Crashes to desktop/reboot with new system :(

[beet1e]

Finally got the new system up. Asus A7N8X DLX, XP2600, Radeon 9600. I've installed all the usual drivers, Direct X etc. But there are problems. I can only stay online for about 5-10 minutes before I either get a crash to desktop, or I get crashed right into rebooting. I've turned off fast writes, but still have the problem. I'm now trying to run AH on W2000 Pro. I get no error message when these crashes occur.

However, on WMe I was getting an error message from Direct X - DDhelp has caused an error in right before crashing to desktop/reboot - but nothing to say what the error was. After this crash to desktop, DirectDraw would be disabled. The situation is very similar on W2000Pro, but without any error message.

I have run Belarc to produce a report of my system. I've also run the DXDIAG program, and have saved the text file. Both of these report files are in this .ZIP file.

Help, please!  I can't play AH till this is fixed.

[zmeg]

Two things I see that could be causing trouble, 1 It appears you're using windows driver for your sound card, go to creative sight and get the latest drivers. 2 you've got some kind of pinacle software running, I strongly recomend you get rid of it if you can.

[beet1e]

Zmeg.  The Pinnacle software is what came bundled with my TDK DVD/CD burner. I haven't used it yet, but it should be dormant until/when used.

So I looked at the soundcard drivers. Looks like I never had the driver pack for W2000; I've been plauing AH on WMe till this week, where I did have the SBLW- Creative drivers.

Downloaded and installed driver pack for SB Live! Value on W2000, fired up AH... was online 20 mins without a reboot or CTD. Last night I was having the problem long before that, so... I'm hopeful it's fixed. Tnx, Zmeg!

BTW - what made you suspect the MS version of the sound drivers? Is this a known problem, or did you go through this yourself?

[beet1e]

I spoke too soon. I must have just been lucky this morning.

I've now removed the Pinnacle software, and updated the Creative drivers I downloaded. Still getting random CTDs - with no warning, or indication as to the cause.

[zmeg]

When you overclocked your cpu did you freeze the agp speed at 66Mhz? If thats not it try restoring failsafe defaults in bios setup,
 if that clears it up then go back and tweek the settings 1 at a time. If that doesn't help there's a good chance that that this is yet another defective ATI card. Try a different vid card if you have one.

[Roscoroo]

they have a updated set of drivers at the asus site for that mb ,
Have you been there yet ?

[DAVENRINO]

Originally posted by beet1e

BTW - what made you suspect the MS version of the sound drivers? Is this a known problem, or did you go through this yourself?

Hmmmm...... I have been using the native SB Live Value XP drivers for 2 years on my Guam machine.  I have never had a CTD, lockup or loss of vox on that machine.

DJ229 - AIR MAFIA

[beet1e]

I've uninstalled the SB16 Live Value sound card, as this item is in doubt. I've had it about 4 years. Wonder if it's still fully supported for W2000?

I've looked at the Asus website for driver updates, and found this:

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/download/selectftp.aspx?l1_id=1&l2_id=10&l3_id=23&m_id=1&f_name=silicon_v10022.zip~zaqwedc

Is this the update I need to be looking at? The others all seem to be BIOS updates.

[DAVENRINO]

Did you enable the OB sound since you removed the SB?  I have no problems with my sound or vox using the new 3.13 Nforce drivers.

[beet1e]

I installed the latest 3.13 drivers and still had a problem. The soundcard is now out - I think the onboard audio works better anyway.  Still had the problem.

Then a friend sent me an email which suggested that the memory might be being pushed too hard. I checked clock/memory freq. settings, and this is what I found:

I had set the FSB clock setting at 200MHz. The memory is in synch with this. The clock multiplier had been set (by me) to 10.5, giving a CPU speed of 2.1GHz. However, this is an XP2600, and the rated speed is only 2.083GHz. So I was overclocking very slightly. I decided to reduce the multiplier from 10.5 to 10. Then I went and had an Aces High session - a CV battle - lots of objects on the screen, lots of rendering etc. - and I managed to stay online for about 30 minutes and didn't get dumped. I think that solved the problem.

Thanks to all that helped.  

I was surprised that such a small overclock could cause the instability.

Now, the frame rate I get is pegged at 75fps on the Radeon 9600. Earlier I'd been getting 120fps. Must have changed a setting along the way... but at least things are stable.

[DAVENRINO]

beetle,
Your post doesn't say what kind of memory you have installed.  Changing the CPU mult has no effect on the RAM.  It may make your sytem more stable because you are now at your cpu's rated speed but it is still at a FSB of 400 instead of it's rated 333 FSB and so is the RAM. I am guessing that your stock setting is 12.5x166.  If your RAM is having trouble keeping up and you continue having problems you may want to try lowering FSB and raising mult or you might try increasing the Dimm volts by .1 volt to feed your RAM more juice.  I set my vcore to 1.725v and the RAM to 2.8v.  Careful though as it will raise your temps.  I run my Barton 2500 at 11x200 but my RAM is rated at 433.

DJ229 - AIR MAFIA

[beet1e]

Dav

When I bought the components for my system, I should have bought PC2700 RAM rated at 333MHz. I made a mistake and ordered a PC3200 chip rated at 400MHz. I posted about it in here, and was told that everything should be OK. (See Bloom's PC Architecture thread) The mobo offered about four choices of FSB speed between 100MHz and 200MHz. I have to confess to being a bit wobbly on issues like FSB rates/clock speeds/multipliers etc., but I read my mobo manual, and I read a lot of material by Bloom, and from past experience I knew I wanted to arrive at a situation whereby the FSB speed multiplied by the mutiplier thing equated to the CPU speed. 200*10.5 = 2.1GHz was my first attempt, but instability was the result. 200*10 = 2.0GHz is what I'm using now, and since last posting I've had another AH session - 30 minutes without getting dumped. Previously, the dumping would occur any time from a few seconds to a maximum of 10 minutes.

The stock setting was actually 100MHz*11.5!

This whole system is running like a dream now. I am delighted with it!  

[GENRLX]

Don't reccommend u use the new sound drivers, at least not from the Windows Update site.  Had problems with ob. sound. Reverted back to old set.  No problems. Once in a while  I get booted to desk top when I try to spawn. Accept this as HT bull.

Other than that, runs fine. I have an FX 5600 Ultra instead of ATI.
89 fps most of time.  Running XP Pro.

[DAVENRINO]

beetle,
It wasn't a mistake, you are fine with 3200, mine is 3500.  It is actually just a rating and you don't have to run at 400. The stock seting is not really 100 - it is just a safe starting point.  If you are satisfied with the speed, then great just leave it there.  If you wanted a bit more performance, I think increasing the voltage would help.  I played with mine till I could run the Prime 95 Torture Test and Memtest both for 16  hours each with no errors.  A lot af great info in this forum - http://www.amdmb.com/vb/index.php.
Check Asus, overclocking , and ATI sections.  there are a LOT of folks in there with this board and mostlY the Barton 2500.
Actually you are still a bit overclocked.  I don't know what the stock speed is for your 2600+ but my 2500+ is 1826 (11x166).  Your Belaric info showed yours as a 3000+.  My 2500+ sows up in BIOS as a 3200+ at 11x200.

DJ229- AIR MAFIA

[zmeg]

Beetle your cpu external bus is rated at 166Mhz, you can go to about 180Mhz before you start to have heat and voltage issues, and you wont gain enough performance to justify all the headachs it will cause. I would recomend a setting of 12.5 X 175.