Computer crash on any 3d graphics

[KingArgGrr[NZ]]

Got a pc here, Leadtek K7N420DA mobo
(http://www.leadtek.com.tw/motherboard/winfast_k7n420da_1.shtml).
NForce 1 chipset etc. Using the onboard graphics adapter. Lately its
taken to crashing and restarting when it does any sort of 3d graphics.
Direct X/OpenGl, doesnt seem to matter.

Even simple little opengl screensavers cause it, right up to 3d games.

It never used to do this. Seems to have started with when i relocated
the powersupply outside the case, as it was sitting right over the cpu
and blocking half of the fan. (just screwed it back the other way,
made sure i didnt screw into anything sensitive etc)

Im suspecting it has a weak powersupply, as it has trouble starting up
acorrectly also. (usually not making it to POST screen etc)

But when its running, and not doing any 3d graphics, it seems quite
stable.

I have monitored the internal voltages via silly leadtek monitoring
programs, and they seem stable up to a crash, only slight variation in
vcore, which could be below satistical uncertainties.

(Starcraft runs fine, along with other apps using 2d graphics).

Has a 300W powersupply in it now, have a 250w spare here, will try
swapping it over when its free for some downtime.

Anyone got any experience with such issues?

 

[~misfit~]

Got a pc here, Leadtek K7N420DA mobo
(http://www.leadtek.com.tw/motherboard/winfast_k7n420da_1.shtml).
NForce 1 chipset etc. Using the onboard graphics adapter. Lately its
taken to crashing and restarting when it does any sort of 3d graphics.
Direct X/OpenGl, doesnt seem to matter.

Even simple little opengl screensavers cause it, right up to 3d games.

It never used to do this. Seems to have started with when i relocated
the powersupply outside the case, as it was sitting right over the cpu
and blocking half of the fan. (just screwed it back the other way,
made sure i didnt screw into anything sensitive etc)

Im suspecting it has a weak powersupply, as it has trouble starting up
acorrectly also. (usually not making it to POST screen etc)

But when its running, and not doing any 3d graphics, it seems quite
stable.

I have monitored the internal voltages via silly leadtek monitoring
programs, and they seem stable up to a crash, only slight variation in
vcore, which could be below satistical uncertainties.

(Starcraft runs fine, along with other apps using 2d graphics).

Has a 300W powersupply in it now, have a 250w spare here, will try
swapping it over when its free for some downtime.

Anyone got any experience with such issues?

Hot northbridge? Just a thought, it's a hard one to trouble-shoot remotely,
gotta start somewhere. Otherwise try older graphics drivers. It could also
be hardware failure.

 

[KingArgGrr[NZ]]

Hot northbridge? Just a thought, it's a hard one to trouble-shoot remotely,
gotta start somewhere. Otherwise try older graphics drivers. It could also
be hardware failure.

Good point, its sitting at 45c-50c when its idle.. it does have a
pissy little heatsink on it, a poorly designed one too. I dont have
any fans i can attach to it.

I can detect no hike in temperature leading up to a crash though. just
done a test with quake 3, ran a demo, and it locked up as soon as the
game comes up. like on the first frame drawn.

Sometimes it might go for a few seconds..

Will give older drivers a go, and might try the PSU swap this weekend.

thx for your reply.

(and yeah, im a bit of a fixit man, and remotely diagnosing stuff you
fixed is not fun at all

 

[~misfit~]

Good point, its sitting at 45c-50c when its idle.. it does have a
pissy little heatsink on it, a poorly designed one too. I dont have
any fans i can attach to it.

Might be worth looking for one.

I can detect no hike in temperature leading up to a crash though. just
done a test with quake 3, ran a demo, and it locked up as soon as the
game comes up. like on the first frame drawn.

Maybe it was already too hot for 3D but ok for 3D?

Sometimes it might go for a few seconds..

Will give older drivers a go, and might try the PSU swap this weekend.

thx for your reply.
Welcome.

(and yeah, im a bit of a fixit man, and remotely diagnosing stuff you
fixed is not fun at all

Yep,

 

[KingArgGrr[NZ]]

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 10:03:22 +1200, "~misfit~"

Ok bit of an update.

I installed a fan & better heatsink on the northbridge, but it didnt
appear to make much difference. I think the damage has already been
done, because i noticed a few swollen capacitors around the board.
some had even burst at the top and appear to have leaked a little.
(not onto the board, just frothed over at the top maybe

I take it these can be expected to leak now (ie current wise) and not
do the mobo much good.

i swapped over the psu as well, with no changes to performance or
startup difficulties. The only thing that worked was installing a
seperate agp card. (gf2 mx440 from another computer).

Suddenly, the computer can start fine and run games with no dramas.
I guess its taken the power drain off the onboard regulators and such.

Seems pretty poor design to me, not like it was overclocked. It may
have ran hot thats all, but not hot enough for the bios to shut it
down.

Will enquire about warranties. Thx for your help, hope this dialog
might help someone else.

 

[~misfit~]

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 10:03:22 +1200, "~misfit~"

Ok bit of an update.

I installed a fan & better heatsink on the northbridge, but it didnt
appear to make much difference. I think the damage has already been
done, because i noticed a few swollen capacitors around the board.
some had even burst at the top and appear to have leaked a little.
(not onto the board, just frothed over at the top maybe

I take it these can be expected to leak now (ie current wise) and not
do the mobo much good.

i swapped over the psu as well, with no changes to performance or
startup difficulties. The only thing that worked was installing a
seperate agp card. (gf2 mx440 from another computer).

Suddenly, the computer can start fine and run games with no dramas.
I guess its taken the power drain off the onboard regulators and such.

Seems pretty poor design to me, not like it was overclocked. It may
have ran hot thats all, but not hot enough for the bios to shut it
down.

Will enquire about warranties. Thx for your help, hope this dialog
might help someone else.

Aww man, up until recently that was my standard response to flakey mobos,
"Check the capacitors for any signs of bulging or leaking". After it not
being the problem in a whole bunch of cases I stopped saying it as a first
thing to do.

Bad luck about the board, it's quite common with boards made betweem 1999
and 2002 or so. There were literally millions of capacitors made that were
faulty, there's a bit of a story to it, someone may tell you, you could
google it or you may already know.

I have an excellent board here that has bulging caps, really sad, I miss
that board.

 

[kony]

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 10:03:22 +1200, "~misfit~"

Ok bit of an update.

I installed a fan & better heatsink on the northbridge, but it didnt
appear to make much difference. I think the damage has already been
done, because i noticed a few swollen capacitors around the board.
some had even burst at the top and appear to have leaked a little.
(not onto the board, just frothed over at the top maybe

I take it these can be expected to leak now (ie current wise) and not
do the mobo much good.

At this point they'll be rapidly degrading and soon the board won't work
at all. If you have any ideas about replacing the capacitors or the whole
board, it'd be better to do it now rather than waiting.