Needing some help sorting out a vid card issue

Baghr · #1 02-23-2008, 01:14 AM

Hello all, I need some help sorting out some issues involving a new vid card.

My system specs: OS is XP Pro, up to date. Mobo: D865PERL with a single core P4 3.0, 2 gig of RAM, and have ran an ATI all-in-wonder 9600 series 128mb card with 8 pixel piplines in AGP format for the last four years without incident. I am able to run a 3D Mark 3 benchmark with this setup in the 2700's.

The card was replaced with a EVGA GeForce 7300GT with 512mb same 8pixel pipeline and the same AGP format. I am unable to run the sim-it will start but is very sluggish-to the point it takes about 30 seconds for the cursor to reflect the movement I have made. Needless to say the sim is unplayable. When I run the same benchmark test, it will get through the first portion, but then crashes, where I have to reboot. What I see before it crashes is a marked improvement in frame rates.

Today the screen scrambled and sent an error message "THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER" I would imagine this points to a driver issue but not sure.

I have downloaded the latest drivers from nVidia and EVGA, and installed them correctly from what I can tell. I use driver cleaner, a program to remove all old drivers, which I haveused on other applications and it works OK. I installed nTune version 5.5, which is a device to help tune the card on non nvidia mobo chipsets.

I'm a noob to this sim, and have a general knowedge about computers. I replaced my stock 300w PSU with a Corsair 520W modular, so power supply is not an issue. An interesting note is Im able to surf the web and navigate on my computer, it seems to give me probs when I put a load on it, such as the benchmark test or laoding hte sim.

HELP!!!!

MOH_Hirth · #2 02-23-2008, 03:33 AM

How many time you format and reinstall your windows? A ligth and fresh Windows help a lot the system, I sugest to you a processor Intel e6600, 1GB DDR800 and a GF7900GT is enougth to higth quality and no too expensive.

BadAim · #3 02-23-2008, 01:42 PM

Does your new card have an auxilary power connector? If it does and you forgot to hook it up you'll get exactly the symptoms you are getting. Look on the end of the card for a plug.

Baghr · #4 02-23-2008, 03:51 PM

It has a molex connector that is hooked up for power. The fan is running so Im pretty sure I have enough power to the board. I'll test the connector on a fan to make sure it good from the PSU, a corsair 520w 3 rail modular, but I'm guessing that's not the problem.

I have not done a re-install of the OS, as it has not given me any issues before this card. I have the latest updates and all seems to run well when using the other card.

As far as the upgrades, This is an older system and I know its limitations. I'm going to be doing a different build in about a year so it's pointless to put too much money into this one. Its going to be used a a media storage and web surfer for the kids after I'm done with it, which it does just fine for now. So putting much more money into it is simply not an option.

I am leaning on thinking the card is bad, but was looking at some different ideas before sending this one back to newegg.

BadAim · #5 02-23-2008, 04:22 PM

It's worth checking the connector, as the cards usually run fine in 2d (the card gets plenty of power from the AGP slot to run with no load) then crash under 3D load when they're not getting power. Another thing you might want to do is check the bios to make sure your AGP settings are kosher for your new card. I know I'm going over the obvious stuff, but (at least for me) it's usually the obvious stuff that gets missed. I would also suspect that something might not be getting cleaned up with the drivers, although I can't offer any help there.

You might want to post over at UBI's tech forum, there are some clever guys over there. (more cleverer then me anyways)

SPUDLEY1977 · #6 02-24-2008, 02:20 AM

As the other fellow said...and go one more. Uninstall drivers. Turn PC Off. Remove card. Use isopropyl alcohol to wipe all the connecting pins on the card, let dry, reinstall carefully and definately connect the aux power to the card. Fire her up and reinstall the drivers that shipped with your card.

Let know if it still errors out.

Billy885 · #7 02-24-2008, 03:52 AM

It sounds like to me that the drivers are not installed correctly from his discription on the mouse moving so slowly. I installed "ntune" on my computer also and had to remove it as it slowed my computer WAY down and most of the information was missing. I did not try to run the game with it installed so cant say how it behaved. Sorry.