An interesting vista error

Shukao

Occasionally, usually during a game or while a game launches, my computer will lock up entirely (including sounds which will loop). The screen will also turn into a sort of rectangle checkerboard pattern of funky colors, but you can still see what was last shown. I'm running 32bit vista. Hardware specs:

• CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5 - Retail
• Logitech EX 110 Black USB or PS/2 Cordless Standard Cordless Desktop Keyboard & Mouse Kit - Retail
• Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 32-bit for System Builders - OEM
• SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
• MSI P45 Platinum LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
• Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569Q9550 - Retail
• CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 ... - Retail
• EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR GeForce 9800 GTX+ 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
• Acer H213H bmid Black 21.5" 5ms HDMI Full HD 1080P Widescreen 16:9 LCD Monitor - Retail
• Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

wunderbar

to me that screams GPU problem.

Try different drivers, or the card might be going.

Shukao

I'd be surprised if it was the card going south, as I put the computer together only a few months ago. The problems started a month or so afterward. But I'll check the driver to see if it's the culprit.

wunderbar

Shukao wrote: »

I'd be surprised if it was the card going south, as I put the computer together only a few months ago. The problems started a month or so afterward. But I'll check the driver to see if it's the culprit.

Also, what are your temperatures at idle and load, on the CPU and GPU?

Shukao

CPU Idle and Load temps are 40-45C and 60-70C respectively.
GPU Idle and Load temps are 35C and 60-65C respectively.
This is with all the fans on medium. Also, the first time I ran rthdribl I immediately evoked the error.

Edit: This is just data taken in the last 10 or so minutes.

darkgrue

Shukao wrote: »

I'd be surprised if it was the card going south, as I put the computer together only a few months ago. The problems started a month or so afterward. But I'll check the driver to see if it's the culprit.

That can be a very misleading assumption, is there is nothing that assures you that a product, new out of the box, is actually fully functional and possessing of the full expected lifetime of that class of products. New stuff can be DOA, or fail shortly thereafter.

Still, I'm always reluctant to call new hardware DOA. Software problems - especially ones with video - are notoriously hard to distingisuh from actual hardware failures. That being said, checkerboarding is one of the symptioms of bad video memory.

ronya

I'll bet GPU problem, too, since the temperature is okay.

Check if Windows Update decided to update the graphics driver when you weren't looking.

Synthesis

I had a (relatively) new stick of RAM go south and cause similar symptoms (in Vista). Thankfully, Corsair as a lifetime warranty on this stuff, and I ended up mailing back all four of them.

I'd say GPU problem. I've only heard of the checkboard problem only manifesting with problems either on the GPU, or (and this is obviously much worse) with your PCI Express slot.

Though I'd say the GPU. It wouldn't be the first time a 9800 screwed up.

travathian

Run memtest. If you have a multimeter check system voltages while the system is under load.