Graphics games crash computer - gfx card problem?

Hello,

this morning I got a new TFT through the post and thought i'd put it to work playing a good sessions of WoW, I got it all going and it was ok for a while but it didn't look too good so upped my resolution to the rate it sugessted, this did the trick and it was great but then it started to give me problems. After a while it was only letting me play about 1 - 2 minutes of the game and then the computer would freeze requiring a reset.

Is this a gfx card issue, or could it be that with a higher res the psu was not able to give the card enough juice. I think it's a gfx issue as when the game freezes the display goes a little odd but nothing amazing, this is my only clue. Any ideas guys?

The card is a ati 9600pro and the psu is a generic 350watt thing.

Guns

 

There are a couple of possibilities. For starters, that video card could be overheating. Upping the resolution and making it work harder could be causing it to overheat. I would suggest putting some more airflow on it, and check too see if there is a big build-up of dust on the fan/heatsink. If so, blow it off and make sure it's nice and clean.

Also, as you suspect, the extra power required from the PSU could be the cause. Generic PSUs are usually crap.

However, if it were the PSU it would just restart or shut down the computer, not cause a freeze (someone correct me if I am wrong.) This leads me to believe it is most like the video card.

 

ok so I did some testing, moving hardware between some other computers and what not, i have concluded the gfx card seems to work, i have not tested it for ages as I suspect a motherboard problem now for two reasons,

firstly I stuck another card in the suspect motherboard - gfx card that is - and again it crashed out with weird screen stuff, I know this card is good. I then went and used the gfx card (the suspect one) into nother machine and it played fine.

I am going to see about the mboard as it is quite old and i managed to pick a cheap abit nf7-s off ebay up which is better than this board anyway.

 

How long since your last reformat???

Also do other games hang?

 

i fresh installed about 2 weeks ago, it is quite probable the mboard has failed as it is an old rubbish component.

I don't know about other games I only have WoW on this machine.

 

what drivers are you running?

 

latest drivers

 

I agree, it sounds like some sort of motherboard problem if you have the latest drivers. Possibly power supply, but we'll have to see... keep us updated

 

Ive got a friend with the same problem. He called me from his school and said his buddies were playing a game on it and it just froze up. He had to power it down manually and then it refuses to start at all. Im guessing the PSU took a dump on this? He doesnt get any beeps or lights or anything at this point and he doesnt come back to town for about a week or so meaning I cant actually look at it untill then.