Radeon x1950PRO VPU crashing in middle of game

[oxeimon]

I just built a new computer with this video card, and whenever I play Oblivion(on almost highest settings), every now and then it just crashes. At first, it would work very well for 15-30min before an error message pops up saying that the "VPU had stopped responding and had been reset...etc"(paraphrase).

Generally, after that I'd be able to alt-tab back to Oblivion, and continue playing, without any trouble, until it happens again, 15-30 minutes later.

After doing some research on google, I've found that other people have solved this problem by downloading ATT(ATI Tray Tools), and manually setting the fan speed to 100% and displaying frame rate/VPU temp. Before changing the fan settings, I noticed that it would crash around 55-60C. After maximizing fan speed, instead of resetting every 15-30 minutes, instead, after about an hour or so of play, the VPU would simply crash altogether, without resetting(VPU recovery is still on). Basically, my screen would go black, the monitor button light would go yellow(instead of green), and while I could still move around and hear footsteps as I move around, nothing would show on the monitor(I take this to mean that the video card has crashed). At this point, I have to restart the computer.

Any suggestions?



Specs:
Windows XP Professional
Western Digital 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
AMD Athlon 64 x2 4600+ (65W) Windsor 2.4Ghz Socket AM2 Processor
ECS KA3 MVP Socket AM2 AMD 580X Crossfire ATX AMD Motherboard
CORSAIR 2x1GB DDR2 SDRAM
COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power RP-550-PCAR ATX from factor 12V 550W Power Supply
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW, SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
HIS HighTech Radeon x1950PRO 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 IceQ Turbo HDCP Video Card

 

[CMH]

I had roughly the same problem with my X1950Pro, except that I never got the warning message.

Just goes black.


But I half expected that, from removing the stock cooler and putting in an aftermarket one. The I/O chip (or at least I think it is the I/O chip) was overheating, and its a common problem for people using aftermarket cooling on these cards.

I fixed the problem by cable tying a spare NB heatsink to it.

If you're using the cooler that came with the chip, you might need to RMA.

 

[oxeimon]

Im sorry I'm not very computer literate...

What do you mean by "NB heatsink"?
What's the I/O chip?

My video card came with a fan attached to the card. Are you suggesting that I replace that fan?

 

[CMH]

Sorry, I shouldn't assume everyone's computer literate

NB = Northbridge, which is a chip on the motherboard which controls just about everything stuck on to the motherboard.
I/O = Just a chip on the X1950Pro. Gets really hot (I've personally almost got burnt by touching one in operation). Don't worry too much about it.

I had automatically assumed that you changed the fan into an aftermarket fan, and had neglected that chip, cos its not really a standard chip to cool on graphic cards.

Given that you didn't actually change anything, the problem might be that you got unlucky and got yourself a defective card, which you really should contact the guy you bought it from for a replacement.

I'm betting you've got some cooling problems. You might have to look into actually getting some airflow in that space near the graphics card. This particular card can get pretty hot. This is kinda confirmed cos you can get it to run longer with the fan set at 100%. Getting some cool air should do the trick. Getting cool air in might be harder than you think, unless you've got spots for fans on your case you're not using. Either way, its just putting some fans at strategic places.