AGP to PCI Express Nightmare

[warbean]

Hello all,

This past weekend I thought I would finally take the plunge to upgrade my Athlon 64 system to PCI Express from AGP. Now, I have frequent BSOD crashes while using 3d applications. (games), stating irql_not_less_than_or equal.

I have tried every software fix available, and thought I would make a quick post before I RMA.

System:

Epox 9npa+Ultra , latest Nforce drivers
AMD Athlon 64 FX-53
Antec 480 TruePower
2gb Corsair XMS PC 3200
PNY Geforce 7900 GT
2x WD Raptors, 10,000 RPM, 74 GB. No RAID.
No other peripherals besides mouse and keyboard.
Windows XP SP 2, Directx 9.0c

Upgraded from:
Asus A8v Deluxe, Evga Geforce 6800 GT

WHat I have done:
-Formatted both hard drivers and reinstalled WIndows XP, twice. ALl service packs and security updates applied before installing directx or drivers.
-Memtest (12 run throughs, all passed)
-Latest Forceware and Nforce drivers from Nvidia website.
-No overclocking of any kind.
-BIOS flashed to latest version.
-All temperatures normal. CPU around 50 degrees, GPU 53 degrees idle, 58 degrees load.

-ANy 3d application tends to crash to blue screen anywhere from 2 mins to 2 hours into play. 3dMark05 has run succesfully several times, but on occasion has either frozen, or given me bluescreen. (roughly 60% chance of not completing successfully)

- Basic computer tasks like browsing and email, music seem to be unaffected.

What I haven't tried:
-Have not adjusted power settings. I think a 480 supply is more than sufficient especially from a name brand like Antec. Also I was not having any problems before, and I don't think the 7900 consumes any more power than the 6800 GT.

-Have not yet tried CPU tester. (Prime 95, etc) I think it is unlikely the CPU just randomly failed.

-have not tried adjusting memory latentices. (I have no idea how to do this.)

So.....my conclusion is that either the new motherboard or new video card is defective, and I am going to have a devil of a time figuring out which since this is the only computer I have.

Can anyone think of anything I haven't tried? Is there any chance this particular upgrade created a hardware incompatibility? (I was 99% positive an FX-53 should work with an Epox 9npa+, because it is SOcket 939 and the board specifically says designed for FX....but can anyone verify?)

I am at my wit's end! If anyone can help, it'd be much appreciated.
Again, the blue screen I get is irql_not_less_than _or equal, and occassionally nvatabus.sys is the file cited.

Bad video card??

-Warren

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

In my limited hunting around online I found some references to your on board audio. Just as a check try disabling your audio in the bios and see if you can reproduce the problem. I'm sorry that I don't have a solution if it IS the problem other than buying a sound card.

 

[warbean]

Yep, I originally had a Soundblaster Audigy 2 which I took out because I thought it might be an IRQ problem. Turns out it wasn't, on board audio disabled continued to give me problems.

 

[PsychoMadMan]

Again, the blue screen I get is irql_not_less_than _or equal, and occassionally nvatabus.sys is the file cited.

Do you have a PATA drive laying around that you could possibly try? If you do disconnect the SATA drives and connect the PATA drive and install Windows XP on to that drive without the nVidia IDE storage drivers. See if that causes your BSOD's to go away if they do then it looks like the nVidia IDE drivers. The nV IDE drivers are very annoying and cause all sorts of issues.

If thats not it, it may be the psu as I can see the truepower is a 20 pin ATX psu and the board is 24 pin ATX 2.0. The extra 4 on the ATX 2.0 standard pins are for supplying power to the PCI-e port for the video card.

 

[warbean]

Ok update:

I tried my video card on a friend's computer and it worked perfectly. That left motherboard, psu, or cpu.

Well I am leaning towards motherboard as it is unlikely that these problems happened RIGHT when I upgraded (only mobo and vid card changed), especially since power consumption should have stayed the same, and my board is comaptible with a 20 pin PSU.

But then....I downloaded Prime95 and ran it. ERROR IMMEDIATELY. ALL 3 TESTS COULD NOT EVEN RUN FOR A MINUTE DUE TO ROUNDING ERRORS AND SUCH. What the hell is going on? I checked temps AGAIN (48 degrees celsius) and found them normal. SInce I bought my computer from ABS almost two years ago, I doubt an RMA will work.

Any other suggestions? WHy does this always happen to me?

 

[schleppy]

Could either be the PSU isn't pushign the correct juice, or your onboard video is set to enabled in bios. hmm...

 

[warbean]

Checking PSU tonight....I don't think the 9npa+ultra has on board video, but I can check.

EIther way that wouldnt cause Prime 95 to fail, would it?

 

[JeepinEd]

Try disconnecting one of your hard drives.
Better yet, try your friends PSU on your machine and see what happens.

Even though your PSU is 480W, it could be that the PCI-e connection is overloading it.

 

[skooma]

Whats your vcore and vdimm?

I'm assuming thats the truepower II line, right? I don't think the original true came in 480 but I don';t know that.

 

[warbean]

It's an old Truepower, and yes it comes in 480, as evidenced by the manual.

It is a 20 pin connector though into my 24 pin motherboard. Nonetheless, my PCI-E card is getting extra power from the extra connector so that shouldnt be a problem.

vcore 1.52v
vDimm 2.73 v

 

[skooma]

Well, its not your pci-e card failing prime now is it

I think I'd try another psu myself or at least put a DMM to it and check the rails.

 

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally posted by: skooma
Well, its not your pci-e card failing prime now is it

I think I'd try another psu myself or at least put a DMM to it and check the rails.

I would also be looking at the PSU very closely. Your card alone can eat up the majority of one 18 amp 12 volt rail. You're also trying to run the rest of your system off that same 12 volt rail.

Your system almost requires a dual 12 volt PSU. Your current PSU can't keep up with the load requirements running on a single 12 volt rail. This is a recipe for a lot of frustration and the potential for expensive hardware failure when that PSU finally goes.

By the way, I would consider 48c at idle to be running hot. If you're running 48c at idle in a hot room during the summer, thats one thing. If you're running 48c and the room your computer is in is at normal room temperatures (70F-75F), then you really should look at adding/upgrading case fans.

 

[sourceninja]

I would install ubuntu and the 3d drivers for your video card (that takes about 10 minutes). Then I would open a console and type glxgears and let that run. If this runs fine without crashing install ut2004 or some other 3d app for linux (ut2004 has a demo for linux). Give it a try. If it crashes then you know its a bios/hardware problem. If it doesn't you know its a windows problem.

 

[XMan]

I second (or third?) the power supply suggestion. You might want to look into a good 12V split-rail power supply. They will cause all sorts of wonky problems when they start going bad . . .

 

[warbean]

I upgraded my PSU to an Antec Trueblue 2.0 480 with split 12v rails last night. Has not fixed problem. Planning to switch to an MSI motherboard this weekend, since I have narrowed everything to a mobo or CPU problem, with a remote possibility of some crazy incompatibility in my setup that wasnt caught by 2 formats.

Will update later, and perhaps try sourceninja's suggestion also.

Thanks all!