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Graphics Vsync crashes computer?

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by fozmcfc, 3 Sep 2015.

  1. fozmcfc

    fozmcfc What you looking at ?

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    Hi.

    My problem is on many games when I have vsync set to on my whole computer resets it, either upon the game loading or a short while into the game.

    Games it does this on are Sleeping Dogs, Far Cry 3, CIV V ,Watchdogs & Grid Autosport, amongst others.

    If I switch vsync off and leave all other settings as they were, on these games, I can play for hours without any issue.

    Games don't just crash or the computer freeze, it resets like I have pushed the reset button. Windows reloads back up, without any errors, such as disk checking and the computer just runs normally again,after logging back into windows.

    Not at pc now, but my specs are an i7 processor, 16gb ram, 6gb Titan graphics, on board sound, an Asus gamers republic motherboard and 2 x 256gb ssd drives. It also has crossair water cooling, the sort that has no maintenance required.

    The pc is hooked up via hdmi to a 43" Sony Lcd android smart TV.

    I never have any system problems when doing anything on the pc, it's lightening fast and everything is stable. Windows 10 on pc now, but same issues with Windows 8.1.

    Any ideas, thanks.
     
  2. Corky42

    Corky42 Where's walle?

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    I would normally say a PC resetting would point towards the PSU, although I've no idea why it would only happen with Vsync on. :confused:
     
  3. fozmcfc

    fozmcfc What you looking at ?

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    Thanks for the reply.

    I have noticed that when I play those games, that do allow a few minutes of gameplay with Vsync on, my pc fans are making more noise, suggesting they are spinning at a higher rate, which I also think is strange.
     
  4. Deders

    Deders Modder

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    It's normally the other way around, Vsync limits your framerate to the refresh rate of your monitor so it usually demands less from your equipment in scenarios where framerates would be above this.

    What is your monitor's refresh rate?

    If fans are spinning up then it might be overheating. Use realtemp and GPUz to monitor your CPU and GPU temps. You'll have to alt tab in and out of games to see this before it crashes.
     
  5. johnim40

    johnim40 Minimodder

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    I think temp are too high too. Use msi afterburner with the gpu Tampa and cpu temps showing in osd

    Is the cpu heatsync fitted flat
     
  6. fozmcfc

    fozmcfc What you looking at ?

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    Thanks again for the replies.

    My monitor refresh rate is 60mhz although in Sleeping Dogs it registers as 59.9mhz with the frame limiter option. The game still crashes within 2 secs of loading in the story with that option set even with vsync off.

    I will look at msi afterburner.

    A bit more about the computer, it is 21 months old and is bought from from a proper supplier off the net, so not self build.

    I'm stupid really but I've had this problem since the first few weeks, but the first few games I played had no problems. Then I had the odd game that played for an hour or two, before the pc reset.

    I just left it, because I didn't really want the hassle of returning the pc and them not replicating the issue.

    It was only when I was recently looking around the net I saw some people say that with some displays that windows doesn't recognise and asigns them as generic monitors, that vsync can have trouble working out the refresh rate, so will crash games and/or computers.

    Then I thought I'd try vsync off in the troublesome games and suddenly no resets.
     
  7. Bhuvsta

    Bhuvsta Minimodder

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    I'm assuming that you have tried re-installing drivers. Have you tried making game profiles in the Nvidia software/control panel thingy with vsync enabled?
     
  8. fozmcfc

    fozmcfc What you looking at ?

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    Yes I have updated the drivers every time a new one is released.

    I even did the complete reinstall rather than overwriting drivers.

    It's only been in the last few days I discovered that having vsync off stops the computer from resetting. So at the moment as it seems to be working, I haven't tried to alter anything else. It's a bit like discovering that having an ariel in a certain place gives you a TV pic, so you dare not touch it.
     
  9. Deders

    Deders Modder

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    Have you checked your temperatures?
     
  10. fozmcfc

    fozmcfc What you looking at ?

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    Sorry I haven't yet, because I'm not at home. I work shifts, so even if your timezone is UK time, I might post at strange times.

    I'll post temperatures once I'm home on the pc and install the recommended software on this thread.

    If the temperatures are an issue will the software help or am I likely to need to get extra cooling or even change some hardware. Or is it a case of lowering game settings to make sure the pc doesn't exceed temperatures.

    Thanks again.
     
  11. theshadow2001

    theshadow2001 [DELETE] means [DELETE]

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    Do you have a monitor rather than a TV to try?
     
  12. fozmcfc

    fozmcfc What you looking at ?

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    I do, but will look at temperatures first as it's not that convenient to get to and set up. It's a Dell 27" 1920*1200 display, from 2005. Currently boxed up and in the back of a big wardrobe lol.
     
  13. Deders

    Deders Modder

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    If it's temperatures, the first thing we're going to look at is weather all your fans are working or plugged in. It shouldn't be software based, we should get t working no matter the ettings.
     
  14. fozmcfc

    fozmcfc What you looking at ?

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    Hi again.

    Wasn't sure about uploading photos here, if you can even, so the link is to my flickr album.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/26590191@N05/

    Pics Gpuz and Real Temp are when computer is idle with just those programs open.

    Gpuz 1 and Real Temp 1 are when Sleeping Dogs is running with no vsync

    Gpuz 2 and Real Temp 2 are when Sleeping Dogs is running with vsync

    Real Temp 3 and the rest of the Gpuz pictures are when Vsync is on and I start to play Sleeping Dogs are drive around the city.

    EDIT.....Uploaded a shot of MSI Afterburner when the computer is idle. And MSI 2 when it's running the game.

    Thanks again. :thumb:
     
    Last edited: 5 Sep 2015
  15. johnim40

    johnim40 Minimodder

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    Hi with msi afterburner you can set it up so it shows the temps on screen at the top when running games that will show cpu and gpu temps without alt tabbing. This will give better understanding of your temps before crashing
     
  16. theshadow2001

    theshadow2001 [DELETE] means [DELETE]

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    I can't see it being temeratures . It's hitting the temperature target and staying there. That's the idea of temperature target.

    Unless the problem goes away when you run afterburner or when reduce the temperature target by 10 or 15 degrees.
     
    Last edited: 6 Sep 2015
  17. theshadow2001

    theshadow2001 [DELETE] means [DELETE]

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    Bloody tappatalk
     
  18. fozmcfc

    fozmcfc What you looking at ?

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    The problem doesn't go away with afterburner.

    Some more possible helpful info. I tried watchdogs with the settings recommended by the program, which was ultra and the pc reset while loading in the story. With vsync off the pc reset at a not particularly busy moment in the game, after about 75-90 mins in. I therefore guess that my vsync theory is wrong and it's something else.

    That's a good idea about reducing the temperature target. Maybe I should look at reducing it down, it is a small case.

    The card is an EVGA SC card and when I bought the system I asked for the system itself to be overclocked,but not extreme overclock, standard.

    Is there any software tool that would check and remove all overclocking of every component in the pc. Or a piece of software that can advise on power supply problems.

    To me the strangest thing is why would the pc crash whatever the settings on a game when it's loading in the very first scene of a game. I can understand if it's running for an hour and gets to hot, but not after 10 secs and 2 minutes after the pc is switched on.
     
  19. theshadow2001

    theshadow2001 [DELETE] means [DELETE]

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    Hmm, loading isn't particularly GPU intensive. I wonder if the problem is related to the stability of the CPU. Try running prime95. Prime will hammer your cpu to 100%. See if it makes your PC fall over.

    It sounds like an unstable overclock. You can remove the overclock but you may not be able to get the settings back. You can reset the BIOS to defaults and that will clear your cpu overclock. If the GPU was firmware overclocked, then getting rid of that may be a little more difficult.

    If its an overclock problem, I think its best to try and isolate which component is causing the issue, before doing anything like messing with bios or firmware.

    Edit: If you are running prime use something like real temp to monitor your cpu temperatures.
     
  20. theshadow2001

    theshadow2001 [DELETE] means [DELETE]

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    Looking at your GPU-Z readings the graphics card doesn't look like its overclocked. The gpu frequency and the memory frequency seem OK. The GPU is frequency is boosting a little bit. So I doubt your gpu is the problem.
     

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