Game Freezes after about 30 minutes of play

[Slick Twitchy]

First off, I love this game, and have spent a bunch of money getting the hardware to run it.

 

However, I can't complete an entire mission. Eventually, about 30-45 minutes in the game will freeze. No graphic glitches. Small crackling in speakers I thing. I need to hard-reboot the computer.

 

I thought it might be heat, but i have installed fans, and placed fans at 100 percent on CPU/GPU via ntune.

 

Windows 7

Intel 2 Quad @2.66

4 gb Ram

GTX 88000

GTX 285-think problems began when I added this

Using DCSMax

Touchbuddy/DD profile

 

I have a bunch of files in my the KA-50\temp file, but none with a .crash extension. (eg .tmp/.miz etc.). Can't seem to uplad any of those files anyway.

 

Really want to play the game....please help.

[Slayer]

So are you using the 8800 and 285 as SLI or seperate displays?

[Slick Twitchy]

Seperate displays. Using Dastardly's three monitor set up.

[Distiler]

Perhaps the power supply is not enough? wich is the wattage?

[Nate--IRL--]

Also try underclocking the cpu and gpus and more ventilation (ie leave the case open) just to see what happens. I hate when things like this happen, it really is a process of trial and error to find the problem.

 

Nate

[Kuky]

I think it could be PSU being insufficient... what PSU are you running with that system? Also do you have both VGA running at the same time?

[Slick Twitchy]

Case is open. I have added two 12 cm fans pull/push configuration. I have underclocked the CPU, but not the GPU. Same problem. I will try the GPUs today.

 

Both graphics cards are runnning at same time. Using a 3 monitor setup.

 

1000 watt power supply. Its a Dell XPS 710 system. Default system, with a new nvidia GTX 285, as well as the 8800.

 

 

Yes, quite frustrating. But really appreciate the help guys.

Edited April 24, 2009 by Slick Twitchy

[Ramstein]

Case is open. I have added two 12 cm fans pull/push configuration. I have underclocked the CPU, but not the GPU. Same problem. I will try the GPUs today.

 

Both graphics cards are runnning at same time. Using a 3 monitor setup.

 

1000 watt power supply. Its a Dell XPS 710 system. Default system, with a new nvidia GTX 285, as well as the 8800.

 

 

Yes, quite frustrating. But really appreciate the help guys.

 

youare running 2 different models of the video card together in one computer??

can you do that??

:huh:

[EtherealN]

Yes, when running them separately and not in SLI configuration.

 

Technically you can actually run two different cards in SLI configuration as well, as long as the GPU itself is of the same standard, but it does introduce a whole host of potential problems so it is not recommended. I.e, you could run two 8800 cards in SLI no matter if they are of the same model or memory count, but AT BEST the better will be running as if it was the worse one - including using less of it's RAM if the lesser card has less RAM.

 

But that is in the area of things that are theoretically possible to achieve but that are pretty much impossible to predict in how the resulting behaviour will end up being.

 

One of the things I'd check though is the make and model of that power supply. It's not really that important to have a massively big power supply - I've seen benchmarked tri-SLI systems with overvolted CPU's run at a peak load in the area of 600watt. More important is whether the PSU manages to supply "clean" power to all the components - that is, without too much variation in current. When you have assymetric demands from the hardware you could theoretically end up in a situation where the PSU eventually ends up not coping with the load - not because there is too much load, but because the load is so varied.

 

What I would recommend the OP to do is to kick out the extra touchbuddy displays and the extra GPU, and try that out. If that works, get the new GPU in again and running, but DO NOT USE IT. If that works, then connect the touchbuddy stuff and try again. That way you should be able to arrive at a specific thing that is causing the problem to appear.

 

I would also recommend running Process Explorer while doing all of this, just to see if it there's any log files inticating that it's the operating system that is getting confused.

[Slick Twitchy]

So, I did what Ethereal suggested, and disabled the 8800. First off, that seemed to have fixed the freezing problem (does this mean a new psu should fix the issue?) AND I got a crazy increase in FPS.

 

The Shkval on one monitor was really dumping the fps. I complained about this previously, and bought a new GPU, which helped. In any event, I hope there is some help in the future, because Dick Dastardly's Touch buddy profile is especially great on three monitors.

 

I wonder if I replaced the 8800 with another 285, I could get the FPS that I have now, but on 3 monitors?

[EtherealN]

As an experiment, you could try putting the touchbuddy onto the second port on your 285 (if it has a second port - most cards have that, and if the touchbuddy stuff will still work if you do that).

 

If there is something conflicting when you run the two cards, it is possible that you might even get better FPS when running all of it on the same 285 than you got when running one thing on the 285 and another on the 8800. (Although that does limit you to two displays.)

 

Definitely do that before you try with another 285, 'cause it would be a shame to recommend getting another card and then find that the problem is caused by the presence of two cards irrespective of which cards it is. It did strike me as I typed this that it might be a bandwidth problem on your motherboard or some other issue related to the PCIe buses. It's possible that there's just so much data that has to be passed around to so many places that the motherboard freaks out.

 

Problem is it is very very difficult to figure out what exactly would cause the problem, and it's possible that getting another 285 would just be a waste of money. (If you have a friend that has an extra 285 you can test with it's easier.)

 

It could also be Windows7 having some issue in handling two differing graphics cards, but I don't use W7 nor do I use multiple displays or touchbuddys, so unfortunately my advice can't go further than basic troubleshooting. But if you do have friends with spare components (or that would offer to let you swap stuff out for a few tests), definitely have a look at that.

[Slick Twitchy]

Thanks. Good insight. And I too am a little wary of spending cash on a purely speculative solution.

 

I did switch around the outputs/monitors, and there is a minor difference. It seems that the ABRIS is better on the 285, and the Shkval on the 8800. I dunno why.

 

Maybe i will see if Ntune can increase some of the bottlenecks. HULLLOOOO BSOD....

 

I must admit that I am very disappointed. I can't decide whether to play with a little Shkval, and touch buddy ( 2 monitors); or to just have the Shkval and no touch buddy at all (2 monitors-waaahhh!), or take the hit on the freme rates (3 monitors) and hope the freezes stop.

Edited April 29, 2009 by Slick Twitchy