[boogey89]

Hi !
I will start with posting my pc specs , as explaining what the problem exactly is may take a bit more time.
ATI Radeon HD 4870 512mb
12gb ddr3
MSI 770-c45
SB Recon 3D
HDD SamsungHD502HI 500gb -ish
monitor LG L1900R
Modecom 500W PSU
I am currently running windows 7

As to what my problem is, here goes :
While playing games suddenly the screen either goes completely black, white with whitish sqares, or black with blackish stripes, or very dark blue with a bit darker stripes and at the same time sound glitches a little and the pc freezes and i have to restart it. thats the thing that is happening most of the time. No BSODs, no errors, nothing. From time to time i get a monitor "error" saying "digital out of range - and some Khz's here ( not always the same )" There are some exceptions. for example when i play DOTA2 pc crashes just sometimes , mostly the game kinda minimalizes to desktop and i can still see the game cursor, hear the game sounds, and even use the skills in-game, however i can only see the desktop ( icons and all ) from there i can get to task manager and close dota, after which im getting "display driver stopped responding successfully recovered" . thats when i play DOTA2 and DOTA2 only. this never happend in any other game. However yesterday for the first time when playing WoW i got the black screen and sound glitch for a couple of seconds but after that the game continued for couple of minutes, next the black stripes happend after which the continued again and finally i got blue stripes after which PC crashed. i tried running the games in lowest settings possible and the time after it crashes is irrelevant to the video settings ( just yesterday morning WoW on lowest settings crashed after 30seconds, and the same day but in the evening on ultra settings i played for about 3 hrs before it crashed).

So those are the problems i am having. now i ll try to list the things ive already tried.
-formatted HDD ( and changed OS from win8 to win7 - which solved the problem for couple days )
-updated all the drivers
-installed older version of GPU and sound card drivers
-updated bios
-lowered GPU clock settings (using amd overdrive)
-overclocked GPU a bit
-checked all the temperatures ( with speedfan, everest, and vision engine control panel and also my hands and fingers during and before crash) and they were all normal
-changed thermal paste on GPU and CPU
-rested BIOS to default settings
-cleaned everything from any dust ( i do this regularly )
-tried running with another gpu ( geforce 6800gt - it worked, but the PSU started making weird noises so i took it out :S )
-tried unplugging everything i could that wasnt 100% needed ( two new pieces of ram - 2x4gb) and sound card
i think that would be all.

just some other things i can think of are recent changes to my pc. i bought 2x4gb ram ( exactly the same as the other 4gb just more ). bought Sound blaster sound card ( had some integrated one which i turned off in BIOS )and thats pretty much it.

I honestly have no idea what the problem is.

also i think i have to add that other than new RAM and sound card, GPU cooling system, the whole PC is almost 4 years old.

I would greatly appreciate any help and ideas.

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boogey89

Two problems that I see are a low spec video card and a PSU that I would not trust as a door stop, please see my canned text below;

Please note that there is one thing that is possibly worse than using a known poor quality brand of PSU and that is using one that is unheard of, for brands of PSU to trust and brands to avoid please refer to the two attached links http://www.10stripe....d/psu/brand.php and http://www.pcmech.co...ad.php?t=208143
PSU database http://www.realhardt...vos/Page541.htm

I suggest that you obtain a better quality brand of PSU and only then run tests on the video card in case the PSU pops and takes the rest of your hardware with it, this because any testing will stress both the video card and PSU.

[phillpower2]

boogey89

Two problems that I see are a low spec video card and a PSU that I would not trust as a door stop, please see my canned text below;

Please note that there is one thing that is possibly worse than using a known poor quality brand of PSU and that is using one that is unheard of, for brands of PSU to trust and brands to avoid please refer to the two attached links http://www.10stripe....d/psu/brand.php and http://www.pcmech.co...ad.php?t=208143
PSU database http://www.realhardt...vos/Page541.htm

I suggest that you obtain a better quality brand of PSU and only then run tests on the video card in case the PSU pops and takes the rest of your hardware with it, this because any testing will stress both the video card and PSU.

[boogey89]

Got the new PSU, put it in, and i got the crash again
atm im trying this geforce 6800gt i got from my friend. the new PSU is not making the beeping sounds the old one did, however i still hear cracking noise in headphones with the geforc, everything is fine on the speakers though.

Edited by boogey89, 21 August 2013 - 11:23 AM.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update

Just a FYI, the PSU does not beep that is normally an onboard error speaker that many MBs have.

Please keep in mind that a weak or flaky PSU will damage all other hardware with prolonged use.

[boogey89]

it wasnt the kind of beeps the motherboard makes, im sure of that, it was rather machine like beeps , its kinda hard to put into words. but nvm, so far so good, with the other GPU everything seems to be fine so far, so im guessing the problem was the graphic card.

one thing however, after changing the graphic cards i can hear crackling noise in my headphones ( only headphones, speakers are fine ). when i plugged headphones where the speakers were, it was also fine , no noise. WTH ? ;( why am i always having this kind of problems

[phillpower2]

Good to see that you have made progress boogey89

Can I ask where you are plugging the headset when it crackles, a case front audio port for example.

Computers can be fickle and they can be fine one day but be a major problem the next, rest assured it is not only yourself that these things happen to

[boogey89]

1st ( red ) is mic, 2nd are usually headphones, 3rd are the speakers

btw, these are my headphones HD 668B by superlux, and my mic os this tiny thing by zalman.

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[phillpower2]

You may have a driver conflict, can you check the Device Manager and see what audio drivers are installed.

[boogey89]

newest sound blaster drivers , ( updated the ones i got with the sound card on cd ). Graphic drivers are also up to date.


also could you be so kind as to advise me in buying a new graphic card ? or should i make a new thread in a separate sub forum ?

Edited by boogey89, 23 August 2013 - 03:13 AM.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update boogey89

Have you disabled the MBs integrated audio chip and uninstalled the drivers, check for a Realtek® ALC888S / ALC885 entry in the Device Manager.

GPU suggestion but only if your budget, PSU and case size etc will allow it http://www.newegg.co...ID=3938566&SID=

Unfortunately due to other commitments I may be offline for the rest of the day but will be back asap, sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause

[boogey89]

yeah, i had it disabled since i bought the soundblaster. and this noise is only heard on the borrowed graphic card. on my old one, everything is fine ...

as to the graphic card my budget might allow me to get 660 gtx ti, what do you think about it ?

[phillpower2]

The GTX 660Ti is a decent card but they are quite large so check that you have adequate room inside the case, can you tell us what size case you have as in small tower, mid tower or full tower and what are the brand and model name or number of the PSU so we can check that it will support the new video card, a suggestion

Try disabling the audio on the borrowed video card meanwhile.

[boogey89]

uhm. how exactly do i turn off sound on my video card ? ( i didnt even know i could do that :S )
also my current psu ( which i bought before i wrote here, so im hoping its not so terrible ;( )is http://www.silentium...w-80plus-bronze unfortunately i think its polish made, and all specs are in polish so if you need anything translated , let me know
as to my case its Modecom NEXT 2 LCD Midi Tower ( i had Arctic Cooling Accelero Twin Turbo II on my video card thou which was pretty big imo and it fit right in, on a side note my case is permanently open so if something sticks out its fine)

Edited by boogey89, 28 August 2013 - 05:57 AM.

[phillpower2]

It depends on how the video card is connected to the computer as to whether or not you can isolate the add on video cards audio, an example of what I am referring to Here

I personally have not heard of that brand of PSU but if the claimed specs are accurate then it will be ok, no disrespect intended but Here are the PSU specs in English for others who may read your topic.

Is This your present case.

[boogey89]

yup, thats mine case, i have however unplugged everything that wasnt necessary ( meaning the front display and two additional fans )

i read good reviews about it, and sorry for not providing english links myself but i was at work i was typing that and kinda had to hurry