Computer locking up.

[Agility]

Something's wrong with my computer. It started to happen 2 days ago. Whenever i open a 3D game, (E.g TES4 - Oblivion, Mirror's Edge, L4D) my computer locks up after a few minutes. I've checked everything. Fan on GPU is spinning, temperatures are running ok. Even after formatting my computer, lock up still occurs. Running the latest beta drivers for Windows 7.

I'm pretty sure it isn't the operating system that's giving me problems. Cause i had windows 7 on for a long time, been playing many games. Works perfectly fine until 2 days ago

It's a hardware lock up i'm pretty sure because i can't alt+tab at all. Even though my logitech G15 lcd is still cycling through the different menus, when i change it, it too hangs. Even after a fresh format, it still locks up.

Hardware as follow on my System Specs.

Any idea's?

(Update: Screen goes black for background music continues to play. Also when i hit alt+tab, everything hangs)
(Update: Ram's are ok after a memtest86+ bench)
(Update: My Game Oblivion started to crash in a minute after a change in Option "Texture Size: High".)
(Update: GPU Ram test shows no error.)
(Update: Seems like even in windows XP, i'm getting random lock ups even in MMORPG games.

 

[Asylum]

Start by useing memtest to see if its your memory...May have a stick going bad!!

 

[crtecha]

+1 have you been able to run any type of bench's?

 

[Agility]

Just did a memtest86+. No errors. I wonder what's wrong.

 

[crtecha]

can you run benches on your gfx card? Sorry I should have read that better. Is your GFX card seat correctly and are you using current drivers?

 

[Agility]

Benches like 3dmark? If i did it would lock up. Run any 3D programs and it locks even in window mode.

 

[thoughtdisorder]

Are you positive you have the current drivers installed?

 

[n-ster]

What have you installed recently? new parts? maybe its you mobo... flash bios?

in task manager when idle, what is your cpu usage?

try with a ifferent video card or onboard mobo to see if problem still occurs

 

[Agility]

What have you installed recently? new parts? maybe its you mobo... flash bios?

in task manager when idle, what is your cpu usage?

try with a ifferent video card or onboard mobo to see if problem still occurs

The latest i've installed so far is my rams which is a month ago. The problem starts occuring after 2 days ago.

During idle, my cpu usage is at its normal rate. Nothing that have struck me to see anything wrong with it.

 

[Agility]

Are you positive you have the current drivers installed?

I'm using the latest beta drivers for windows 7 provided by AMD/ATI itself. Though i really suspect it's a driver issue, i still don't understand why does the lock up started occuring.

 

[crtecha]

I wouldn't use windows 7 or any beta for my primary OS. You should dual boot with Vista and use windows 7 as test until your comfortable enough. I dual booted Vista and Xp forever until I was convinced that I wouldn't run into any major issues.

 

[thoughtdisorder]

Maybe try blowing out and cleaning the inside of the case and fans. Then try running with the side panel off (if you have a side panel). I think it's a driver issue, and I know you said the temps were fine, but let's at least rule out bad air flow........

 

[Agility]

Guys... Playing oblivion now while alt+tabing. No signs of lock ups yet.... Strange????

 

[Agility]

Maybe try blowing out and cleaning the inside of the case and fans. Then try running with the side panel off (if you have a side panel). I think it's a driver issue, and I know you said the temps were fine, but let's at least rule out bad air flow........

About bad air flow, my computer cables are properly tied up. So i had to rule bad air flow out. Thanks for the tip though

UPDATE:

Ok. Right now i can run oblivion. But when i did an exit game, it flashes my desktop window for once then locks up. But when i ctrl+alt+del and directly end oblivion.exe process, i'm still fine. Going to try it again now.

 

[n-ster]

rollback recently installed drivers... see if that helps

play with drivers... download all the drivers from past month and try different combinations... if its a driver issue, then why don't you just change the drivers?

good luck

 

[Agility]

rollback recently installed drivers... see if that helps

play with drivers... download all the drivers from past month and try different combinations... if its a driver issue, then why don't you just change the drivers?

good luck

There's only two things i can think of that's giving me problems.

1. Drivers.
2. My GPU rams are screwed up.

In oblivion, when i adjusted the option "texture size" to high, i'm getting crashes after being inside oblivion for like 1minute.

The reason why i rule drivers out is because i've been playing more then just oblivion on windows 7 (7000build). Things i've installed so far are just mods which are copy and paste.

If the mods are the cause of it, i don't see why when i run other 3D games, it locks up too. Lol.. Unless the mods suddenly appear in my other games?

 

[n-ster]

again you are right.. there is a great chance of it being one of them... try onboard graphics or another card to see if thats the problem... also, like I said, roll back your drivers and see if it works

 

[Agility]

again you are right.. there is a great chance of it being one of them... try onboard graphics or another card to see if thats the problem... also, like I said, roll back your drivers and see if it works

I've no drivers to rollback. Cause ATI only provided one beta driver for windows 7. Ha. Are there any softwares that allows us to scan GPU rams?

http://support.ati.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=894&task=knowledge&questionID=1006

 

[thoughtdisorder]

Give this one a shot, it's pretty decent.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Video_Memory_Stress_Test__d5896.html

 

[driver66]

Use vista drivers

 

[n-ster]

idk, you can always try Rthdribl... try to download the drivers from the net... some stable drivers

+1 for link to ram test

 

[Agility]

As i'm speaking right now, i'm running the test. My resolution is 640X480X16 currently though. I had configured it to run on surfaces sizes of 4096X4096. Because in oblivion, i had Qarl's Texture Mod 3 installed which increases textures up till 4096.

 

[n-ster]

if that doesn't fail, search the net for your drivers

 

[Agility]

I would try a vista driver if the test works perfectly fine. It's taking quite awhile with an estimated 1h 30minutes more. Update you guys later. Till then!

 

[n-ster]

I would install the drivers 1st, it may save you 1h and a half