fiddling around in the bios fixed it. Changing the CAS to 2.0 (it's not supposed to run at this, AFAIK) is making it work (3dmark2001 ran, somewhere near 4200 3dmarks). Also, i enabled onboard sound again and made a few USB adjustments. But yes, new ram would definatly help. I would kill for a stick of 512mb or 1gb, considering that it would run at PC2100. Adding my old stick just didn't help, either; Windows crashed at startup, but would startup with the CAS at 2.5, but crash at games. Didn't realize that these sticks of ram needed different timings to work...