Major display problem - need help please

cozumel

Problem:

• Maybe three weeks ago I noticed tiny artifacts occasionally appearing on the screen.
• A week later I started having software failures or Vista would stop responding.
• Shortly after random BSOD's and reboots

What I have tried and done:

• Tested mains domestic power supply - passed
• Tested PSU output - passed
• Tested Prime95 4 threads - failed
• Tested RAM memtest86+ - Failed
• Began trying each stick ddr2 one by one and reseated. Then memtest ran for several hours with zero failures - Passed
• Retested Prime 95 8 hours - passed

That was earlier this week. Last night I noticed the tiny artefacts started appearing again. And then suddenly a notification aooeared on the task bar saying something like "your display adapter has stopped working" and then this happened:


I powered down. Checked gfx>monitor connection and also wiggled the card gently in PCIe slot. Then I rebooted and there are no problems or artifacts. I have been running ATiTool 'scan for artifacst' for the last 59 minutes with zero artifacts and have just aborted the test. Temperature (using EVGA precision) rises to 79c during ATiTool and remains constant.

I will probably try a little crysis later and run memtest (test 5) and prime95 for a while but I really do not have not a clue what is wrong.

Any ideas or advice would be welcome.

Thanks

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OldBuzzard

RUH ROH...

Were those BSODs of the 0x00000116 varity????

And it says something like: "Display Driver nvlddmkm.sys stopped responding... "

If so, you might just have entered "The wonderful world of TDR'S"

There is a HUGE thread in the ATI VISTA DRIVERS forum on those.

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/vista-ra...ing-error.html

Even though it's in the ATI area, nVidia cards have them too, you might find some help. I'd advise that you start at last page and work back as it has 1059 posts.

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When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY

Zardon

That is quite severe indeed. Have you tried deinstalling and reinstalling graphic card drivers? this is a long shot, as if im guessing right it looks like core/memory card artifacting. Quite why is hard to tell.

Going on your explaination, you have the problem resolved now after reseating the graphics card? Not sure.......

I would experiment by underclocking the core and memory on the graphics card. as buzzard said however might be a more serious issue.

The fact you failed memtest is quite concerning too...

BlueMak

I hope the graphics card is still under warranty, my guess is you are going to need it.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

cozumel

atm I can't find the BSOD logs (can't remember date & times) but I found one useful log. 0244 "Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding but successfully recovered." When it recovered it gave me my screenshot.

It did pass pass subsequent memtest though. It would help if I could recreate the problem but it's just random. I can't recollect noticing any artifact during any gametime for instance. Would a badly seated card cause that sudden problem? I am moving the rig around constantly while I'm decorating but the last time was about two days ago.

It's about 9 months old (delivered approx beginning of December 2007.) Problem is how can you RMA something when they may not find a fault. Then they will charge me for the pleasure of the tests. This is one of the main reason I'm trying to find the source of the fault. If it's vista, drivers, other hardware or the 8800 I need to know.

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cozumel

Thought I might as well take a look at all the minidump files. There was no minidump from last night. Wanted to see if there was a common thread, but alas no...

19 July
Vista driver fault
Process: regsvr32
ntkrnlmp.exe

21 July
Same as above

26 July
Vista Driver fault / memory corruption
Supreme Commander

01 August
Vista Driver Fault
Process: svchost
ntkrnlmp.exe

01 August
Vista Driver Fault
audiodg
ntkrnlmp.exe

7 August
Vista Driver Fault
ekrn.sys (ESET)
eamon.sys (ESET NOD32)

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cozumel

That is the same error message in event log. But when I get that error (just happened again and that's twice now) it doesn't cause a minidump so I can't find an error code. All the error codes that I have from BSOD's in the last few weeks are

• 0xc0000005 (twice in July)
• IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
• APC_INDEX_MISMATCH
• PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

I'm currently on hold with EVGA (US) technical support. Actually, just got though while I was typing and they're saying I should do an RMA. Illl phone EVGA (europe) tmorrow as they're closed weekends here.

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cozumel

Okay, thought I should update and ask a question.

I now have no BSOD problem, no crashes, no reboots, no anything. But I have got problem with display that I cannot reproduce but happens probably more than twice daily now.

I can't 'make it happen' by heating up the card or running a looping artifact test, fur tests, HDR rendering etc etc. It just happened now and I took a screenshot. I need your thoughts as to whether you think it could be anything else other than 8800 fault.

The little red dots appeared when I deleted something. If I was to overtype the dots and then delete again they would be gone. It only happens rarely.

So is it rma time?

Thanks

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BlueMak

I have only see something remotely similar to an old Cyrix 5x86 system before the system went to a better place. That in your case the dots appear where you type and that you can delete them, doesn't feel like a hardware error, but, have you tried a different keyboard? (yes I am out of suggestions for this one)

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

CDsDontBurn

in my experience, the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA errors are memory related. but seeing that you've already had two different sets of system memory, i would rule out your system memory at this point in time and focus on your video memory.

if you ever get the nvlddmkm.sys message, then you can narrow it down to the video card or the drivers for the video card as it is specifically related to the card in some fashion. you would only get it if you have NVIDIA based hardware in your machine. and seeing that you have an Intel p35 chipset MoBo, it wouldn't be your MoBo


these little red dots are definately not dead pixels on your monitor, otherwise we wouldn't see them .

this seems to be minor artifacts in 2D mode TBH. have you been able to order that 4850 or w/e ATI card you are going to get for testing? just to see if these random occurrances continue to occur?

and EVGA GmbH is really going to charge you if they determine your card to be working properly?

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cozumel

The nvlddmkm.sys message hasn't occurred at all since I stabilised the rig so I'm not sure if it's still relevant. I've tried different drivers and am currently using beta drtivers with the same problem. But then I haven't played crysis either for a while (I've already completed it and it's boring playing it just to see if I can cause a problem). Never-the-less I may give Crysis another 3-4 hour session to see if I get any issues.




I'm loathe to buy a card if that isn't the problem as it is a lot of money to spend if the problem keeps happening.

That was kind of the implication.

What I could do is re-install from a monthly backup created in June. Update all the chipset, graphics, sound drivers and Windows and then see if the issue continues over the next seven days or so. Just to eliminate software problems. If issues do remain then I will RMA and get a new card on the same day I post it to Hamburg.

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CDsDontBurn

I say you give the 177.92 drivers a shot. they came out yesterday .

and if you need to go out and buy a new video card for further testing, there is no need for you to buy something top-of-the-line. just a basic video card would do. something that is PCI-E still of course, and preferably an NVIDIA based card. something, like the 8400GS i pointed out to you in your HTPC thread .

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cozumel

Problem solved. I can now recreate the problem at will. It's a firefox issue. Not sure yet how ff3 but I'm working on that and will send a report over to Mozilla. And now I have a spare graphics card. Shame you can't sli on a p35. Maybe I should get a new board so that I can...

I'm happy now anyhow.

Thanks everyone who visited this thread and gave input.

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temeteus82

heh you forget the PhysX

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