Problems with 9600XT....need a solution

[Dunny Rummy]

Actually I'm not really sure its my ATI 9600XT card but here is what
is happening:
My computer does a HARD reboot without warning when I am playing 3D
games(MOHAA is the only 3D game I play)
sometimes a stuttering sound can be heard then it locks up. This
reboot symptom happened twice while at my desktop.

I have reformated and done a clean install with the same problem.
My first reason was my AV software but the symptom persists without
having a AV installed. This problem has poped up only recently.
If I was to turn back the clock lets say about 4 weeks ago my machine
was running perfectly.
Then I thought maybe corrupt drivers (I was using Omega drivers)
but having changed drivers to WHQL certified the problem is still
happening.
So......I'm wondering if its a hardware issue.
Could the quality of memory be a factor (i.e. cheap vs expensive)?
I recently upgraded my CPU and memory, specs below.
Comments please!!
TIA!!!!!!!
----------------------------------------------------
ASUS A7N8X Deluxe ACPI BIOS Rev 1007
AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2600+ Barton 2074.7 MHz
FSB-180.4 MHz
TWIN -Wintec Industries DDR-SDRAM PC3200 - 512 MBytes-->synchronized
RADEON 9600 XT AGP
---------------------------------------------------

 

[Dunny Rummy]

OK I switched to a FX5600 Ultra my brother-in-law gave me for xmas
(back-up card I call it)
but once again I get hard reboot while playing MOHAA
Could it be MOHAA?
ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!

 

[JAD]

on board sound? update motherboard drivers
Via chipset? 4 in1's done?
heat?

 

[dino]

possibly a weak PSU not being able to handle the cards?? I put my old
Ti4200 in the kids system and the PSU hates it...have to upgrade it.

 

[Joshua]

Did this problem start immediately after you got your 9600xt? After I got my
9600xt, my system would reboot during games (usually during or just after a
save.... when the harddrive was being used). I switched the power supply for
one with a higher wattage and have not had that problem since. Try getting a
new (or borrowing someone else's) power supply. However, if your system was
running fine for some time after you got the card, the problem could easily
be something else.

-Josh

 

[Hugh G Bear]

Try running stock clock. 180 FSB is overclocked so almost anything can
cause the reboots.

 

[Dunny Rummy]

I spliced a power adapter from the PSU to accommodate the hard drives
so I don't know from really putting a strain on my PSU. maybe I should
get a 550 W PCU? I can't really pinpoint any coincidence as to when
this problem began. I suppose I could strip all extra hardware and run
the machine "bare-bones"and see what happens. I believe my PSU is
about two or three years old so maybe it's time to upgrade.
any suggestions would be most helpful! Thank you in advance.

Did this problem start immediately after you got your 9600xt? After I got my
9600xt, my system would reboot during games (usually during or just after a
save.... when the harddrive was being used). I switched the power supply for
one with a higher wattage and have not had that problem since. Try getting a
new (or borrowing someone else's) power supply. However, if your system was
running fine for some time after you got the card, the problem could easily
be something else.

-Josh

 

[Dunny Rummy]

I set my system to aggressive in BIOS @ 166MHz. System seems to be
stable but sometimes I can hear MOHAA studder slighty.
As far as a new PSU I think I should get a high quality PSU.
Right now I am using ALLIED 400WATTS PSU ATX but who know if it is
true power. I am running six WD 7200RPM hard drives ranging from 20GB
to 200GB, 2 optical drives (one is a CD-RW burner the other is a DVD
burner). two of the Western Digital's run on the primary IDE while the
remainder run on a PCI controller card.I wish there was some way I can
monitor a PSU. are there any PSUs on the market that can be monitored
by the motherboard?

Try running stock clock. 180 FSB is overclocked so almost anything can
cause the reboots.

 

[Jim]

Run Motherboard Monitor 5 with the logging function enabled. You can get a
good idea of how the power supply is doing.

I set my system to aggressive in BIOS @ 166MHz. System seems to be
stable but sometimes I can hear MOHAA studder slighty.
As far as a new PSU I think I should get a high quality PSU.
Right now I am using ALLIED 400WATTS PSU ATX but who know if it is
true power. I am running six WD 7200RPM hard drives ranging from 20GB
to 200GB, 2 optical drives (one is a CD-RW burner the other is a DVD
burner). two of the Western Digital's run on the primary IDE while the
remainder run on a PCI controller card.I wish there was some way I can
monitor a PSU. are there any PSUs on the market that can be monitored
by the motherboard?

 

[Timothy T. Doran]

Don't buy an ATI 9600XT based video controller unless it is a genuine retail
ATI 9600XT, as most other "builders" that are using the ATI 9600XT chipset
have not fully followed the ATI reference design, used old PCB's that were
"in stock"
to rush product out for Christmas holiday, and have not enabled the ATI
"OVERDRIVE"
feature.

I too was "duped'" by C.P.Technology Co., Ltd. aka/dba in United States as
Power Color USA Corp. in purchasing a R96A-C3T in a new system I had built
by Future Technologies International, Inc. (FTI), Great Neck, NY about two
weeks ago, who is an "authorized" distributor/reseller" Power Color
products.

The cost to me between the Power Color R96A-C3T and a genuine retail ATI
9600XT was less than five dollars, but I went ahead with the Power Color
Product since it seemed to have a better bundle. I was not aware that there
were any differences in the cards, as Future Technologies International,
Inc. (FTI) web site (as do most other resellers) still to this day state the
fact that the Power Color R96A-C3T has "OVERDRIVE", as does C.P.Technology
Co., Ltd. Main web site, only in the last week has the Power Color USA Corp.
web site quietly removed the statement about the Power Color R96A-C3T having
'OVERDRIVE" ability.