throwing in the towel

[StarOfAfrica2]

Last suggestion I know to make isnt a pretty one.  Have your CPU and MOBO tested.  Usually a shop will charge you about 40-50 bucks for it, if you know someone they might take it on for free and do it in their spare time.  Compaq's dont have the greatest record.  I dont know if the MOBO is original or not, or if you have made any changes to components.  If I remember correctly, Compaq's require you to use ECC RAM instead of the standard stuff.  That could be a culprit.  I know you said you replaced the heat sink and fan on the processor, but from experience I've seen the XP 2600 can run pretty warm, esp. if the airflow through the case isnt good, even with a decent heat sink and fan.  Your BIOS should have a reading that shows CPU temps.  It might not even be a problem with overheating, it might be the cutout circuit that controls the "reset-on-overheat" function is bad, so the MOBO just THINKS the CPU is overheating.  Testing would turn that up.  I honestly dont know what else to suggest.

[moto61]

I do have a cpu temp .monitor running and as far as I can tell when the game sis playing the CPU runs about 50-55 degrees C'

I did purchase a cheap sound card and a fan that I have as an intake on the front of the case. It is in the intake position because I grabbed the wrong sizt to fit in the back. I will get an exhaust fan next time I am near a computer store.

Currently room temp is 79.F  CPU is at 50'C and MOB is 32'C.

I had a suggestion about the soundcard so I will try it.

 My problem may not be common but I don't think it is unique either. I have seen a few other comments about similar problems.

How would a shop test my MOB?

I have some diagnostics tools that say CPU benchmark is ok. It is not the best and not the worst. Can they put it under a heavy load and log the problems?

[StarOfAfrica2]

55C degrees is pretty warm.  Thats about .......... 130F degrees I think?  The hottest mine gets is about 120F.  And even that is running hot IMO.  If it goes hotter when I start overclocking I may have to go with water cooling.  I dont know what the reset limit is set at on your MOBO, but I'm betting you are at least close if not there.  Try taking the sides off the case and blow a fan into the insides and run it, see if that makes a diff.  This may still not help, but if it does there's your problem.  I'd try the soundcard first though.  Just take it out and try to run the game.  Its an easier and cheaper solution if thats the problem lol.

[101ABN]

i had to keep the side off of my computer with a desk fan blowing into it inorder to keep my computer from crapping out on me.  It was restarting when i was in the middle of a fight. My computer has a fan and my video card has a fan also.. i figured that my video card is overheating and windows is shutting it down to save it from frying. just my luck, my desk fan just died the other night.. geeze:(

[StarOfAfrica2]

Depends on the card, but if you have monitoring software for it you should get a warning before it reaches critical temps.  My FX5900 is set to warn me if it hits 48C degrees. Usually if your computer just resets like that its the CPU overheating.  Of course if one is too hot, the other likely isnt all that cool.

[Clifra Jones]

Moto, CPU overheating will also show up in other areas. Your system will just start acting very wierd. Do you leave it on? Do so and if it starts acting strange then maybe heating is the issue. I am leaning more toward RAM. I know this is not an answer you want to hear but that's what my feeling is here. I'm in IT and have had servers do really stupid stuff that was related to flakey RAM.

If your ram is not all on one stick pull out some of the RAM (half)and see if you can run AH. If not switch it and see if that works.

Your system sounds fairly new and RAM ussually has long warranties so you may be able to get it replaced.