Hello,
I am new to these forums and really just trying to find help with what might be wrong with my new computer. I'm sure that questions like this have been asked before and I tried searching before posting but didn't come up with much, so my apologies if I'm rehashing old problems. I'm hoping if I'm specific enough someone might have something to advise...
My new computer build is causing me problems while playing games. Here are the system specs - I am new to this so if you need anything else just ask.
Windows XP Home Edition SP2
AMD AthlonXP 3200+
AOpen AK77-600 Max Mobo
512MB RAM
Samsung 120GB HD
NVidia GeForce 6600 256MB
My husband and I just bought and built the computer about 3 weeks ago. Here's the problem: while playing games the games either crash to desktop with no error, crash to desktop with an error, or the computer reboots. Here is the list of particular games I have installed and tried playing so far along with the particular problem I've experience with each:
- The Sims 2 (plays fine for hours at a time sometimes, then sometimes it crashes to desktop with no error message, sometimes the computer reboots; it did this once just as I was starting the game)
- Zoo Tycoon (again, plays fine for hours sometimes, but sometimes it crashes to desktop with an error message after playing for some time)
- Neverwinter Nights (game crashes to desktop with an error message every time I play; sometimes I get an hour out of it before it crashes, sometimes only a few minutes; occasionally the computer will restart instead of/right after crashing; have had problems with sound looping right before crash with this occasionally)
- Age of Empires 3 demo (game crashes to desktop with no error; again, sometimes I get 20 minutes, sometimes it crashes almost immediately)
Odd thing is my old computer ran all of these games just fine (with the exception of the AOE3 which it didn't like). It was a AMD 1.1 Gig Compaq with a 32MB Nvidia GeForce 384MB RAM, 60GB HD. I can't remember all the exact specs. Even with the ancient video card Neverwinter Nights ran surprisingly well. I had to turn down graphics options on The Sims 2 but even that held its own. I didn't have SP2 on my old computer, don't know if that might make a difference.
I have, of course, already updated every driver I can, so don't bother with that suggestion. I've tried reseating the memory, making sure everything was plugged in tight, made sure the mobo wasn't stressed by being screwed in too tight, and I've checked the CPU temp. It runs 45-50C idle, and I've seen it anywhere from 50-60C just after a game crashes. The computer *never* crashes when it's idle or just doing easy things like surfing the web or word processing, only when playing games. It did reboot randomly once when I was initially installing Microsoft Office.
The temperature doesn't seem to be astronomical and the thread I read here about overheating says 60C is a general rule of thumb. The CPU has the heatsync/fan combo that came bundled with the computer set we purchased. The video card itself has a fan as well. I don't have any fans on the chassis.
At first I thought it might be video card drivers, even sound card, but I've updated all those. I've searched forums for the individual games and come up with squat. It seems too much of a coincidence that every game I try to play has a problem for it to be a problem with the individual game due to my new hardware vs. my old.
Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.
I am new to these forums and really just trying to find help with what might be wrong with my new computer. I'm sure that questions like this have been asked before and I tried searching before posting but didn't come up with much, so my apologies if I'm rehashing old problems. I'm hoping if I'm specific enough someone might have something to advise...
My new computer build is causing me problems while playing games. Here are the system specs - I am new to this so if you need anything else just ask.
Windows XP Home Edition SP2
AMD AthlonXP 3200+
AOpen AK77-600 Max Mobo
512MB RAM
Samsung 120GB HD
NVidia GeForce 6600 256MB
My husband and I just bought and built the computer about 3 weeks ago. Here's the problem: while playing games the games either crash to desktop with no error, crash to desktop with an error, or the computer reboots. Here is the list of particular games I have installed and tried playing so far along with the particular problem I've experience with each:
- The Sims 2 (plays fine for hours at a time sometimes, then sometimes it crashes to desktop with no error message, sometimes the computer reboots; it did this once just as I was starting the game)
- Zoo Tycoon (again, plays fine for hours sometimes, but sometimes it crashes to desktop with an error message after playing for some time)
- Neverwinter Nights (game crashes to desktop with an error message every time I play; sometimes I get an hour out of it before it crashes, sometimes only a few minutes; occasionally the computer will restart instead of/right after crashing; have had problems with sound looping right before crash with this occasionally)
- Age of Empires 3 demo (game crashes to desktop with no error; again, sometimes I get 20 minutes, sometimes it crashes almost immediately)
Odd thing is my old computer ran all of these games just fine (with the exception of the AOE3 which it didn't like). It was a AMD 1.1 Gig Compaq with a 32MB Nvidia GeForce 384MB RAM, 60GB HD. I can't remember all the exact specs. Even with the ancient video card Neverwinter Nights ran surprisingly well. I had to turn down graphics options on The Sims 2 but even that held its own. I didn't have SP2 on my old computer, don't know if that might make a difference.
I have, of course, already updated every driver I can, so don't bother with that suggestion. I've tried reseating the memory, making sure everything was plugged in tight, made sure the mobo wasn't stressed by being screwed in too tight, and I've checked the CPU temp. It runs 45-50C idle, and I've seen it anywhere from 50-60C just after a game crashes. The computer *never* crashes when it's idle or just doing easy things like surfing the web or word processing, only when playing games. It did reboot randomly once when I was initially installing Microsoft Office.
The temperature doesn't seem to be astronomical and the thread I read here about overheating says 60C is a general rule of thumb. The CPU has the heatsync/fan combo that came bundled with the computer set we purchased. The video card itself has a fan as well. I don't have any fans on the chassis.
At first I thought it might be video card drivers, even sound card, but I've updated all those. I've searched forums for the individual games and come up with squat. It seems too much of a coincidence that every game I try to play has a problem for it to be a problem with the individual game due to my new hardware vs. my old.
Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.