Help with my new rig and HL2: Episode Two

CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">as well as bittorrent...</div>I love my new rig, it makes me happy. I can play Crysis on max settings at 1280x800 with a semi-playable framerate.

I get 121 fps average on HL2: Lost Coast, full settings, that's 16xCSAA, 16xAF, Reflect All, Full HDR at 1680x1050. I can play all my other Source games, including, HL2, Episode One, DoD:S, CS:S, Portal, TF2 with no problems.

However, when I load up EP2, my system locks up about 1 second after the menu background map loads. It just becomes unresponsive, my mouse stops working, ctrl+alt+del does nothing, and the only way to remedy the problem is to hard reset.

I'm running Vista Ultimate x64 on a C2 Q9300 with a Gigabyte P35-DS3L Rev2.0, with the latest BIOS (F8b beta, which is the latest version, and adds support for 45nm Q9xxx processors such as mine). But this problem started before I updated the BIOS with version F7, which shouldn't have supported my CPU to begin with.

I'm running the latest Nvidia drivers 174.74, the latest Intel Chipset Driver, and I can't figure out what's going on.

Also, the same thing happens whenever I try to download a large torrent, the system just locks up in the same manner and I have to hard reset.

What the hell is going on here?

Oh, and before anyone asks, I did have my CPU OC'd from 2.5Ghz to 3.0Ghz, but I tried with the default optimized BIOS settings as well. My CPU runs at about 30/45-45-45-45 idle, and under full stress at 3Ghz I've never seen the Tjunction temps above 66, which is perfectly acceptable (according to <a href="http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/221745-29-core-quad-temperature-guide" target="_blank">this</a>), the Tcase temp has never gone above 45, which is freaking cool. But as I said, this happens at stock settings too, not just with the OC. And I've tried everything I can think of to fix this.

Full Specs:
Intel Q9300 both at 2.5 (333x7.5) and 3.0 (400x7.5)
Gigabyte P35-DS3L Latest BIOS (F8b beta) and latest stable F7 BIOS
4Gb Adata DDR2-800 RAM
MSI Geforce 9600GT OC (Factory OC to 700mhz)
400Gb SATA Western Digital Caviar with a 75Gb (Drive C:) Partition for Vista, 200Gb (Drive D:) for Games and such and the rest to Ubuntu.
550 Watt Cooler Master PSU
All is a well ventilated Cooler Master case.

I'm also using an EDIMAX EW-7128G wireless card with the latest drivers. 71% of 541 people gave it 5 eggs on Newegg, only 12% rated it under 4 eggs.

I've done lost of research on both problems and can't seem to find anything that could be causing this.
Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome

Comments

  • FaskaliaFaskalia Wechsellichtzeichenanlage Join Date: 2004-09-12 Member: 31651Members, Constellation
    edited April 2008
    If all source games, except ep2 are working you should validate the ep2 files and maybe redownload them.

    System hanging when handling BIg files could also be related to faulty ram.

    Run memtest86+
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • AbraAbra Would you kindly Join Date: 2003-08-17 Member: 19870Members
    edited April 2008
    It's the material manifestation of my rig jealousy. That's a nice rig you've got there.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1675441:date=Apr 9 2008, 12:14 PM:name=Faskalia)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Faskalia @ Apr 9 2008, 12:14 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1675441"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->If all source games, except ep2 are working you should validate the ep2 files and maybe redownload them.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    I'll try this when I get home, I'm at school now, then I've got work, so it'll be a while before I can try.

    <!--quoteo(post=1675442:date=Apr 9 2008, 12:17 PM:name=Abra)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Abra @ Apr 9 2008, 12:17 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1675442"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->It's the material manifestation of my rig jealousy. That's a nice rig you've got there.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Thank you. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    Everything worked fine before you updated the BIOS?
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1675459:date=Apr 9 2008, 05:31 PM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TychoCelchuuu @ Apr 9 2008, 05:31 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1675459"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Everything worked fine before you updated the BIOS?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    No, I was having the same problems, which is <b>why </b>I updated the BIOS.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    Try a big torrent in Linux and see if the same thing happens.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • TestamentTestament Join Date: 2002-11-02 Member: 4037Members
    What could you possibly get a big torrent for on Linux? A collection of different versions of Worms?
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    A better Linux distro.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • ZaggyZaggy NullPointerException The Netherlands Join Date: 2003-12-10 Member: 24214Forum Moderators, NS2 Playtester, Reinforced - Onos, Subnautica Playtester
    Nice rig there Caboose <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />

    Archlinux ftw <3

    I hope the problem isn't Vista related :<, have you tried narrowing it down to drivers?
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • JimmehJimmeh Join Date: 2003-08-24 Member: 20173Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, the same thing happens whenever I try to download a large torrent, the system just locks up in the same manner and I have to hard reset.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    My dad had the same problem ages ago; it'd download for a while then the computer would just die. Eventually it'd respond again for a couple of seconds then freeze again. I honestly can't remember what we did to fix it though.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
    So, I tried disabling the wireless and running a cat5 cable to the room where the router is, and my torrents have been going steady for 3 hours now... And Episode 2 also seems to not crash...
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    Update the drivers for your network card then?
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
    Yea, I did that already, no idea what's going on...
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • NecroticNecrotic Big Girl&#39;s Blouse Join Date: 2002-01-25 Member: 53Members, NS1 Playtester
    Is it an integrated Wireless adaptor? As in, part of your mobo?

    If yes I know there wa problems with those on Gigabyte AM2 boards a year or so back and we generally recommended eople to just get an expansion card.

    If it's not integrated...then I dunno...replace it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • ThaldarinThaldarin Alonzi&#33; Join Date: 2003-07-15 Member: 18173Members, Constellation
    Try running HL2 in
    -32bit
    -noid
    -heapsize 1048576

    So that's 32-bit, no introductory valve video (straight to splash) and 1GB Ram available, see if it will boot up then by restricting it's abilities.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • CabooseCaboose title = name(self, handle) Join Date: 2003-02-15 Member: 13597Members, Constellation
    It's a PCI card, and EP2 and Bitttorrent run with no problems so long as I use a wired connection.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
  • [WHO]Them[WHO]Them You can call me Dave Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10593Members, Constellation
    Well, if that's the case. I'd say it's most likely a driver problem. Maybe try a couple different driver versions? When it comes to crashy drivers, sometimes older is better.

    If that doesn't work. I'd manually fidget with your network settings (MRU and such) on the wireless connection to find if there's a conservative setting that doesn't crash.
    Off Topic Disagree Agree Awesome
Sign In or Register to comment.