Back Again

[Blackjaw]

So I gave my system some time to settle down after the RAM problems I was having. Now everything is good, or so I thought. I got a little OC going on. P95 is stable (9hrs-I know should be longer). Temps are good...but, now I have a stuttering/pause/lag issue in games. Doesn't matter if it is online or single player. I get this pause thing every now and then that causes the sound to stutter. Does anyone know if this sounds like a video card problem, specifically a 7900GT problem. My drivers are completely up to date. The reason I think it maybe my video card is that all the benchmarking apps show no errors, and the problem only occurs in games. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Victor]

if you don't see the problem with benchies but see them in games, I think maybe it's your game that's causing the problem. BTW, I notice that you have rosewill value psu, listed as your psu, it's not the best quality, what's the amp ont he 12v? maybe it's not powerful enough to run the card.

[Blackjaw]

That would mean all of my games are at fault.

My +12v is rated at 26 amps.

[Kougar]

So you are saying your sound will stutter or lag, and at the same time the game will stutter too?

I'd be willing to bet your onboard sound is causing CPU usage spikes... which could be likely judging by the CPU/GPU combo. Only way to really prove this is for you to play without sound, or install a sound card though...

To rule out a few other things though... You can make sure your voltage rails are within specs (preferably while your system is under heavy load) by using this program & the auto-logging function for when you are in those games and can't see the display. http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

Another shot in the dark would be making sure the drive with your games/OS is not badly in need of a defragment? Also, have you installed the latest codec/driver for your specific onboard sound chip?

[Blackjaw]

Yes, the game will also stutter too.

I have an old SB Live! Value card from a DELL. The only problem is that DELL uses custom wiring terminals. I can't figure out how to convert wiring to my MOBO specs, but that would only affect the front audio ports...so nevermind. Doh. I will try this card, it worries me that the most current driver for this is from Feb 2003. Do you think this will be a problem?

I will check my voltages in Speedfan after a session to see if I had any weird spikes. What rail should I be looking at? Or am I looking at them all?

No, my hard drive is always nicely defragged. So I know that is not the problem. And I do have the latest audio drivers/codecs installed. Religiously check for those.

Thanks again Kougar. I'll report back later on the situation.

[Bio-Hazard]

Go to Creative's web site and download their newest driver pack for the card and you should be fine on that point (I have the same card in one of my systems).
If it's a voltage problem, it more that likely the 12v rail, check it via software and keep a log if you can.

http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/download.asp?MainCategory=1&sOSName=Windows+XP&region=1&Product_Name=Live%21+5.1+Digital+%28Dell%29&Product_ID=1853&modelnumber=&driverlang=1033&OS=10&drivertype=0&x=24&y=13

I just installed my old SB Live in my main rig and Window saw it just fine and then I updated the drivers to the newest ones online (03), so you shouldn't have any problems with yours. The sound card will take some of the load off our CPU and help out your frame rates.

[werty316]

He did mention his drivers are update but maybe a fresh install of XP could help. Also scan your PC for viruses and spyware.

[Bio-Hazard]

Also need to know what all he has running in the background and how many system proceses are running. And at what game settings he has the card set at. The 7900GT can't run all the newer games at max setting with high frame rates and with a gig of ram it only makes it worse with some games if he's running a bunch of stuff in the back ground.

[mousiness]

He did mention his drivers are update but maybe a fresh install of XP could help. Also scan your PC for viruses and spyware.
thats not always the smartest thing to do unless you install the original XP that you had the first time you put it ion your pc, if you dont install the same XP it could cause driver issues and LAN problems too, its happened to me numerous times

[Blackjaw]

Thanks for the input. Here is the rundown.

I will install the card sometime soon with updated creative drivers. I am also going to watch my voltage performance after a few sessions of gaming.

This is a fresh install of XP. I have scanned it a few times. I see nothing. I am very careful about what I download. Hell, I don't let my wife download anything unless she asks me first. So I doubt that could be a problem.

As for running games. I have a ritual that I do before I start a session. I turn off all bkgnd programs. I usually end up with a commit charge of 152M/2459M before I play games. The only ones I let run, are my McAfee Firewall, my Logitech software for my G5 and Adobe Gamma (I do a lot of PS work). I am kind of a freak when it comes to startup programs, I don't like them, unless I absolutely need them. I usually play my games on highest/max settings, but not highest resolution.

Let me try the card and monitor my voltages and see what story that tells. Thanks again.

[mousiness]

hehe the wife part, keep that habit going, my mom totally screwed over my dads HDD she deleted all his work files but thankfully he had backup on his work PC

[werty316]

thats not always the smartest thing to do unless you install the original XP that you had the first time you put it ion your pc, if you dont install the same XP it could cause driver issues and LAN problems too, its happened to me numerous times

Thats why I said install a fresh copy ;)

[mousiness]

:mrgreen: key word there but i didnt quite grasp it:wink: :-D

[werty316]

Yes, the game will also stutter too.

I have an old SB Live! Value card from a DELL. The only problem is that DELL uses custom wiring terminals. I can't figure out how to convert wiring to my MOBO specs, but that would only affect the front audio ports...so nevermind. Doh. I will try this card, it worries me that the most current driver for this is from Feb 2003. Do you think this will be a problem?

I will check my voltages in Speedfan after a session to see if I had any weird spikes. What rail should I be looking at? Or am I looking at them all?

No, my hard drive is always nicely defragged. So I know that is not the problem. And I do have the latest audio drivers/codecs installed. Religiously check for those.

Thanks again Kougar. I'll report back later on the situation.

I have a SB Live! card and haven't had any stuttering game problems. Try disabling the sound in your games and see if they still produce slowdowns and stuttering. Hopefully it isn't a sound driver as you would have to live with it or get a newer sound card as those Feb 2003 are the newest sound drivers.

[mousiness]

isnt it frustrating? i hate it when stuff like this happense to me

[werty316]

I don't mind it when a pc has problems. Its not fun trying to fix it but atleast you learn something.

[Kougar]

Well, there are a few XP programs you should leave running in the background, because they keep XP running smoothly and stabily... If you kill one of these it could cause some issues later down the road.

Definitely do what Sbrehm suggested... play a few games, then check the speedfan logs for the 12+ rail(s). Any discrete sound card would work just fine, since it would take some of the load off the CPU :) Let us know how it goes...

[Kougar]

hehe the wife part, keep that habit going, my mom totally screwed over my dads HDD she deleted all his work files but thankfully he had backup on his work PC

I hear about this over, and over, and over... Enough so that I know to plan ahead so the wife gets her own computer, and paws off mine... It's always the muddling of the software settings, or the sudden infusion of ad/malware on the previously clean system, or it's the sudden rash of crashes and errors that didn't previously exist... :mrgreen:

[werty316]

Chicks and PCs go hand and hand like oil and water.

[mousiness]

another great analogy werty lol, but its so true theres just something about chcks and pcs that just doesnt blend, and chicks just dont understand that the monitor isnt the part of the pc thats doing all the processing, tsktsktsk

[Blackjaw]

Good stuff.

Card is installed, waiting for some time to test it.

[werty316]

Cool and keep us updated if the stuttering problem is gone.

[Blackjaw]

Problem still persists. The sound card/device is not the problem. I checked my +12v rail and it start out at 11.55v. This number is persistent at idle. When I play games it jumps around a lot. The dips it goes between the most are 11.425v and 11.5v. The lowest dip it takes is 11.375v on a regular basis. Is this normal? If it is, I am back to square one. Which means that I have to look at the video card being the culprit.

[werty316]

That is bad; 11.375V is way to low. 11.55V at idle is very low and dangerous. I am surprised you aren't getting random boots and BSOD. I can't remember what percentage of leeway you can have on each rail but those numbers are much too low.

[Blackjaw]

So in the meantime, would disabling a hard drive help. Or should I back off the OC?

[werty316]

Back off on the OC and see if the voltage rails are affected. I did some searching and roughly you can be a within +/- 5% of the rails so 5% of 12V is 12.6V and 11.4V I think 11.8V is a bit low. Also keep in mind using an app to take voltage readings like in a BIOS isn't as accurate as using a multimeter.

[Blackjaw]

I backed off the OC to stock settings. I am at 11.55v still at idle. With spikes at 11.625, which did not happen when it was OC. I know I need a new PSU now, I guess my vid card is drawing too much juice. I am going to try a game again and see if it spikes. No cash flow for a good PSU right now. Do you know of a good one for OCing that is anywhere from $50-$100?

[werty316]

You are probably gonna have to spend over $100 for a good quality PSU. For quality products you always have to pay more but in th elong run its worth it. I went through three cheap PSU before I learned. maybe its because you are using "value series" PSU.
Here are some PSU that are good and I like'em:

Coolermaster eXtreme Power 600W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817171008)

OCZ GameXStream 600W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817341001)

Antec NeoPower NeoHE 550W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103941)

Antec TruePower 2.0 TP2-550W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103932)

Antec TRUEPOWERII 550W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103931)

Antec NeoHE 500W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103940)

FSP Group (Fortron Source) 600W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104014)

[Bio-Hazard]

I use this one myself and put a ton more stress on it than alot of people and it's been working great for me.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817128002

Some PSU info worth reading.

http://jonnyguru.com/ratethebrands.html

[Blackjaw]

Thanks. Yeah, I still get dips below 11.4v even at stock settings. I have to start shopping and saving. Thanks for the suggestions. I may do 2 PSUs as a temporary fix since I have 2 laying around. Thanks again. If anyone else has a favorite PSU, let me know.

[werty316]

Here another good guide on PSU:

Power Supplies 101: A comprehensive guide (http://www.motherboards.org/articles/guides/1487_1.html)

[Kougar]

Thanks. Yeah, I still get dips below 11.4v even at stock settings. I have to start shopping and saving. Thanks for the suggestions. I may do 2 PSUs as a temporary fix since I have 2 laying around. Thanks again. If anyone else has a favorite PSU, let me know.

Yep, it's the PSU. The stuttering is from the voltage dips nearing the threshold for crashes, but not quite making it... I didn't know such a thing happened until it was mentioned in this power supply review: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/348/1/ (http://www.legitreviews.com/article/348/1/) While those PSUs are a bit more than you are looking for, it's still a good review and worth a read!

The voltage specifications are generally for the +12, +5, and +3.3 rails you have a +/-5% tolerence. Werty is correct in that 11.4v is exactly 5% below the expected 12v that it should be. The -12v has a 10% tolerance, but that rail doesn't really get used anymore.

http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/1016/psuchart5im.jpg

This looks like the best price for a decent to good PSU, but I didn't look especially hard... ;) OCZ ModStream 450Watt $60 after MIR (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104154) OCZ is not my brand of preference though unless it's their GameXStream line, which have Active PFC and appear to be quite well made...

Werty's link to the Antec NeoHE500watt is exactly $100 shipped, same as the 430watt model after shipping costs. This unit has Active PFC, so if you run your system 24/7 you might consider this one over the cheaper alternatives as you'll save on your power bills... ;)

[mousiness]

any PSU that has at least a single 12V rail for pci-e, on 400W for a minimum specs system, is a good PSU, mine right now is the lower end of PSU's and it works amaizing because my pc isnt high-end, anything good for a pc you must spend $$$ thats the bad part

[werty316]

I am surprised Blackjaw didn't have more problems due to the low 12V rail and probably other low rails too.

[Blackjaw]

Thanks again for the helpful advice. This forum is honestly the best one of the few that I use, where the members are always truly helpful. Yeah, I definitely want to do the PS right, so that is why I am going to save for it. Right now my band-aid fix is a $5 relay switch from RadioShack, some solder and a 350w PS that I has laying around. I am going to attempt to set this up tonight.

I don't ever leave my main rig on 24/7, so PFC is not a concern. I just want something that isn't crap, like this Rosewill one. I think this has also been limiting my OC as well. I have another PC that will be my MP3 server, that one will be on 24/7 when I get it setup. I am going to try to use Linux (Ubuntu) for this project.

[xfxsupport]

I am very happy that you are doing so well. If you are investing in a new PSU then Xfx and Nvidia recommend an SLI certified PSU for all your needs. I would take a look at http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone2_build.html . Even though you may not be considering SLI these PSU's are rated to run nearly any Video card on the market and designed to give strong stable power for your system.

[Blackjaw]

Okay. Up and running. There is improvement, but I still get the occasional dip. No where as bad as before. So, can someone tell me what should I split up. Right now I have the video card on its own PS. Everything else is still on old PS. Should I also move the SATA drives to the 2nd PS? Or should I move my 4 fans plus controller to 2nd PS. Not sure what eats up the most power. That Rosewill is pure crap. 2 PSs and I am still having issues.

I will have to take a picture of this lovely setup. Horrible.

[werty316]

Sorry to say but I don't think it really matter since both PSU seem to be POS.

[Blackjaw]

LOL. Yeah, that is what I determined also. But being the ever optimist that I am, I didn't let seeing the Powmax sticker discouarge me. I might check out my DELL PS and see if that is any better grade. It will still be about a month before I can purchase a new one.

[Kougar]

LOL. Yeah, that is what I determined also. But being the ever optimist that I am, I didn't let seeing the Powmax sticker discouarge me. I might check out my DELL PS and see if that is any better grade. It will still be about a month before I can purchase a new one.

You hooked up a 7900GT and some SATA drives to a Powmax??? Purchase that new PSU soon as possible please!

A relative I know (That makes me look like a complete comp newb, no less) bought a handful of PowMax PSUs off Newegg as they had some kind of sale where there were only $5 or $10 with bulk discounts on them. According to him he knew they were dirt cheap in build quality, but for what he was using them for it didn't matter if they died after a year or more due to the prices he paid. He used them in his old Pentium 3 and AMD Tbird/Barton folding@home rigs for 24/7 folding work... and has blown at least three of them that I heard about (In about a year or less, I think). :mad: Even if you give him one he won't use it now, because they live up to their name to well! :wink:

[Blackjaw]

I saw in that JonnyGuru list that Powmax is a red listed PS. It came with my CoolerMaster case I don't use anymore. I have never bought a PS, they have either been included with the case or they are hand me downs. After reading all the info supplied to me by this forum, I undestand how important it is to have a good PS. Especially if you want to OC. I wish money was like Gremlins, just pour some water on it...[ka-ching] money multiplies.

[werty316]

I had a PowMax PSU make smoke on me a while back when I thought a PSU is a PSU so why pay the premium for an expensive one. It took me three dead PSU to learn a quality PSU matters.

[Blackjaw]

Okay. So I am gonna gamble on an Ultra X-finity 500w PS for only $10. JonnyGuru has it in the blue spectrum as it is made my Wintech. Plus, all reviews that I have read said it is a very nice PS that it is stable and affordable. So $10 to me is worth a shot. If it doesn't work I will sell it and make a few bucks. Hopefully I will get it before next Wednesday, as I will be at the beach with my ladies on Thursday. It's gonna be tough leaving my computer at home knowing that it is sick, but I think I will survive. LOL.

[mousiness]

hahaha niiice, and yes that x-finity PSU is an amaizingly reliable PSU, you can count on it to keep your precious pc from those evil underpower bugs...

[Das Capitolin]

Okay. So I am gonna gamble on an Ultra X-finity 500w PS for only $10. JonnyGuru has it in the blue spectrum as it is made my Wintech. Plus, all reviews that I have read said it is a very nice PS that it is stable and affordable. So $10 to me is worth a shot. If it doesn't work I will sell it and make a few bucks. Hopefully I will get it before next Wednesday, as I will be at the beach with my ladies on Thursday. It's gonna be tough leaving my computer at home knowing that it is sick, but I think I will survive. LOL.

Blackjaw, could you please post a link to this PSU and where you can buy it for $10. I would be interested in buying one too.

[xfxsupport]

When shopping for a new PSU I recommend checking out www.SLIzone.com . This site is maintained by nVidia and they have a convenient listing of SLI approved parts. Motherboards, PSU's and video cards. All these PSU's are designed to give stable and reliable power for nearly all of the systems out there as well as be sufficient for nearly every video card developed by nVidia. Here is a link to the parts section:

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone2_build.html

[Blackjaw]

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2210219&cp=&origkw=ultra+x-finity&kw=ultra+x-finity&parentPage=search

It has a $50 rebate, plus free shipping right now. I had to pay tax. So I actually spent about $13.

Thanks XFXSupport for your suggestion. But at $13, I have to try this PS. Every review I have read has recommended this PS. I do not plan on doing SLI with this computer. If I do with my next, I will look into a recommended PS from Nvidia.

[edit] It is a recommended power supply from Nvidia. Nevermind.

[xfxsupport]

$13 for a PSU?!?!? Wow , I would jump on that as well. I just recommended those PSU's for compatability testing and stability. Even if you are not considering or planning on using an SLI system those PSU have ben tested by nVidia for compatability which can help eliminate some of the guess work. Let us know how that $13 PSU does.

[tomato]

US$13 for an Ultra X-Connect PSU?! Holy crap, that's a great deal! Geez, if only I was in the market for a PSU... good luck and keep us updated Blackjaw :)

[mousiness]

thatd be good for me seeing as im a cheap ******* :wink:

[werty316]

If you plan on running SLi I don't think the Ultra has enough juice to run it. It always best to be safe and getting something with a little bit more amps on the 12V.

34A on the 12V rail might be rnough for SLi but I would be safe and get something with more amps on the 12V rail.

If you don't plan on getting SLi that PSU should suit you well. I used to use a 1st gen 500W X-Connect and it workded great.

[Blackjaw]

Nah. Don't have the money for another 7900GT, nor do I have money for a MOBO with SLI capabilities. I think the PS will be good for what I need. I just want a modest OC. The next rig I build will have the planning for SLI setup and watercooling. That won't be for at least a year or two. Gonna squeeze every ounce I can out of this machine without investing too much money into it. Nvidia does certify this supply for non-GTX SLI setups. I don't know if I necessarily agree with that, but I feel comfortable it will do fine with one card. Can't wait till it gets here. I miss DoD:S.

[mousiness]

are the pci-e x1 slots on your mobo open ended it looks like they are from above

[werty316]

are the pci-e x1 slots on your mobo open ended it looks like they are from above

I don't see a pic so how can it look like they are?

[mousiness]

nono search for his MoBo name and there are aerial views and it looks like they are

[werty316]

What do you mean by open ended? What no answer?

[mousiness]

open ended by the ends of the slots are open which would enable multi-graphics card use like on the gigabyte motherboards

[Blackjaw]

I don't believe they are if I am understanding you. They look like those useless ones that nobody ever makes a board for. Why isn't there a X-Fi version for PCIe?

[werty316]

I don't think they either as ABIT's website doesn't say you can use the PCI-E 1x slots for multi-displays.

[mousiness]

nevermind theyre not open-ended, and they dont make x-fis for pci-e because x-fis dont need that much bandwidth its too much for a sound cardm, x-fis arent even using the bandwidth for pci all the way

[Kougar]

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2210219&cp=&origkw=ultra+x-finity&kw=ultra+x-finity&parentPage=search

It has a $50 rebate, plus free shipping right now. I had to pay tax. So I actually spent about $13.

Thanks XFXSupport for your suggestion. But at $13, I have to try this PS. Every review I have read has recommended this PS. I do not plan on doing SLI with this computer. If I do with my next, I will look into a recommended PS from Nvidia.

[edit] It is a recommended power supply from Nvidia. Nevermind.

It cost exactly $15, after including that postage stamp for the MIR :mrgreen: And yeah, free shipping for orders over $50.

I wouldn't trust this PSU for high-end setups, but for anything else it should be very good. In my last post with the table of voltage rails I linked to a PSU review, where they reviewed a Ultra X-connect 550Watt model...

[Das Capitolin]

It cost exactly $15, after including that postage stamp for the MIR :mrgreen: And yeah, free shipping for orders over $50.

I wouldn't trust this PSU for high-end setups, but for anything else it should be very good. In my last post with the table of voltage rails I linked to a PSU review, where they reviewed a Ultra X-connect 550Watt model...

And that MIR had better come! I just bought one for my system, although I need to learn more about the PSU before I use it. I might need to just resell it if it only has one power rail. Links?

[Blackjaw]

Hmmm, I see about the X-Fi bandwidth, but I live in America and I demand overkill. Plus, I would rather use a slot above my video card than below it. My request still stands. Creative, give me a PCIe capable X-Fi card now...and make it cost about $50 too. Please.

Das Capitolin, the link is in an earlier post. RadioShack.com is the place. OnRebate.com is the dispenser of the rebate. Wait, are you talking about the X-Connect review?

[Das Capitolin]

Hmmm, I see about the X-Fi bandwidth, but I live in America and I demand overkill. Plus, I would rather use a slot above my video card than below it. My request still stands. Creative, give me a PCIe capable X-Fi card now...and make it cost about $50 too. Please.

I actually laughed out loud when I read this. Blackjaw, I would try and comfort you with promises of PCIe capable X-Fi's, but that promise is still months off. $50? I'm still laughing.

[Blackjaw]

LOL. Yeah, I guess a $100 rebate would be acceptable to get it to $50.:wink:

[Kougar]

Das Capitolin, the link is in an earlier post. RadioShack.com is the place. OnRebate.com is the dispenser of the rebate. Wait, are you talking about the X-Connect review?

Actually you register your rebate... but then send off your UPC/receipt copy anyway. I think the thery is the user saves 2 weeks of processing time, and thinks they are getting the rebate faster or something... :wink:

Regarding the sound card... What's the point of a X-Fi if you don't have a surround sound 7.1 speaker system? I bought a $30 Audigy SE, and because it is PCI I know it'll be around till the end of time :mrgreen: It predated AGP, and has outlasted AGP... The sound quality is better than my 2.1 speakers can handle anyway...

[Kougar]

Ahah, SPCR has this thing reviewed! http://www.silentpcreview.com/article288-page1.html (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article288-page1.html) I have not read it yet... The model number does not exactly match, but the box/PSU/wattage/price point is all a match.

Here is a second, older review... the box is different too. http://www.techgage.com/review.php?id=3471 (http://www.techgage.com/review.php?id=3471)

Edit:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/xfinity/500W_Efficiency_chart.jpg

Is the efficiency rating graph showing above to anyone?

[Blackjaw]

Point well taken on the X-Fi Kougar. But I read reviews where they said the X-Fi dramtically improves headphone play. This is what I use almost exclusively, I don't want to keep the kiddies up or annoy the wife with gunshot blasts. The brief time I had the SB Live! Value card in, there was an impressive boost in sound quality, I could only imagine what the X-Fi could do. I depend on my headphones for letting me know when someone is sneaking up on me or if someone is reloading their clip. The more help I can get in fragging, the better off I am. I am not getting any younger, :( and getting pwned by young 'uns is not something I enjoy. :wink:

I read those reviews in my research for a nicely priced PSU. I hope this will be the cure for my power needs. I like to gamble on frugality (no choice).

[Blackjaw]

You know, you got to go to where the deals are sometimes, even if it means trying a new place. I usually only buy from a select few online retailers (NewEgg, ZipZoomFly, SVC), and have grown accustomed to good expediant service. I can safely say if that I won't be ordering from The Shack again, unless it is a crazy deal such as this. If it came to a $5-$10 difference, I will patronize one my regulars before using The Shack again. I placed my order on Wed and my account has shown no activity yet. Whatever. I place and order with SVC at 5pm (EST) and they will it have in the mail at 8PM (PST) on the same day. That is quality service. The Shack is a giant retailer with shops within 5 miles of each other (What is up with that?) and it is taking them more than 24 hours to ship my order. Pathetic. I can see why they only average about 3 stars in service.

[tomato]

Our local Radioshack, in a word, SUCKS. I never deal with them unless it's my only, and only option. Their service is laughable, their staff (when they're in the store) are clueless, and the manager is a pompus @$$.... NOT the proper way to run a business, but hey, I don't run a business so what do I know? :P

@Kougar... man you are really making a case for me to replace my Audidy 2 ZA for that fancy X-fi ;)

[Blackjaw]

Holy flarbleshnoodle. It actually has a tracking number with FedEx. Too bad they took so long to send it, I will be at the beach by the time it gets here. :(

[Blackjaw]

Ok. Got my new PSU, installed it and now I am up and running...but, I am still having problems in games (lag, sound stutter thing). Completely frustrated. Bios shows the +12v rail at 12.25v. Speedfan and Everest show that I am at 11.8v. I am gonna get a DMM to check what is really going on. The lowest dip under full load is 11.67v. Could their be a drain in my systems power someplace? I mean, what are the odds that this PSU is not enough to run my simple setup? Do MOBOs ever have voltage problems? Could it be the video card? Could it be the outlet I am using? Could the hard drive be the culprit? The only things that have changed in my setup since the issues began are the MOBO and video card. My old system under AGP was rock solid. Ugh.

[werty316]

That PSU should provide enough juice and I am baffled as to wha else you can do.

[Kougar]

I noted you said in your first post that this problem only occured after you overclocked your system... does it still only occur after you have overclocked, but is fine at stock?

[Blackjaw]

It does it at stock also. So I know that OC has no effect on it. I am completely baffled by this problem. My thoughts (which could just be just plain wrong):

1. Something on MOBO might not be regulating my voltages correctly. But this seems unlikely due to the fact that I see no problems in other apps, other than 3D.

2. My hard drive is not functioning properly. I also doubt this would be the problem. The drive has been only used for about 7 months.

3. My RAM is faulty. I doubt this could be the problem too. I ran MemTest on it for about 6 hours and no errors showed up. I am going to try the voltage at 2.70v, instead of at 2.80v. My RAM is rated for 2.85v, the reason I had upped the voltage is so that I could OC it. I also am going to try running one stick to see if that is the problem also. P95 shows no errors also after 12 hours in stress test mode.

4. Something is up with my video card. This would be consistent with 3D apps having problems. I may try Circuit City for a test card to see if the problem persists with another card.

Any other suggestions at trouble shooting would be greatly appreciated. I tried researching this problem on Google, but could not really find a consistent analysis except for this thread:

http://forums.winforums.org/showthread.php?p=47462

But there is no resolve at the end of this forum.

[tomato]

Maybe the OC of the video card damaged it somehow....? How far exactly did you push the card?

[Blackjaw]

I haven't touched my card. I wanted to get the main system OC stable before I even thought about tackling the video card.

Another thought I had, that may be farfetched, but a possibility nonetheless. I live in an old house. 100+ years. I am wondering if the power circuit it is on is being taxed by my new setup with its much more demanding power requirements. I may have not had a problem with my 9800Pro, but maybe my 7900GT is requiring a lot more power. Making the amperage on that circuit somewhat unstable. That will be a relatively quick thing for me to test tonight. Any thoughts on this theory?

[xfxsupport]

Dear Blackjaw, I certainly can understand your frustration on this issue but, I doubt the wiring in your house would be the cause. You should have experienced other issues like the circuit failing when you started the system or random power losses even with your older 9800 card. If you are not using a UPS or a surgeprotector then you may have power fluctuations that may be attributing but, again you would see some other indicators like lights burning out or glowing brighter than normal or dimming for for a few seconds without warning. Instead of purchasing another video card simply for testing please try your card in another system or take your whole computer somewhere to be given a look over. Sometimes if you do a lot of buisness at a local computer supply store they might just give the card or your system a quick look see for any thing out of spec bfore charging you anything.

[Blackjaw]

So, I am a creature of habit, especially when it comes to my computer. I have certain rituals I perform daily and weekly. Every Friday night when the kids are tucked snuggly into bed and my wife goes to sleep, I play games or work on illustrations. I usually am up until 1:30AM, the only time I can get anything done or just relax. So after I go to bed, I leave my computer on so Perfect Disk can start up at 2AM to do its thing. Well, I had a thought last night that I should check the state of my hard drive. When I fired up Perfect Disk, an alert window pops up. Something about it couldn't detect my hard drive. WTF? So I do a repair install of the program and all is good. I analyze my drive, it shows me that I was a bad parent due to file fragmentations out the wahzoo. Then it dawns on me, I guess the scheduler that I trusted so much to do its thing, couldn't, due to an error. So when I was having all those BSODs as a result of under voltage to my RAM, my game files were getting butchered. Perfect Disk was not able to fix the problem. So I ran it, and all is good. Games run smooth. Woohoo.

So the moral is, well I guess there really isn't a moral. I am super vigilant about maintaining my computer. I manually update everything on my computer. This is the only automated process that I let the computer do, I hate waiting for defragmentation to end. So I guess I will just manually start it every Friday now. I guess there is a moral after all: if you want a computer that works, don't let your wife on the computer. I swear it has to do with something that she did. I know it.

Now if I could just break the 2500Mhz barrier on my OC...

[tomato]

That is great news, Blackjaw! Glad to hear that the problem is solved, and without the need to replace any components ;)

[xfxsupport]

Great News, I am sorry that it took all of this to find the source of the error. Please feel free to contact us if you have any more issues.