Graphics card problem: crashing all the time, PLEASE help.

[erroLux]

Hi, since I bought my PC last year, I've been having trouble with it.
Specs: Pentium IV 2,8 gHz - 2 gb ram - Nvidia Geforce 6800 Ultra - dual monitor setup - latest video drivers and motherboard chipset drivers.

Often when I rotate the perspective viewport, my system just freezes and not even ctrl+alt+delete is possible.
My options at that time are: 1) wait until it unfreezes which it sometimes does, 2) force a restart, 3) no option, the system crashes and restarts itself.

For a while, these problems were reduced to a minimum, but since I installed LW 8.2 and uninstalled it again and reinstalled 8.01, it happens continually, resulting in me sitting in front of my computer with a stomage the size of a wallnut because I'm fed up with it and scared all the time it will happen again, so I'm almost not getting any work done lately.

My first graphics card was an NVidia Geforce 3200 (or something), and because of these problems, I thought a more powerfull graphics card was the answer.
I also have a new motherboard (Intel) because the first one also gave me heating problems (IO-device overheating).

I can not believe everybody has these problems, so I think there's something wrong with my PC.
But I've been going to the vendor again and again, and I do'nt know what to do anymore.

If I knew it would solve things, I'd spend lots of money on a new computer, but with the one I own, I also spent a lot of money with the explicit demand towards the vendor that the machine would be optimal for 3d graphics processing, and still it gives me nohing but trouble.

Can anyone PLEASE help me with this, cause I am very close to a nervous breakdown.

Thank you!

[mrunion]

I can't really "help" you with the problem, but maybe I can "comfort" you with the assurance that *if* it is the 6800 card, it's probably a fluke card. I have a 6800 and absolutely no crashing problems since 8.0 (I just got the card a few months ago, so I have not tested it with 7.x).

I have the latest drivers from nVidia's site (66.93). I also run dual monitors using nView. My mobo is nothing special -- in fact it sucks! It's been replaced three times in one year. It's the GigByte 8IK1100 Rev 1. When it goes out again, I'm not under warranty, so I am going to buy a different one.

Anyway, I know crashes are extremely frustrating. I dealt with my latest one mid last year. I spent weeks testing memory, trying rebuilds and doing goodness knows what else. I turned out to be a problem on the motherboard (again) causing the crashing. (I'm NOT saying this is your problem.)

I feel your pain. But in all honesty, I really don't think the card as a brand, series, whatever, is a bad card. You *may* have a broken one, but I really would scrutinize everything in the machine. Even wipe it and rebuild it (as a last resort). Put one software product on, try using it. Put another on, try again. See if something in the "process" causes the machine to start crashing. I had to do that six years ago for something and it turned out to be Media Player! I think it was version 6.1 or something. It causes my then-new SoundBlaster AWE 64 Gold to crash. Go figure!

Thanx,
Matt

[erroLux]

Thanks for the reply mrunion!
Yep, I think I'll have to do what you suggest, and will have to do it myself, cause I've had no help from the vendor whatsoever.
I am almost sure it's the graphics card.
I have tried everything I can come up with, except the step by step routine like you describe.
So, that's on my agenda the coming weeks.
You know, I have never bought a piece of hardware that was as it should have been, not my past laptops, not this desktop, not my recently purchased 19" flatscreen, ..., all of them were brand new and were 'damaged' one way or the other.

I really do'nt know where to purchase future hardware, cause I just do'nt trust any salesman anymore!

I have calmed down a bit now, I was about to throw everything out of the window (not kidding!), but know this does not help anything.

Plus: I like working in LW too much :) .

[Lito]

A few other suggestions to look into:

1) The 6800 Ultra is a beast when it comes to drawing power. If your power supply is less than 500 watts then it may be a cause for instability especially if you start using the graphics card functions (like lightwave and games do). A 480 watt PS will do also but 500 or more would best for a system with a 6800 Ultra.

2) Right click on the desktop, select properties. Move that dialog to your 2nd monitor. Now select the settings tab -> advanced. On that popup dialog select the Geforce Tab and go to the temperature setting. Now open up Lightwave do some stuff while watching the temperature readings. See if it is getting deep into the red. That might indicate some cooling problem. I have a 6800GT with no overclocking and even at full load I hit maybe 76C on the display in the winter. Its in the yellow but not in the red.

Here is a link for a DX9 demo. run this to stress out your gfx card while the temp control is open. http://www.daionet.gr.jp/~masa/rthdribl/

3) If you have tried any performance tweaks in your bios, put them back to default or auto mode.

Thats about all I can think of at the moment.

[mrunion]

FWIW, I have a 500W power supply.

I bought my hardware here and have had NO troubles with the vendor. As I said, my mobo is crap, but *I* had a choice and picked the wrong one. They have replaced it three times without hassel.

http://www.zuke.com

[erroLux]

Thanks guys.
I've taken the PC back to the vendor (I think for the twentieth time the past year!) and told the guy that I would "picket post" before his shop if these problems will not be fixed.
He guesses it's the graphics card that's overheating, and is going to replace it and add extra cooling.
As to the power supply, I guess we checked that 6 months ago and it should be OK.
I've rugularly checked the temperature setting and it always was in the green.
So I am wondering if it's a matter of overheating.

One thing I did not check: my desktop together with two flatscreens, an external firewall, a modem, sometimes a scanner and a lamp, are plugged in together in one 'elektricity distributor' (can not find the English word for it, the "square thing in the wall where you plug in electrical appliances", haha).

Could this be the cause of the graphics card not getting enough power?
Anyway, I guess the card just is'nt working as it should: I forgot to mention that last weekend, after having shutting down the primary screen and powering it up again, the screen stayed black: no signal, not even the little display on the screen that it got no signal, so somehow the graphics card did not interface with the primary screen, it did with the second screen.
Reinstalling the drivers did not change things, updating the motherboard's chipset drivers did not do it, and only after having restarted several times, and customizing the NVidia settings, suddenly things went back to normal, except for the fact that I noticed that when I turned the "cooling buton of the graphics card" on the outside of the desktop, the ventilator almost did not react until the highest setting, whereas I know that before that point, it reacted sooner: I could hear the difference noise wise.

[gazmon]

i had a similar thing. It wasa also crashing in lots of other apps as well (games, media player, photoshop etc...) I replaced the motherboard, swopped memory, changed graphix cards and still did it. Spent a wack load, the last thing I tried was replaced the pentium processor and since then all fine!!!
It seemed to work with basix XP stuff but as soon as it had to start calculating stuff it went crazy!
good luck!
Gaz

[erroLux]

I just got news that the card was malfunctioning, so I hope this will fix things and hope it was'nt malfunctioning because of some other defect in the computer.
Thanks for your comments, I've learned a lot because of them!