computer crashes during any type of gaming. Please help!

[rugerx]

Hello all, often lurker, first time poster.

I am finally at my wits end. I hope someone here can help me with what component in my pc is causing these crashes. I have completely reloaded OS and have not changed any hardware. I have also reseated all hardware.

These crashes started 6 mths ago and have progressively gotten worse.
I am crashing on every single game I play, sometimes with errors, some times with pure reboot to desktop.

Machine:
amd 3000+ xp cpu
msi kt4 ultra mobo
768 MB pc 2700 (3x 256 MB sticks)
Geforce TI 4200 128 MB 8x agp card
140 GB Hard drive (OS on this drive)
30 GB Hard drive (backup storage, rarely used)
XP pro

Games played halflife 1 and halflife 2 series (all lock up and/or crash)
GTA san andreas, Halo pc, farcry.

Errors from event viewer:

Faulting application hl2.exe, version 0.0.0.0, faulting module datacache.dll, version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x00008a57. (This one is the same error EVERY time HL2 crashes.)

Faulting application aquamark.exe, version 3.0.0.0, faulting module , version 0.0.0.0, fault address 0x00000000.

The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x1000007e (0xc0000005, 0xec28bd29, 0xecdb7c18, 0xecdb7914

The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x1000007e (0xc0000005, 0xed07dd29, 0xed2ddc18, 0xed2dd914

The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x1000007e (0xc0000005, 0xecfb5d29, 0xecfe4c18, 0xecfe4914)

The computer has rebooted from a bugcheck. The bugcheck was: 0x1000007e (0xc0000005, 0xec935d29, 0xed30cc18, 0xed30c914

I have also attached a minidump for the above first bugcheck.

If anyone can help me track down the problem component in my machine I would be very grateful. I just dont understand what all of this stuff means.

Thanks so much for any input or advice.

 

[lbv]

What type of power supply do you have? You may be over the watts, or the power suply may be bad, but you need to define the way it crashes better. Does it slowly slow down and the screen turns differnt colors? I had the same problem playing any game where the computer would crash after the screen got pixelated and multi-colored. The crash needs to be described a little better, I mean how it happens what it looks like, because "crash" could mean multiple things wrong unless you describe it. Im not that educated in computer terms so I cannot tell you the codes your getting. I think I got the same codes, when my power supply got fried in a power surge and would crash the comp after several min. You can also check the RAM, maby the RAM is bad, Had that happen to me once before.

 

[rugerx]

IBV the game is playing AOK no artifacts on the screen, no slow down, nothing wrong at all, then just BOOM! Game gone, and error message, or desktop, or sometimes reboot. Very quick and unexpected.

Power supply is 460 watt... not sure on name, came in the case.
Had it checked by someone with a program and they said "the rails are ok" and told me it was fine.

 

[cpc2004]

Hi Rugerx,
I've investigated your dump and I believe that it is faulty ram.

Suggestion
1. Reseat the memory stick to another memory slot
2. Downclock the ram
3. Clean the inside the computer case
4. Make sure that the ram is compatible to the motherboard
If it still crashes, diagnostic which memory stick is faulty
1. Take out one memory stick. If windows does not crash, the removed memory stick is faulty.
2. If you have only one memory stick, replace the ram

 

[rugerx]

Thanks much cpc.

I did what you said and found that when the memory was removed from slot1 everything ran fine. The case was also VERY dusty.

I took it out side with my leaf blower and blew the entire case and the empty memory slot out. I reseated all ram and powered up, guess what?

IT FIXED IT! Thanks much!

My guess is that there must have been dust in DIMM 1 slot.

Now its running smooth as butter!
Thanks again!