Games Crashing + Unknown Device

Dingleberry88 · 21 Apr 2007 at 13:40

Got an 8800 GTX yesterday and did a fresh install of XP.

Problem #1:

I have an unknown device in device manager. It says Location: On PCI BUS, yet all I have is the GTX and an X-Fi.

Any ideas what it could be?

Problem #2:

When I start a game I can only play for a couple of minutes before it locks up and I'm forced to hit the reset button on my PC. (Using 158.19 drivers).

I've tried reinstalling the drivers and even reseating the GTX but the problem still occurs.

Help!

flying grouse · 21 Apr 2007 at 14:18

if you are sure that is all you have connected to the PCI interface, then go to "device Manager" right click on (unknown device) and uninstall, then restart PC and see if it asks for drivers for anything

Dingleberry88 · 21 Apr 2007 at 14:26

Done that. It asks for drivers but doesn't find anything.

Edit: As long as everything works ok I don't really care if it's not recognised. I'm more bothered about games locking up. I've been waiting so long to get a decent graphics card and when I finally do I can't even use it.

flying grouse · 21 Apr 2007 at 14:41

that seems fair to me what you have said, but untill you know what that device is, that may cause problems.

did you install drivers for your Motherboard?

Dingleberry88 · 21 Apr 2007 at 14:46

Yep, ran the nForce driver setup and installed everything.

flying grouse · 21 Apr 2007 at 14:54

try this software from Belarc and see what it finds about your system......http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Dingleberry88 · 21 Apr 2007 at 15:07

I've run it but I can't see anything unrecognised/out of the ordinary.

I think I'll try reinstalling XP again...

Smeg4Brains · 21 Apr 2007 at 15:17

i wouldnt bother trying to re-install XP, that unknown device will still be there, i get it on jsut about every asus/nforce motherboard i've ever used.

not sure what it is, but it dont cause any harm.

Infact, it's there on a new install i did today as well (c2d e6600, asus board nforce6sli)

flying grouse · 21 Apr 2007 at 16:14

I agree with "Smeg4Brains" a bit too early to to be trying a reinstall, have you checked temps of graphics card and have you gone into BIOS and checked temps of CPU. nothing been knocked on install of graphics card, all power connectors fitted to new card.

A high spec system like that needs stable power, what is the power of your power supply, are you using RAID, Is your system overclocked, does it lock in all games

Dingleberry88 · 21 Apr 2007 at 16:55

CPU idles at around 40 and gets to about 60 load when overclocked to 3GHz. But I set it back to stock before installing the GTX/reinstalling Windows, so it'll be cooler now.

I did notice the anti-static bag that the card was in looked like it had been opened before, but I've read that's nothing to worry about as some had to be checked for a dodgy resistor.

Physically the card looks fine, apart from it's a green PCB (I though they were all black?), but that doesn't bother me.

Both power connectors are fitted. What's the best way to monitor temps while ingame?

My PSU is the 620W Corsair. It's been shown running an overclocked quad core CPU with SLi GTXs, so that's not the problem.

Not using RAID, just 3 SATA drives.

So far I've tried STALKER (locks up around the same point in the opening FMV), Test Drive Unlimited (doesn't lock up at any specific point, just randomly after a few minutes of driving around) and CS:S (again, locks up randomly).

It's looking to me like a dodgy card. Either high temps or a problem with the actual hardware. Maybe the bag was opened because it was a return, though the box was sealed...

flying grouse · 21 Apr 2007 at 18:31

I was on another forum and came across some posts with similar problems, they seem to point to power / drivers and heat issues? http://forums.nvidia.com/lofiversion/index.php?t33485.html

you could post in the graphic cards section on OcUk

masterk · 21 Apr 2007 at 19:56

Dingleberry88 said:
Maybe the bag was opened because it was a return, though the box was sealed...

This always really winds me up, my advice is send it back and ask for what you paid for, a new card rather than B-grade.

Dingleberry88 · 22 Apr 2007 at 01:03

flying grouse said:
I was on another forum and came across some posts with similar problems, they seem to point to power / drivers and heat issues? http://forums.nvidia.com/lofiversion/index.php?t33485.html

you could post in the graphic cards section on OcUk

I tried what that guy said (using only 1 stick of RAM). It still crashed, but ran for maybe a few minutes more that usual.

Anyway, I shouldn't have to be halving my RAM to make a graphics card work...

I'll probably take it back sometime in the week and get a replacement/refund. If it's a replacement I'll make sure to check it hasn't been opened before I leave the shop.

I agree with masterk, I don't see how shops can justify passing off B-Grade stock as new and charging full price without even telling you. Sure, it may just be that someone has decided they didn't want something and returned it, but it's still been sold and opened, therefore not new.

Could a Mod move this to the Graphics Card forum please.

this_is_gav · 23 Apr 2007 at 09:34

Regarding the missing device, if you have an ASUS motherboard, try installing ASUS probe. If you don't want to, then download it anyway, and the driver needed will be the Acpi\WIN2000 directory of the download.

Dingleberry88 · 23 Apr 2007 at 09:40

Cheers Gav, I'll give it a go when I get home.

Dingleberry88 · 23 Apr 2007 at 13:49

Dingleberry88 said:
I'll probably take it back sometime in the week and get a replacement/refund.

Just got back.

Result - Confirmed Faulty.

Got a replacement.

Did take them almost 3 quarters of an hour to test it though...

Edit: Why I ever posted this in Windows & Software I don't know...

Durzel · 23 Apr 2007 at 17:38

Dingleberry88 said:
Problem #1:

I have an unknown device in device manager. It says Location: On PCI BUS, yet all I have is the GTX and an X-Fi.

Any ideas what it could be?

Unknown Device is probably the "Creative Gameport". I have an Audigy 2 ZS and I've got the same thing, and I worked out what it was after some investigation.

t31os · 23 Apr 2007 at 18:08

Don't have that with either of the 3 Audigy ZS's we own. Maybe the drivers need updating.

Durzel · 23 Apr 2007 at 19:18

t31os said:
Don't have that with either of the 3 Audigy ZS's we own. Maybe the drivers need updating.

Sorry I should've qualified, I'm in Vista (x64) - the Gameport isn't supported by the current drivers. For some reason I assumed the OP was using Vista too.

Dingleberry88 · 23 Apr 2007 at 19:55

Ok an update:

You were right Gav. It was an ACPI driver, but not the one with Probe, just a seperate DL on its own.

As for my GTX, as I posted earlier I got a replacement, and so far I've not had any problems with it.

So to conclude; all sorted, thanks to everyone who's helped.