hard shutdowns with HD 2300

hoffmanbike · Apr 16, 2009, 10:05 AM

I need some help or at least insight. I have frequent hard shutdowns and i belive it is due to my graphics card/driver.

I have a Gateway C-140x with the ATi Mobility Radeon HD 2300. i used Mobility modder last summer to update my driver from the basic one (ATI Catalyst 7.4 i think) that gateway provided. My driver series was then ATI Catalyst 8.9. since this upgrade i've had this trouble. I will be playing a game (L4D, TF2 or Battlefield: Heroes beta) and at some point the screen will freeze sometimes i can ctrl+alt+del out of the frozen screen but the computer always crashes within 30 seconds of the screen freezing.

The crash always progresses in this way:
gameplay, freeze, occasionally able to get to vistas ctrl+alt+del selection screen, black screen/powered off

All of this takes anywhere from 2 seconds to 35 seconds and does not seem to depend on the current graphics load. the crashes are random, sometimes happening 2 minutes into gameplay sometimes 45 minutes.

yesterday i updated to ATI Catalyst 8.12 again using the Mobility Modder tool. I still have the same issue, except that now it is even more random. i was able to play battlefield heroes for 2 minutes. The after starting the computer i was able to play L4D for more than an hour. it doesn't seem to be heat related, there are times the computer was very hot and other times i had just started and it wasn't even warm yet.

any help is greatly appreciated.

my full specs:
Gateway C-140x
Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 - 2.5 GHz 6mb L2 - 45nm
G.Skill 4 Gb DDR2 - PC2-6400 - 800Mhz - CL 5.5.5
ATi Mobility Radeon HD 2300
Intel PM965 Chipset
Seagate Momentus 7200.2 ST9200420ASG - 7200 rpm - 200gb
Atheros 5008Gnx - 802.11n

hoffmanbike · Apr 17, 2009, 08:14 PM

no one has any insight? really? well i guess it won't matter soon anyway i get my desktop back this weekend.

Mac Daddy · Apr 17, 2009, 09:09 PM

I can't help you with this my friend as I don't own a system using a mobility GPU. All I can say is give it some time and be patient someone here will help

hoffmanbike · Apr 17, 2009, 10:03 PM

thanks. i'll keep my hopes up.

hoffmanbike · Jun 8, 2009, 12:01 PM

ok no longer gaming on this laptop; finally got my desktop moved into the new apartment. but now the random shutdowns happen during everyday (office) work. they still don't appear to be directly heat related as sometimes it (the CPU, core 1 specifically, not core 0) gets awfully hot (170 F) then cools (to about 130 F) then goes black screen (hard shutdown) and other times that it's at almost 170 F that it does shutdown.

i think it may be an issue with my heatsink or thermal grease application, and will be checking/redoing that. any other insight wouldbe very helpful.

anonemus · Jun 8, 2009, 01:22 PM

Have you tried stress-testing your GPU using FurMark or something similar?

hoffmanbike · Jun 8, 2009, 01:34 PM

no not yet. i will tonight if i get the chance.

anonemus · Jun 8, 2009, 01:38 PM

Also, when was the last time you cleaned your laptop's internals?

hoffmanbike · Jun 8, 2009, 03:24 PM

when i put the new cpu in (the t9300) back in mid-march. cleaned the heatsink with alchohol; compressed air on everything else.

anonemus · Jun 15, 2009, 10:18 PM

solved?

hoffmanbike · Jun 15, 2009, 10:38 PM

no it still gets much warmer than it should. i've just gotten better at keeping it cooler.

also; sometimes i get a temperature difference of 3-4C between the two cores i've heard this is somewhat normal.

Apr 16, 2009, 10:05 AM	#1
hoffmanbike DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Western Mass Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	hard shutdowns with HD 2300 I need some help or at least insight. I have frequent hard shutdowns and i belive it is due to my graphics card/driver. I have a Gateway C-140x with the ATi Mobility Radeon HD 2300. i used Mobility modder last summer to update my driver from the basic one (ATI Catalyst 7.4 i think) that gateway provided. My driver series was then ATI Catalyst 8.9. since this upgrade i've had this trouble. I will be playing a game (L4D, TF2 or Battlefield: Heroes beta) and at some point the screen will freeze sometimes i can ctrl+alt+del out of the frozen screen but the computer always crashes within 30 seconds of the screen freezing. The crash always progresses in this way: gameplay, freeze, occasionally able to get to vistas ctrl+alt+del selection screen, black screen/powered off All of this takes anywhere from 2 seconds to 35 seconds and does not seem to depend on the current graphics load. the crashes are random, sometimes happening 2 minutes into gameplay sometimes 45 minutes. yesterday i updated to ATI Catalyst 8.12 again using the Mobility Modder tool. I still have the same issue, except that now it is even more random. i was able to play battlefield heroes for 2 minutes. The after starting the computer i was able to play L4D for more than an hour. it doesn't seem to be heat related, there are times the computer was very hot and other times i had just started and it wasn't even warm yet. any help is greatly appreciated. my full specs: Gateway C-140x Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 - 2.5 GHz 6mb L2 - 45nm G.Skill 4 Gb DDR2 - PC2-6400 - 800Mhz - CL 5.5.5 ATi Mobility Radeon HD 2300 Intel PM965 Chipset Seagate Momentus 7200.2 ST9200420ASG - 7200 rpm - 200gb Atheros 5008Gnx - 802.11n

Apr 17, 2009, 08:14 PM	#2
hoffmanbike DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Western Mass Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 no one has any insight? really? well i guess it won't matter soon anyway i get my desktop back this weekend.

Apr 17, 2009, 09:09 PM	#3
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 64 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 I can't help you with this my friend as I don't own a system using a mobility GPU. All I can say is give it some time and be patient someone here will help __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Apr 17, 2009, 10:03 PM	#4
hoffmanbike DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Western Mass Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 thanks. i'll keep my hopes up.

Jun 8, 2009, 12:01 PM	#5
hoffmanbike DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Western Mass Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 ok no longer gaming on this laptop; finally got my desktop moved into the new apartment. but now the random shutdowns happen during everyday (office) work. they still don't appear to be directly heat related as sometimes it (the CPU, core 1 specifically, not core 0) gets awfully hot (170 F) then cools (to about 130 F) then goes black screen (hard shutdown) and other times that it's at almost 170 F that it does shutdown. i think it may be an issue with my heatsink or thermal grease application, and will be checking/redoing that. any other insight wouldbe very helpful.

Jun 8, 2009, 01:22 PM	#6
anonemus DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Philippines Posts: 220 Rep Power: 14 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 Have you tried stress-testing your GPU using FurMark or something similar?

Jun 8, 2009, 01:34 PM	#7
hoffmanbike DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Western Mass Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 no not yet. i will tonight if i get the chance.

Jun 8, 2009, 01:38 PM	#8
anonemus DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Philippines Posts: 220 Rep Power: 14 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 Also, when was the last time you cleaned your laptop's internals?

Jun 8, 2009, 03:24 PM	#9
hoffmanbike DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Western Mass Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 when i put the new cpu in (the t9300) back in mid-march. cleaned the heatsink with alchohol; compressed air on everything else.

Jun 15, 2009, 10:18 PM	#10
anonemus DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Philippines Posts: 220 Rep Power: 14 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 solved?

Jun 15, 2009, 10:38 PM	#11
hoffmanbike DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Western Mass Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: hard shutdowns with HD 2300 no it still gets much warmer than it should. i've just gotten better at keeping it cooler. also; sometimes i get a temperature difference of 3-4C between the two cores i've heard this is somewhat normal.