Fighting Irish Forums

:FI:Falcon wrote:The ALERT! appeared after the crash upon re-boot.

Appeared? So it was a visual alert? What did it say?

I'll look for the GPU temp software.

I use speedfan and rivatuner. I can talk you through setting them up if needed. Rivatuner is great because I can put my temps up in an overlay like fraps which is visible on-screen while gaming.

My two ~70mm case fans have stopped working. They begin to spin when system is turned on, but stop w/in seconds.

They may be thermally regulated by the bios and temperature sensors on the motherboard. With fans that small you could have an Abit board from the Fatal1ty range.

All monitored temps are nice and cool, PWM/CPU/SYS/Room.

What are you using to monitor those temps?

I'll recheck the GPU's today. I'll try to squeeze in a memory test this weekend.

What about your second graphics card in device manager/nvidia control panel?

Is the NB fan the same as the CPU fan?

No siree bob. Your northbridge is a chip embedded into the motherboard usually below and between the CPU and memory. In nForce boards (which I think you've got) it handles communications between your CPU and the rest of your components (graphics, hard disks, USB, sound cards, etc.) If it's overheating you will have problems. The fans/heatsinks for the northbridge are very small usually 40-60mm in diameter and a height of 15-25mm. This is because they can be situated very close to the graphics card slot.

I think the PSU is in dire need of replacement. I'll visit NewEgg or BestBuy soon.

Something is definitely not happy. But keep the info coming and some pics of inside your case would be useful. In particular the PSU, CPU, RAM and GPU areas.

I downloaded EVEREST Home Edition 2.20.405 just now, a diagnostic/monitoring prog and it shows my GPU's at 70 and 76 degrees sitting there painting the desktop. High? I'll take a look around the board and check for things that look NB-y. Right now I have a Walmart 18' Super Sheep Sucker fan stapled to the side of my open box. Sorry, I ran out of duct tape. The GPU temps went from 70/76 to 55/52.

What did the alert say? It was hard to read thru all the tears, but something like ...
(... since the over-temperature event, your system has lowered its graphics settings ...)

I use a mu-guru panel to monitor temps. All temps measured EXCEPT GPUs.

My second graphics card problem? That's on hold until later. Upon quick check in NVidia panel, the system 'sees' 2nd board, but there is not an option, that I think I remember having, to select both.

:FI:Falcon wrote:I downloaded EVEREST Home Edition 2.20.405 just now, a diagnostic/monitoring prog and it shows my GPU's at 70 and 76 degrees sitting there painting the desktop. High? I'll take a look around the board and check for things that look NB-y. Right now I have a Walmart 18' Super Sheep Sucker fan stapled to the side of my open box. Sorry, I ran out of duct tape. The GPU temps went from 70/76 to 55/52.

What did the alert say? It was hard to read thru all the tears, but something like ...
(... since the over-temperature event, your system has lowered its graphics settings ...)

Aha!

Recent GPUs are incredibly hardy and can handle temps of 110°C and more before they throttle themselves for protection. 70° and 76° at idle is very high, whether the GPUs are the source of the heat or the source is elsewhere and poor airflow in your case resulted in heat build-up around the cards remains to be determined. Mid-50s is where they should be while idle with peak load temps in the high 70s or low 80s. So your GPU(s) were running at or above the boiling point of water while playing IL2!

It's definitely time to take out the graphics cards and check them for clogs of hair/dust.

1. Turn off the machine.
2. Disconnect the power cables from the graphics cards.
3. Remove the SLI connector board that joins the two cards.
4. Remove the screws from both cards.
5. There is a white, plastic catch at the end of each graphics card slot. Their design varies but it's usually a case of pushing or pulling it just enough that it allows the card to come free.
6. Keep track of which card was in which slot.
7. Check the fan/heatsink for dust. Blow down through the fan and also blow through the exhaust port above where you connect the monitor.
8. Look at where the heatsink makes contact with the card. Check for any obvious sign of bowing or warping which has lead to the heatsnink no longer contacting the GPU and memory chips.
9. Reverse steps 5-1 above. You shouldn't need to mess with the white, plastic catch on the way back in as it's designed to slide out of the way when the card is inserted.
10. Don't forget to reconnect the power cables from step 2.

I use a mu-guru panel to monitor temps. All temps measured EXCEPT GPUs.

Yeah μ-Guru is the Abit hardware/software combo used to monitor the motherboard's temperature sensors, voltages, frequencies, etc.

My second graphics card problem? That's on hold until later. Upon quick check in NVidia panel, the system 'sees' 2nd board, but there is not an option, that I think I remember having, to select both.

Ok, we'll get the heat problem under control first. Seems that the airflow in your case is poor. Maybe those two big graphics cards are diverting and slowing a lot of the air.
Apart from the two 70mm fans on the back does the case itself have any fans attached? What about an air filter in the front of the case? These can get clogged.

Definitely keep the side panel of your case off for the moment and keep that 18" fan on while gaming. If you can get the computer off the floor and onto your desk it will help with the dust problem.

We're getting there Stu. Still a few tricks up our sleeves.

No, really ... exactly what do I need to do next?



Okay, the NB fan has been located. It's definitely performing below spec ... 300-450 rpm. If it goes above 450 it starts making a noise not unlike Pike when he's taking off of a carrier.

I'll do that GPU disectin' thang in a few hours. It seems SOME people around the house need food and water and clean clothes.

Geez! Bitch, bitch, bitch!


Thanks Moe,


S

Does the case have the fixture points for a 120mm fan? I have one of those lying around if you could fit it.

G

:FI:Gurberly wrote:Does the case have the fixture points for a 120mm fan? ...

With duct (gaffer) tape ANYTHING is possible!

...

I dunno.

I think so.

I'll let you know.

Thanks bro.

Gotta go.


Falcoux

Took out the two GPU's this AM.

Dog! I hate to mess with $600 pieces of plastic and tin!!!

Blew out a little dust and one small felty clump.

Temps are a little cooler w/o supplemental cooling at 56/64 degrees.

Next is the memory stick shuffle.

I'll be careful to make no mistakes.

Lish me wuck!


F

:FI:Falcon wrote:.... $600 pieces of plastic and tin!!!
F

They were $600 pieces of plastic and tin when you bought them.

My car was worth £10k when I bought it...now look at it.

My wife was a diamond when I married her...



G

:FI:Gurberly wrote:

:FI:Falcon wrote:.... $600 pieces of plastic and tin!!!
F

They were $600 pieces of plastic and tin when you bought them.

My car was worth £10k when I bought it...now look at it.

My wife was a diamond when I married her...



G

Geez Gareth, you are living dangerously. Well, that's generally how all married men live. Glad you're adjusting.



and C-with an e is a real gem.

As long as my wiff can pull the plow, I'll keep her.

She's alright too.

~~~

Well ... 2.5 hours for each memory stick playing the 'Black Death' track and all went as smooth as silk.

Shyte, I hate troubleshootin'!

Hmm...well looping the black death track should have shown up any heat problems but thinking about it again it may not have been the best test for RAM integrity as possibly the track is loaded into memory just once when being looped.

It would be nice to confirm that it isn't just IL2 that is experiencing difficulties. Any other reasonably recent games you could play for a couple of hours to see if the system crashes? Oblivion maybe?

:FI:Moe wrote:... Oblivion maybe?

Well ... it's been a while. Elf burn-out happens to seven out of ten males my age.

But if you eeen-seeest.


Falcor

Have you got elf insurance?

You can get it cheap on the national elf service.

Stu,

If ya need fans just say the word!

I've several 120mm and 80mm units I was going to post on Craig's List along with a bunch of other old PC stuff, but seein' as how yer a friend and all you can have them for twice the price!

Seriously, I've got 4 120s and four 80s. You can have 'em and we'll save G the exhorbitant (see Websters or the New Oxford Dictionary) shipping costs!

Webster's Online Dictionary wrote:
exhorbitant originates from French - means Extortionate

Extortionate
Adjective

1. Greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; "exorbitant rent"; "extortionate prices"; "spends an outrageous amount on entertainment"; "usorious interest rate"; "unconscionable spending".

Date "extortionate" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1880

Synonyms: exorbitant (adj), outrageous (adj), steep (adj), unconscionable (adj), usurious (adj).

Thx Helo, I learned a new word which I can use in my thesis;)

S!

M