New Gfx Card/Memory issues

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14 Mar 2007
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327
Location
Gloucestershire, UK
Heya, upgraded my RAM (pc3200) and GPU (AGP 3850) yesterday and have run into some issues..

Firstly installed everything, BSOD on boot up. lowered the RAM timings and it was fine.

Installed GPU Drivers off the CD and I could run Company of Heroes on max settings fine, played a skirmish game for about 10-15 mins.

Tried Half-Life 2, and BSOD.

Tried using ATI catalyst drivers 8.8 and couldn't even install them, ran into a few errors un-installing drivers that came with card.

Rebooted again, and I got a few registry issues saying that windows couldn't verify that it was a legit copy, etc - at this point I got miffed with it and decided to finish sorting out the bathroom.

Came back to it, and reinstalled the drivers off the CD, and Half-life 2 video stress test would work, at 1024 with default settings. But would BSOD when I changed res to 1360 and with Anti alias and filtering.

Rebooted, tried it again at 1360 with everything else at default and it worked.. bumped everything up crashed. Cleared all of ATI stuff and tried again with the supplied drivers.

It worked, 1360 with everything at max. Increased RAM timing to 2-3-2-5 (from the optimal setting). BSOD. And has been BSODing no matter what RAM speed is at.

With a lot of mucking about, I've run memtest x86+ and ran into a few errors with stock timings 2-3-2-5. Increased the voltage from 2.6 to 2.7 and everythign went through ok. -RAM is ok I take it..

Soo boot back up into windows, and again Half-life 2 crashes within a few seconds and gives a BSOD. Will try Company of Heroes in a bit.

Is this just a driver/windows issue? Are there more tests I can do to check stuff out? Could it be the PSU? (card requires 30A PSU gives 31A - although it ran CoH fine for 15 mins or so when I tried it - so guessing not)

Any help would be appreciated.

Ohh RAM is 2x1Gb PC3200 OCZ Platinum XTC 2-3-2-5 GPU is, Sapphire 3850 AGP 512mbGDDR3.

Not really sure what it could be other than a conflict within windows but havn't got XP, Mobo drivers, and anythign else I'd need to hand, or else I'd have whiped at the mo.
 
Old card was an Asus 9800 XT, and nope didn't use drivercleaner as I heard it can be a bit viscious (although don't have a lot to loose from trying it now heh), so cheers and will have a look at the link.

Erm also, was playing Company of heroes fine for 30-40 mins with no problem whatsoever and havn't changed anything, so not sure why half-life2/source based games would play up.
 
Every game tests the GFX card differently, as does playing a game can maybe use a different component of the card itself. The only way to be sure it's nothing software related is the good ol' format and reinstall. If I got a new GFX card, that's what I would do. It's long, laborious, but like all boring tasks, it reaps the benefits when you can at least eliminate that possibility.
 
Right, cheers for the help.. just tried that driver sweep thing from guru3d. Found a few things so I cleared it, reinstalled the drivers off the CD and everything seems to be running fine now. Hopefully it'll stay like that =D
 
Every game tests the GFX card differently, as does playing a game can maybe use a different component of the card itself. The only way to be sure it's nothing software related is the good ol' format and reinstall. If I got a new GFX card, that's what I would do. It's long, laborious, but like all boring tasks, it reaps the benefits when you can at least eliminate that possibility.

You must have a lot of spare time if you re-install windows for a new video card.:D
 
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