Radeon 9600XT problem

[Virbil]

I just bought a Radeon 9600XT and installed everything correctly (I hope.) Anyway, here is the problem: I try to play CS or something and I the video card works fine for about 5 or so minutes, then my motherboard tells me (cuz it has a voice) that the "CPU test fails." After this occurs, the game plays for another minute or two then freezes and my entire computer freezes. My mobo is an Asus A7N8X Deluxe. CPU- Athlon 2500+ Barton. I tried to change the video mode setting in CS to Open GL and then to Direct 3D and nothing seems to help. I downloaded DirextX 9b but am not sure what that does. So I just need some major help. Please tell me what to do. Thanks

 

[fredtam]

I'll go out on a limb here and say it might be the cpu. Overheating?

 

[Virbil]

My CPU has never overheated before. Could just adding a new video card cause the cpu to overheat?

BTW, my old video card was a Gforce 2 Pro, so kinda old. But all worked fine with it. Don't know if this info helps or not.

 

[fredtam]

You may have unseated the heatsink or something installing the card.

 

[Virbil]

Well I have a Thermaltake Xaser III case and it has a display of the cpu temp on the front. It sais about 73 degrees F or about 23 C. So that doesn't seem too hot. Then again, I am not playing CS right now, I am just browsing the internet. So that might have an effect on it.

 

[fredtam]

Where is it reading the temp from though?

The only vid card problem I can think of is the 9600s hang sometimes when set to 8X. Go into smartgart and switch to 4X and see if it helps.

 

[Virbil]

I did that already. Didn't seem to do much.

 

[fredtam]

Have you updated the drivers?

It may be time to rma an athlon.

 

[Virbil]

Originally posted by: fredtam
Have you updated the drivers?

It may be time to rma an athlon.

First question: Drivers all updated
Second question: What does "rma" stand for?

 

[fredtam]

Returned merchandise authorization. Send it back.

 

[fredtam]

Run prime95 to test.

 

[Virbil]

Ok, I went to bed hoping that all would be fixed over night (kinda praying that all would be fixed anyway) but nothing happened. I went on CS and just started a LAN game and I didn't even get the map loaded before it froze. I need help. Has anyone had this problem that knows how to fix it. So far, only fredtam has tried to help me, and although I appreciate his attempts, he has not helped. So please let me know if there is any more information I can give you.

 

[billyjak]

I would reinstall the video drivers using the latest 3.10's. Just be sure to uninstall your old drivers first.
I use the Omega 3.10's Here

 

[fredtam]

Your board told you there was a CPU problem not a vid card. I would understand the confusion if it were some hard to interpret beep code or something. I would run Prime95 to test the cpu and also look at the voltages from your PSU and not the 9600xt.