[RESOLVED]Game Freeze & Sound Loop

[blackdragon57]

I'm back again with the same problem. In the past, I done several things to avoid these game freezes w/ sound loops. When I restart the PC, nVidia tells me that my 2nd graphics card needs to be installed in a PCI-Xpress slot with a bandwidth of 4x or greater. After a few restarts, SLI works again...until I experience another crash.

I am getting very annoyed at how picky these DFI LanParty Expert boards are being. They seem to only accept certain power supplies, certain memory, and have bad histories with other popular PC components. BIOS updates are extremely dodgy, and SLI is nearly impossible to keep stable 100% of the time.

My temperatures are all within normal limits (even in full loads). I stuck with the original BIOS, since everything else creates more headaches. The only notable issue is the cold-boot problem (which I'm just too lazy to do anything about). Also, the board sets my CPU fan to FULL speed at all times, even though the temps are constantly around 36 C.

I was doing great for the past couple months, until I switched around the power cables. Then, my system wouldn't even boot into Windows until I cleared the CMOS and redo the BIOS settings. I honestly don't want to do yet another RMA for an Expert board.

Any input as to how much the latest BIOS helps with SLI stability? Or would an RMA be absolutely necessary in this case?

[shatteredsteel]

You've downloaded all the new X2 Drivers and the dual core optimisation from AMDs web site and a good set of drivers from nVidias site?

 

I know that (and the following CMOS clearing) cleared up the same problem on my board.

[wevsspot]

Please clarify "switched around the power cables". Your 520 Powerstream is the SLi version correct? I'd venture to say that at your current power draw (i.e. dual core 4800 and two 7800GTX cards in SLi) that rail loading is going to be critical in your rig.

[blackdragon57]

I only switched around the power cables to my disk drives. To be more specific, my problems occur in this order:

1) A game freezes (Oblivion, BF2, Need for Speed, etc) with a sound loop (can't get into Windows).

2) I turn off the PC.

3) I turn on the PC and one of the following happens: (a) my video output switches to my other card and SLI is disabled; (B) my video output is the same (from the same DVI connection), but nVidia states my 2nd SLI card needs to be in a slot x4 or greater; or © everything is fine (which hasn't happened in a while).

Right now, it could just be Oblivion causing a crash, then my cold boot problem screws with the power output to the devices (causing one video card not to function in POST). However, I believe the board isn't managing SLI / PCI Express bus properly.

I did experience similiar problems before, but I solved them temporarily by increasing the voltage on the 5V and 12V rails. Before that, I once had to re-disable the "default monitor" because it enabled itself in the system manager.

I accept the possibility that my system is drawing a lot of power. What is the best method of monitoring the amount of power (in watts) that my PC is drawing? (I do not have anything more than a digital multimeter). I seen other use more elaborate forms of power measurement, but I don't have access to any of that equipment.

[wevsspot]

A digital multimeter will work for your purposes. See this web link here. . . .

http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/show...ad.php?t=137886

 

I want to be clear on something though. The OCZ 520W Powerstream is quite possibly one of the best PSU's ever built. I'm not knocking that unit, in fact used the old single rail version for almost two years before upgrading to one of the new OCZ 700W GameXstreams. The reason I went with the new OCZ is because my old 520W was simply the best and nicest psu I had ever owned up to that point.

[Sharp]

Hello,

 

Also how is memtest?

 

You will find that using an X2 CPU with 2 powerful GFX cards is going to require a lot of power.

 

If you want try reducing the Power consumption.

Lower the CPU multiplier

remove some bits, sound card, hard drives, cd drives.

Disabled a lot of things

 

This may not do anything but if it helps, it would point to lack of power.

[blackdragon57]

Actually, MEMTEST runs perfect all night (several loops). 3DMark03 was also doing great (at least 5 loops). After several more reboots, the PC is running decently again. I'm finding that the Expert board is just having hickups that are closely related to booting-up, or when suddenly shutdown via game-freeze / crash. I nearly bought a new GamerXstream, but I noticed more stability from my system. I'm trying to avoid spending any more money on this system.

[thefabe]

Sometime the game freeze or sound looping can be caused by your sound card sharing the same IRQ as one of your video cards and of course to high of an overclock on the cards. also when you run SLI in the little buble that pops up the first time it says that one of your video outputs will shut off during boot this only happens when runing sli. I have also seen several threads on oblivion quirks. fabe

[blackdragon57]

Fabe, it is a good thing that you reminded me to look at the IRQ / DMA conflicts. Now that I look at them, I can see how I can run into so many problems. Have a look: Screenshot of conflicts

Any suggests as to how I'm going to combat all these conflicts? (besides a clean OS wipe)

Windows XP hasn't been so nice as Windows 98 concerning IRQ changes.

[wevsspot]

Are you using the Marvell LAN. If not turn it off in your BIOS. If you are you might turn it off anyway and try the nVidia LAN instead.

[blackdragon57]

An update on specific error I occasionally get when I boot / restart my PC: SLI Error

Does the nVidia LAN really work that much better than the Marvell? If so, then I'll need to install the drivers provided by the motherboard disk. I also have not installed the chipset drivers from that disk. Several months ago, I read on these forums that those drivers caused more harm than good. Is this still the case?

[shatteredsteel]

its not the nVidia drivers that cause problems, its thier nTune software.