Video Card Malfunctioning or something else?

[Shnugi]

Summary
I think my video card is broken.  Whenever I try to play resource intensive games, my computer restarts after like 30 minutes of playing.  I've already tried a bunch of things.  I've already checked if a bunch of other things are broken.   And it seems like my video card an ATI 9600 XT is starting to die.  Oh, my computer, including the video card, works fine as long as I'm not playing a game.

Extended Version

Let me start from the beginning...

It all started a few weeks ago, I decided to start playing the Sims 2 again.  This was after a long break from playing computer games, spanning about 3-4 months, I don't exactly remember.  Well everything ran normally for about half an hour then my computer restarted.  Like it just shut-off.  I tried playing again, and again my computer restarted.  So then I decided that I'd try to ignore it and just save more frequently.  So for about a week I'd be playing the Sims and save every 5 minutes, waiting for the inevidable restart to occur.  Sometimes it'd take 5 minutes to happen; sometimes 2 hours.  So then, since I hadn't played computer games, or done anything that would even remotely strain my video card, for about 3-4 months, I have no idea when the problem actually started.

Here's a run down of what I tried doing...

I thought there might be a software conflict or something like that, so I went on a rampage uninstalling any program that I didn't use regularly.  That helped a little bit, and I stress little, more or less I'm just being wishful.

I tried reinstalling/updating the video card drivers.  Nada.

I thought that my RAM might be broken, I had them switched.  No improvement.

I thought that my computer as a whole might be over heating, so borrowed a few fans from a friend just to see if they'd help.  Yea, they didn't.

So finally, I'm left with the thought that my video card might be broken.  This actually kind of makes me sad, but oh well.  My computer has an onboard video chip thing, that only turns on when the motherboard doesn't detect a video card.  So I decided to try that out, I had it run the Sims 2 for half an hour nothing happened.  No crashing (surprising because this was a SiS chip that supposedly didn't support the game), no restarts.  Of course, it might be helpful to mention that the game was practically unplayable.
 
My Computer Specs:
OS: Windows XP Home Edition SP2
CPU: 2.4 GHZ Pentium 4
MB: Uses a 651 SiS chipset
RAM: 1024 mb, same speed, same maker.
Video Card: ATI 9600 XT, made by Gigabyte
2 Hard-Drives totalling 210 GB
A TV tuner
DVD burner

Oh yea, within the last 6 months, I have added a DVD burner, TV tuner and an other hard drive.

Error Message

It's the same every time:


BCP4 : 1020080F     OSVer : 5_1_2600     SP : 2_0     Product : 768_1    
BCCode : 9c     BCP1 : 00000000     BCP2 : 8054D370     BCP3 : B2000000    
BCP4 : 1020080F     OSVer : 5_1_2600     SP : 2_0     Product : 768_1    

C:\DOCUME~1\Jojo\LOCALS~1\Temp\WERd424.dir00\Mini022206-02.dmp
C:\DOCUME~1\Jojo\LOCALS~1\Temp\WERd424.dir00\sysdata.xml

[GX1_Man]

I would be thinking power supply with all of those peripherals in there. What make, model and wattage is it? How old? Did difficulties happen after adding the new components? Of course there can be a cumulativ eeffect as well with time. Do you have a big healthy PSU to swap in and test with?

I guess you tried google:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=BCP4%3A1020080F+++++

You have the latest Direct X? What are your internal temps, if you can monitor? Everest may help you out as well:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

[Shnugi]

I would be thinking power supply with all of those peripherals in there. What make, model and wattage is it? How old? Did difficulties happen after adding the new components? Of course there can be a cumulativ eeffect as well with time. Do you have a big healthy PSU to swap in and test with?

My computer is a Powerspec 8821. I checked the website, and there's nothing there about the PSU.  Does Everest show any info on the PSU?  I'll have to ask my dad about seeing if we can get a bigger PSU, what would be a good wattage? 400? 500?

I guess you tried google:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=BCP4%3A1020080F+++++

You have the latest Direct X? What are your internal temps, if you can monitor? Everest may help you out as well:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

I think the sensor on my motherboard is broken, it keeps randomly jumping from 30 C to 70 C :-? .  But my video card seems to hold steady at 30C - 40C.  I updated my Direct X like a couple days ago.

[GX1_Man]

Does Everest show any info on the PSU?

It probably would be best to just look in there and read what is on it. It may have to be unscrewed (4 screws) to get a good look at the casing, especially if it is printed on the top.

A name brand quality power supply is best. Think Antec and Newegg, about $50. With a cheap one you never know, and if you have expensive components to ruin, this is not the time to be saving a few dollars.

I think the sensor on my motherboard is broken, it keeps randomly jumping from 30 C to 70 C

Wow!!!  

Did you check it with Everest to get those numbers? Something is not right there.

[Shnugi]

It probably would be best to just look in there and read what is on it. It may have to be unscrewed (4 screws) to get a good look at the casing, especially if it is printed on the top.

Ummm... yea, I think it's a bit low.  Apparently it's only 250 W, I thought that it was 300 W at least.    So, could this be the root of the problem? If so, how many watts should the next PSU be?  Also you said Antec was a good brand, and others?

Wow!!!  Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked
 
Did you check it with Everest to get those numbers? Something is not right there.

Yea, that's why we just assumed the motherboard sensor was broken.  I put my hand near the CPU when it was supposedly running at 70 C, and it seemed normal.

[GX1_Man]

250 w is definitely not enough! 400 from a quality maker would be sufficient. What motherboard is in there? Everest should tell you as well.


Look at these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817153023

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103935

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103927

[Shnugi]

What motherboard is in there? Everest should tell you as well.

FIC VI-39L which uses a SiS 651 Chipset. Oh and it's form factor is micro ATX.]

About those PSUs, are all PSU's a standard size or do I have to check the size on whatever I'm going to get?  I measured my current PSU and it's 5.75"x5.5".

Thanks for all the help so far.  

[GX1_Man]

If you have an ATX case, then an ATX power supply will fit and work with the right motherboard connectors. Those will all work.

[Shnugi]

Alright, thanks!  I'm going to get the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103935 .  If that doesn't fix the problem, at least I won't have to worry about energy consupmtion anymore, plus I'll have a spare PSU for a internet and word-processing computer.  

[GX1_Man]

Post back and let us know the outcome.  

[Shnugi]

So yea, minor problem.  

The new PSU installed pretty easily, my case is a bit small so it's little bit cluttered now, not a problem.  But there's one little issues, the computer shuts down  30 seconds after logging into a Windows User Profile.  It boots fine loads Windows, but in under a minute after logging in bam it shuts down.  Would misconnected wires cause this or something else?

[Backdated]

Onboard sensors aren't the most accurate devices in the world in general but a jump of that magnitude coupled with a crash is a little coincidental don't you think?
Blow a room fan into the open case and see if that improves things. If it does, start looking at fans and heatsink assembly etc. Heatsink compound does lose it's heat transfer efficiency over time!

[Shnugi]

Onboard sensors aren't the most accurate devices in the world in general but a jump of that magnitude coupled with a crash is a little coincidental don't you think?
Blow a room fan into the open case and see if that improves things. If it does, start looking at fans and heatsink assembly etc. Heatsink compound does lose it's heat transfer efficiency over time!

My dad thought of that and so we blasted it with a couple extra fans, one at the CPU and one at the video card.  No effect.  :-/

Oh, adding on to my last comment...  I decided to unplug everything nonessential out of the computer, it also turned out the at CPU heatsink wasn't fully clipped in, I don't think that was a big deal.  The computer's running fine with the new PSU, but I'm not sure what the problem was, so I'm afraid of putting everything back in.
[edit]
Edit, I think my video card is dead. I'm going to test it in our other computer.  Great... thank god this computer has onboard video. [/edit]

[edit]Edit #2:  I decided to try out the DVI port, and the video card is working now.  Wierd.  Computers are so wierd.[/edit]

[kklimala]

No having it seated properly would do make it shut down.   It does not take much.  As long as you clipped it down and it is working now, you should be fine to hook everything back up.  Just to be safe add one thing at a time and test it until you add all the devices back.
I have the same board in a powerspec 8921.  it is a good board and should last a bit longer.  I am finding it hard to find a good video card to run in it that will prolong the life of this machine.

[patio]

The post is 3 1/2 years old...