Help: BIOS errors and 3D freezes

Elvellon · Post by **Elvellon** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 3:29 am

I have a kinda strange problem. One day my PC crashed in a game, after that when I enter a game or ATITool 3D view it goes for several seconds, then hangs with artifacts (game) and lags before it with slow mouse movement and a black field instead of 3D (ATITool). The sound stutters.
After rebooting the computer may report a BIOS checksum error and replace it with the secondary BIOS (thanks Gigabyte). I tried resetting the BIOS and updating it. The problem's the same and after several times it reverts to the old BIOS anyway.

Also tried reinstalling and updating the video drivers. Also the temperatures are OK (46 degrees in CPU burn-in, GPU up to 60 degrees until it hangs, it has sometimes been higher when working).

Two things I can think of but haven't tried is reinstalling Windows or hardware parts (physically).

My full computer specs are in the sig, here are some suspect parts:
- Gigabyte P35-DS4 motherboard (has BIOS and PCI-E)
- Elitegroup GeForce 8800GT (kinda noname brand, explains graphics problems, doesn't explain BIOS)
- Antec NeoHE 430W power supply (may explain everything, but I don't stress it near its maximum and it's cool in its own thermal zone in the case)

Would appreciate any help!

sjoukew · Post by **sjoukew** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 3:57 am

It sounds like a hardware problem to me, I shouldn't re-install windows to see if it helps.
If an computer crashes really badly because something is broken, the bios gets corrupted to. I would look into your PSU and all capacitors on motherboard and vga card, also check all powercables if they are still correctly connected etc.

Elvellon · Post by **Elvellon** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 5:07 am

Forgot to add: Counter-Strike 1 runs fine, so low-power usage of the GPU is OK. The CPU obviously can go on with 100% load.

If an computer crashes really badly because something is broken, the bios gets corrupted to.

That's what I was curious about, I'v never heard of such a thing before.

I would look into your PSU and all capacitors on motherboard and vga card, also check all powercables if they are still correctly connected etc.

There are no electrolytic capacitors on my motherboard (can solid-state ones go bad too?); the PSU's on warranty (can't open).
I guess I'll check the power cables and graphics card's capacitors and then try to find a spare/"moneyback" PSU.

Thanks!

sjoukew · Post by **sjoukew** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:20 am

Maybe it is just your vga card which is broken and can't handle full load anymore.
As earlier discussed here nvidia has serious quality issues. Replacing your vgacard and re-checking your pc could be an easy solution. Or try to test your vga card in another pc and see what happens if you put it to the test.

Elvellon · Post by **Elvellon** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:50 am

End of story (apparently).

Took it to some repair shop, they say it's the CPU that overheated because of bad contact and they remounted everything (my brother's taking the computer back as I write)...

Edit: NOT. They made the source of the problem up and loaded the CPU all night. Now they promise that a smarter guy will come tomorrow.
LOL @ Russian style.

Elvellon · Post by **Elvellon** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:47 am

Got a replacement 9800GT, the old one's in warranty. 2 hours of Left 4 Dead

.
Thanks for the help!

Elvellon · Post by **Elvellon** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 11:09 am

By the way, according to Nibitor, this GPU is 55nm, but in GPU-Z it's 65 nm. What to believe, did I really upgrade nanometers?

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 3:58 am

Elvellon wrote:By the way, according to Nibitor, this GPU is 55nm, but in GPU-Z it's 65 nm. What to believe, did I really upgrade nanometers?

nVidia just slpped 8800 GT's bios there without much bothering to change card nor bios. Its 8800 GT so some models they state incorrect NM. That is just bios's faul and is mere minor inconvinience that doesn't affect anything else.