X700 Pro/Omegas: Lock-up/crash @ 145degrees F

electrickrypt · May 16, 2006, 04:17 PM

Hello. Im new to this community but I've been using Omega drivers from my AGP Radeon X700 Pro 256 for quite some time now. I dont have the latest drivers but the one before that (not at home to tell).

My graphics card is clocked default @ 425 and I've managed to OC it @ ~480. I have great sufficiant fans pointing right at my card along with the onboard fan. I also have the temp displayed for my GPU. I turned Catalyst AI off.

What happens is when I play a game (with the OC), every time my gpu reaches 145 degrees F, my game locks up for a min, then the video refreshes, sometimes once, sometimes twice. Once in a while, if im lucky, the refresh will take me back to the game but the OC settings disable. MOST of the time, it'l try to refresh but then my monitor shuts off and I have to reboot.

Ive never had this problem in the past, and I've been using the same drivers forever, since they came out. I used to be able to allow my gpu temp to reach 155 degrees F without any lockups or crashes, and when I see it get up over 150, I would turn the game off myself to allow it to cool.

I dont want my OC's to be disabled at 145. I want to be able to doit myself when it gets above 150.

What am I missing here? Is there a function to disable to stop this from happening? I thought it was Catalyst AI but I guess not. Or can my card no longer have the abilities of getting past 145dF without any problems?

Here's some specs:
Windows XP Home
AMD Athlon 3000+
AGP Radeon X700 Pro 256mb
(omega drivers: not newest but ones before)
768mb Ram
350 W PS

reholli · May 17, 2006, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electrickrypt

Hello. Im new to this community but I've been using Omega drivers from my AGP Radeon X700 Pro 256 for quite some time now. I dont have the latest drivers but the one before that (not at home to tell).

My graphics card is clocked default @ 425 and I've managed to OC it @ ~480. I have great sufficiant fans pointing right at my card along with the onboard fan. I also have the temp displayed for my GPU. I turned Catalyst AI off.

What happens is when I play a game (with the OC), every time my gpu reaches 145 degrees F, my game locks up for a min, then the video refreshes, sometimes once, sometimes twice. Once in a while, if im lucky, the refresh will take me back to the game but the OC settings disable. MOST of the time, it'l try to refresh but then my monitor shuts off and I have to reboot.

Ive never had this problem in the past, and I've been using the same drivers forever, since they came out. I used to be able to allow my gpu temp to reach 155 degrees F without any lockups or crashes, and when I see it get up over 150, I would turn the game off myself to allow it to cool.

I dont want my OC's to be disabled at 145. I want to be able to doit myself when it gets above 150.

What am I missing here? Is there a function to disable to stop this from happening? I thought it was Catalyst AI but I guess not. Or can my card no longer have the abilities of getting past 145dF without any problems?

Here's some specs:
Windows XP Home
AMD Athlon 3000+
AGP Radeon X700 Pro 256mb
(omega drivers: not newest but ones before)
768mb Ram
350 W PS

I'd say your card can no longer handle that high of an overclock. There is always this risk when overclocking GPUs/CPUs...that over time breakdown will occur and performance will start to decrease, even sometimes to levels below stock. Why do you think so many people don't take this risk and never overclock?

EnPassant · May 17, 2006, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reholli

I'd say your card can no longer handle that high of an overclock. There is always this risk when overclocking GPUs/CPUs...that over time breakdown will occur and performance will start to decrease, even sometimes to levels below stock. Why do you think so many people don't take this risk and never overclock?

reholli is most likly correct.

For a better explaination of what happens when you overclock Google the term "Electron Migration". What happens is over time the transistors in your GPU/CPU get damaged.

It is most likly time to start looking for a new card.

electrickrypt · May 17, 2006, 04:27 PM

Thanx for your guys' info on this. It makes sense to me and is probably more than likely what happened or what is happening. I've been OCing this card for about a year now and the problem didn't occur until recently... so it adds up.

What gets me is that it only occurs as soon as the temp reaches 145dF, as if it is programed to do so. It also isn't really that hot.. or is it? In the past, I was able to reach 160dF before I shut down, without any problems... maybe that's my problem, lol.

If anyone else has any other insights on this, please share. Apreciate all the help I can get.

Again,
Thanks.

e_krypt

EnPassant · May 17, 2006, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electrickrypt

Thanx for your guys' info on this. It makes sense to me and is probably more than likely what happened or what is happening. I've been OCing this card for about a year now and the problem didn't occur until recently... so it adds up.

What gets me is that it only occurs as soon as the temp reaches 145dF, as if it is programed to do so. It also isn't really that hot.. or is it? In the past, I was able to reach 160dF before I shut down, without any problems... maybe that's my problem, lol.

If anyone else has any other insights on this, please share. Apreciate all the help I can get.

Again,
Thanks.

e_krypt

Electron Migration increases as heat increases, Thats why as the card gets hotter the errors increase.

The google search should have given pages of explainations about this. The X700 Pro was a good card but i doubt it was desighned for such severe use. BTW was this year of overclocking on a stock thermal solution?. If so I would return it to stock speeds and start looking for another card soon.

electrickrypt · May 17, 2006, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnPassant

Electron Migration increases as heat increases, Thats why as the card gets hotter the errors increase.

The google search should have given pages of explainations about this. The X700 Pro was a good card but i doubt it was desighned for such severe use. BTW was this year of overclocking on a stock thermal solution?. If so I would return it to stock speeds and start looking for another card soon.

Yes, until now, I wasnt aware of Electron Migration. I did a little reading on it too, thats why I said it all adds up.

And yea, I it was stock cooling. I didnt add another fan next to it until recently (after the problem started) So I guess I was too late. Probably would have helped some. Here is the card... 'twas beautiful.

AGP X700 PRO 256MB

I have my AGP Aperture size set @ 64mb... If I boost it up to 128 you think maybe i'tll take some weight of its shoulders?

This actually influenced me to build a whole new beast. Already went out and picked up a THermaltake case and a 500W PSU.

I still cant get over this:
What gets me is that it only occurs as soon as the temp reaches 145dF, as if it is programed to do so.

EnPassant · May 17, 2006, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electrickrypt

Yes, until now, I wasnt aware of Electron Migration. I did a little reading on it too, thats why I said it all adds up.

And yea, I it was stock cooling. I didnt add another fan next to it until recently (after the problem started) So I guess I was too late. Probably would have helped some. Here is the card... 'twas beautiful.

AGP X700 PRO 256MB

I have my AGP Aperture size set @ 64mb... If I boost it up to 128 you think maybe i'tll take some weight of its shoulders?

This actually influenced me to build a whole new beast. Already went out and picked up a THermaltake case and a 500W PSU.

I dont think resetting the AGP aperture will help, but cant hurt eather.

The whole thing is, its the heat that starts the Electron Migration process and though some temp reporting tools are good there only as good as the video card solution. What i mean by this is i dont believe the pro series of video cards had an on-die temp probe "Best" so all temps are aprox temps. It could have been getting a little to hot, all along.

Its probably time for the upgrade anyway, Just return the card to stock speeds for now and it should hold togeather for long enough to decide which way to upgrade next.

Good luck with the new build.

Robert McClelland · May 17, 2006, 09:25 PM

Safes way OC x700pro is 440/446 thats where I have mine at

I get temps about 125F games and cools at 110F while idle

Robert McClelland · May 17, 2006, 09:29 PM

Oh ya you should try zeropoint drivers they run great on x700pro

Robert McClelland · May 17, 2006, 09:32 PM

never mind I see you going get new psu lol

electrickrypt · May 18, 2006, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert McClelland

never mind I see you going get new psu lol

Yes, but thats for a whole new rig. What are these zeropoint drivers? Whats the advantage?

Robert McClelland · May 18, 2006, 03:18 PM

speed and iq

try them

electrickrypt · May 22, 2006, 02:07 PM

I will give it a try. Definately since I just updated to the latest omega drivers and I no longer can play games with AA. I just get a black screen when the game loads/opens. Game does run though. Weird, and very upsetting.