Maximum PC

Hello all,

Here's my current rig setup along with product links (granted they're all discontinued but still viewable)

i7920 @ 3.8 (200 x 19) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202
set bclk to 200, mult to 19 and enable load line calibration. all other settings are default/auto

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 F13 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128362
Vigor Monsoon III LT Dual 120mm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835702007
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227381
Antec 900 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
Tagan BZ Series BZ800 800W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817814014
PLEXTOR 20X DVD Super Multi Qflix Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827249037

The above was purchased and built in Feb 2009.

Creative XFi Platinum (PCI version) - a hold-over from my previous pc.

The only additions have been an upgrade to the video card in Dec 2010, and an SSD in May of 2010

EVGA GTX 470 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130550
Intel X-25M Mainstream http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167024

I've been running my rig as spec'd since i bought it in Feb 2009 and it's been a rock. Prime95 runs for hours without a hiccup, as does MemTest 4.20

I never o/c'd the video card.

So far I've been able to run every game I've thrown at it without a problem.

Recently I decided to re-install the os (Win7 Ult x64)

After a full install, full windows update and then install of
Gigabyte INF updates
MS Security Essentials
Malwarebytes
NVidia Drivers 296.10
Creative XFi drivers/control panel only
Intel SSD Toolbox
Updated DirectX
Steam (and re-download of all games, done on purpose to make sure everything was clean)
Office 2010 and VS2010 and Service Packs

Now, I've seen this glitch once before on a 'questionable origin' version of Skyrim. So i chalked it up to 'consider the source' and trashed it. Up until that point I've never had a problem with any game. This was also prior to my re-install.

At this point I was running bios F12.

The other day playing the Steam version of Batman: Arkham Asylum for about 3h, the game crashed/locked. I powered down and had other things to do.
I came back to it a couple hours later.

Now, at the mission selection screen I get horrible graphic glitches and then a hard lock.

Ok, so maybe the game is borked. I validated all game files with steam and they passed. Tried again, same thing.
Deleted the game and re-downloaded, same thing.

Completely removed the 296.10 drivers and PhysX, and reinstalled.

same thing.

Re-ran the DirectX update, same thing.

Next I tried a couple other steam games, AvP (both DirectX9 and 11), Mass Effect 1, Dead Space and they're all doing the same thing.

Now I'm thinking it's either the power supply or the card.

I downloaded installed EVGA OC Scanner and Precision X. They ran fine, though the temp of the card soared to 109C and fan at 98%, but no artifacting.

I tried checking the +12V via bios (apparently there is no reading there, only 5v). I downloaded and installed Gigabytes EasyTune6. The HW Monitor does not show a +12v reading..... I thought that kind of odd....

I tried HWMonitor and AIDA64 - same thing, no 12v reading.....

I checked the power supply with a multimeter, both sets of PCIE connectors, and all are 12.39v-12.48v.
The only thing i haven't checked is the main ATX outputs and the aux ATX output.

I upgraded to F13 bios and tried again, same lockups.

The only difference i have been able to see is that using the EVGA OC Scanner, the card runs at about 81C and 55% fan under load instead of the 109C and 98% fan.

Anything else I may be missing, or suggestions to try?

I did contact EVGA and their suggestion was to basically do what I've done, with the exception of adjusting the memory timings to the mfg specs.
The timings are auto-set by bios and are alot looser than the mfg specs. I don't recall them off the top of my head at the moment but something like 10 or 11 across the board. The RAM is running at 1600.

It's looking like they'll RMA the card which is a good thing if that's the culprit.

Not sure why, but can't upload images.

Screenshots are here http://www.mediafire.com/?5gzzol271p5vy

The images were taken with my phone, as the machine hard locked at that point and a screenshot was impossible.
The screen is full of what looks like green 's' or old-school 'lightning bolts'.

Yeah the uploader here is kinda shot. We usually just use Photobuket or Picasa.

Thank you for posting all the info. Usually we have to ask lots and lots of questions.

It sounds to me like it's the graphics card. Is there a spare GPU (preferably one that can run Arkham Asylum) you have/can borrow that you can slap in there?

I know 470s run fairly hot. I think that overheating might be the problem.

Yep, i threw my GTX280 in and cranked everything up to max, hoping to evoke the wrath of any power supply problems.

Surprisingly enough it took it like a champ!

No glitches or anything, ran through the scarecrow nightmare scene about a dozen times with no hiccups.

Threw the 470 in my i5 system (also o/c to 3. and as soon as i hit the save game slot - bam! the same glitch.

So i'd say it's the card..... I'm waiting on EVGA's reply on what to do next.

According to their website the card is out of warranty. According to when I purchased it from newegg the warranty was lifetime.....

we'll see.... fingers are crossed!


re overheating, according to Precision X it never hit over 88C once i upgraded to bios ver F13.
I even tried it after it being off for ~18h

looking at the back of the pcb, there appears to be some corrosion on some of the solder points which is odd, the machine has never been in a humid area and never gotten wet.... it's air cooled. At first it looked like some dust accumulation until i went to blow it off, and it didn't move.....

Maybe some overheating O_o
That's not good.
Picture?

Didn't get a chance to take some, and it was very minor.

EVGA approved the RMA so by the 10th it should be to them and I'm hoping for an upgraded card as they don't have the 470 listed anymore.....

We'll see what happens.