GPU caused blackout

[deargodpleasehelp]

Before I start, I will say that this thread has NOTHING to do with a power failure or house power-outage. Thank you for your cooperation.


Well, just today I was using the CryEngine2 SandBox2 level editor, and all of a sudden the screen goes black.
I try to hit the Windows key, nothing.
Alt+Tab, nothing.
Control+Shift+Esc (Task manager)
Nothing.

Finally I hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete and it comes up with the Windows screen asking what I want to do.
I click in task manager and then I close out SandBox 2, I think then, it went black again. Switch back to task manager, close out SandBox 2 from there, and then the screen goes black again, then after SB2 closes, the screen goes back to normal.

Since this game/level editing software requires High-Graphic and system memory, and is both a CPU and GPU hog, it is possible my Graphics processor stopped responding to display commands from the driver?  Either, way, it scared me.

I actually thought my GPU had fried or something, I'm taking as many precautions I can to save my GPU from situations like this.

If anybody knows what this could have been caused by, please post your answer here, and what I can do to prevent this.

Thanks!

I've also had a situation like this where the display in the viewpoint messed up, where the shaders and lighting quit, and I just saw white spots floating around at random positions. And the screen was more in a grey-tone.

As I was saying, if anybody can think  of the cause(s) of this, please tell me here!
Thanks to you all!  

[Kurtiskain]

A overheating graphics card can cause this issue, especially if the sound of the program continues in the background.
My HD 4870 can overheat when my fan dust filter gets blocked and I am in a hot environment.
The game i am playing will freeze on the screen, go black, but I can still 'play' eg still shoot the gun in Modern Warfare 2 and such.
After the card has cooled sufficiently the card kicks back in and it can run stable, of course it wil just heat up again.

Do you notice the fan get louder with use?

[quaxo]

If you're able to get out to the desktop with Ctrl Alt Del, then it most likely isn't a heat problem, as it would not display anything until it cooled sufficiently. It wouldn't selectively choose what to show. Most like, it's either a driver issue or problem with the editor. If it has only happened once, I wouldn't worry about it.

I take it you're not having trouble playing games, just with Sandbox?

[deargodpleasehelp]

If you're able to get out to the desktop with Ctrl Alt Del, then it most likely isn't a heat problem, as it would not display anything until it cooled sufficiently. It wouldn't selectively choose what to show. Most like, it's either a driver issue or problem with the editor. If it has only happened once, I wouldn't worry about it.

I take it you're not having trouble playing games, just with Sandbox?

Actually I do have some problems with some games, yes..

BTW, I always crank my fan speed to a fixed speed, which is 50% to 70% fan speed.

Since its always at 50*C or 60*C no matter how high the fan speed is, as long as it is not below 20 or 30 percent fan speed.

I guess my GPU is always cool, or my fan is faulty? 
My fan does work, because I can hear it when it speeds up when I control it manually.

I was thinking that because the "security" menu of Ctrl+Alt+Del in Windows 7 showed up, it must've been the display driver that stopped responding to Graphic commands.

Could I be right?

[patio]

Nope.

[deargodpleasehelp]

Nope.

Then what do I do!? 

I thought this was a help forum, not a topic just for information!!!

-_- 

[Salmon Trout]

Then what do I do!? 

I thought this was a help forum, not a topic just for information!!!

-_- 

You come in here with stuff like this, makes us think you know it all already and aren't interested in what we have to say. Also fonts and color tricks do not endear people to us.

Before I start, I will say that this thread has NOTHING to do with a power failure or house power-outage. Thank you for your cooperation.

[killerb255]

Then what do I do!? 

I thought this was a help forum, not a topic just for information!!!

-_- 

Information leads to help. 

[Salmon Trout]

sandbox2 is known to be unstable on certain (many!) platforms. Especially 32 bit ones. I see a lot of fancy yellow highlight and font trickery and no details of hardware/OS

[deargodpleasehelp]

sandbox2 is known to be unstable on certain (many!) platforms. Especially 32 bit ones. I see a lot of fancy yellow highlight and font trickery and no details of hardware/OS

Ok, since I cannot edit my first Post i will post here.

I have a Intel Duo Core 2 processor @2.52 ghz
NVidia 250 GTS with SLI and PhysX.
I have 8GB of RAM and 1003MB of on-board Graphics memory.
It is known to be only warming up to 63*C if ever possible by its thermal paste and heatsink/fan cooling, in simple terms, it never reaches any higher than that do to the cooling it currently has.

Is this enough information?  Please let me know if I missed any crucial details.

[Salmon Trout]

Like I said,

sandbox2 is known to be unstable on certain (many!) platforms.

No OS details, I see. I presume that with 8 GB of RAM you are not running a 32 bit OS. That would be foolish. Are you using Crossfire? If you have a separate graphics card, why are you setting aside nearly 1 GB of RAM for onboard graphics?

[deargodpleasehelp]

Like I said,

No OS details, I see. I presume that with 8 GB of RAM you are not running a 32 bit OS. That would be foolish. Are you using Crossfire? If you have a separate graphics card, why are you setting aside nearly 1 GB of RAM for onboard graphics?

I'm sorry, I have an Nvidia GTS 250 GPU hooked up to the PCI-E port I believe, Its a one in a slot, so obviously its not onboard.

And the GPU has on it 1003 MB of DDR3 type memory, I think I believe it was.

My OS is Windows 7, if you ever looked on the left(!) side of the forum where User Information is put aside.
It is x64 bit Windows 7 Ultimate.

[Salmon Trout]

sandbox2 is known to be unstable on certain (many!) platforms.

[coastie65]

I'm sorry, I have an Nvidia GTS 250 GPU hooked up to the PCI-E port I believe, Its a one in a slot, so obviously its not onboard.

And the GPU has on it 1003 MB of DDR3 type memory, I think I believe it was.

My OS is Windows 7, if you ever looked on the left(!) side of the forum where User Information is put aside.
It is x64 bit Windows 7 Ultimate.

Hi. Your specs look good and the GPU temps are fine. Seems to be a hiccup with one of the apps, although it could possibly be the card, but I don't think so if it behaves with everything else.