Issue with pc locking up

[RandomBastard]

I have an issue with my pc locking up for 2-3 seconds at a time. Happens mostly during games, but has happened just running windows. When it does lock up nothing works including but not limited to mouse/keyboard/etc video/music playback or even stuff like taskmanager.

Currently my suspision is that my power supply is inadequate, any other thoughts?

Spec:
Generic (Mercury?) 400W psu
MSI GEFORCE NX6800 TD128
Barton 2800xp
A7N8X
768mb Crucial Ram
2 HDs (one pata, one sata)
2 DVD drives (one normal, one dvdrw)

I don't want to have to replace the psu to find its something else, so any adivce would be apreciated, especially as I can't play games till i solve this issue. Thanks in advance.

 

[TdC]

hmm, when's the last time you ran ad-aware or a different spyware checker?

 

[RandomBastard]

Few days ago,
*runs again*
Nothing more than the usual tracking cookies from goddammed adverts

 

[TdC]

well, damn :/ a mate had that recently, and it was due to some spyware thing running. how old is your general install? (some people find that bollox, but tbh I don't trust a windows install that's older than 6 months)

 

[fatbusinessman]

Check in your Nvidia control panel settings - see if something called "nView" is enabled. If it is, disable it. Might help.

I used to run the virtual desktop feature of this, but it caused my computer to start running like molasses, so I had to turn it off.

 

[Tom]

I've had more than that running on a 300W PSU, so it seems unlikely.

 

[RandomBastard]

Erm... 21/06/2004 is what the setup log tells me . Oh and before someone suggests a virus etc, ran a test few days ago, none detected, running one now, none so far (up to date mcafee av enterprise 7)

 

[RandomBastard]

Check in your Nvidia control panel settings - see if something called "nView" is enabled. If it is, disable it. Might help.

I used to run the virtual desktop feature of this, but it caused my computer to start running like molasses, so I had to turn it off.

It's disabled (it annoys me when its turned on as it moves close up one on the rclick popup )

I've had more than that running on a 300W PSU, so it seems unlikely.

Yes but with a 6800? Which requires a 350W minimum psu? and This is a shitty thing with a max ampage on the 12V line of 17A (note shuttles probably get away with a smaller psu cause of there design / quality of psu)

Thanks for all the comments so far though.

 

[old.user4556]

Currently my suspision is that my power supply is inadequate, any other thoughts?

Damn, I wish that people would stop being so paranoid about PSU wattage .

But seriously, try loading up task manager and watching the CPU usage for all programs running and see if you get a spikey program. Alternatively, look at the "CPU usage history" under the "performance" tab on the task manager and see if you're getting 100% usage spikes - again, check to see what is causing it.

I find on my other PC (which is on all the time) the styleXP service consumes all the physical ram after a few days and causes big CPU utilisation spikes too.

G

G

 

[Thugs]

Virus checker

Are you running a virus checker? If you are try disabling real-time protection when you play games. The only thing you really need to run in the background is a firewall when running DAOC. Type msconfig at start-run and see what you have loading at start up.

PKJ

 

[RandomBastard]

Well seeing as I don't, never have, never will play DAOC thats irrelevant.

I would like to point out that virus checking has never affected my game playing in the past, this is a recent problem. The only other thing it could be hw wise other than a psu is, of course, the gf6800.

As for Big G's comments, I was running taskmanager to monitor that when playing and nothing appeared on its graphs other than normal activity due to the game. The graph itself actually freezes during the lockup and continues from where it left off as if nothing happened.

 

[old.user4556]

Damn, out of ideas then mate .

The only other "freeze" situation i've experienced is when I was having problems with my USB devices and I was getting that "usb connected/disconnected" sound. During that time, my KB and mouse wouldn't work; but the whole PC didn't freeze.

G

 

[Thugs]

Problem

Well there are memory/cpu managers and monitors that might give you more insight into the problem. Can't see hardware causing this problem but something using all the resources at the same time.

PKJ

 

[RandomBastard]

No power issues can cause this as thats what the msi forums go on and on about. Its not software issues, i'm pretty sure as ive run it on a bare minimum of apps, i.e. windows and the game

even turning off firewall, mbm etc

gonna reformat tommorow and see if a fresh install helps

 

[RandomBastard]

Ok... don't I feel stupid... very stupid in fact....
The issue i'd been having developed into the screen blacking out , this started to happen more frequently.. I was having a conversation with danya in #fh in irc at the time. I had to quickly turn my pc off as the screen was pratically strobing black. Long shot I thought, but I reseated my gf6800.... and guess what happens... PC is now problem free. Played a session on the joint ops demo, something i'd been previously unable to do. Seems like the whole thing was my poor seating of the gfx card in the first place! DOH!

At least I can say I knew it wasnt a sw issue

Thanks for all your help guys, you may now mock me!

But I will be playing spangly games while you do so

 

[RandomBastard]

Argh its back!

Ok so reseating the gfx card only stopped the black outs screen wise, whenever i try to play a steam based game the lockups occur once more. so ideas people? any? pleaaassseeee wheres jonty when you need him (especially as he has the same card as me

 

[old.user4556]

This may be worthwhile looking at - quite a few people having issues with MSI 6800s, i've not read the thread to the end yet, so i'm not sure if it's related to your PC freezes.

G

 

[RandomBastard]

Yeah I saw that but those are artifact related, rather than freezing, for all I know this could be an incompatibility issue, although they talk about a bios init screen ive yet to see. There issues are down to a bad batch of chips / low power from psu (hence what got me thinking about psu last time)

 

[RandomBastard]

Solved... maybe.. possiblly...

Changed to MSI's drivers rather than NVidias own and it seems to have removed all trace of the problem so far. Whats the betting it pops up again when/if I buy doom3

Fickle things these cards, always used to use nvidias own as they run better imo.