[etekiller]

Hello, this is my first post on this forum, so I want to say "hi" to everyone !

I've already posted this problem on a different forum, but I got no solving answers yet, so I copied the content here and modified it with every additional info I got from the other forum.

I've got a strange problem with every PC game I play:

Some time ago I used to play Sniper Elite v2 for a long time, the game worked fine, but at first it had no sound. I couldn't solve that problem until I realized that updating DirectX by dxwebsetup.exe (DirectX updater) solves the problem. In fact I already had the newest version of DirectX, but dxwebsetup installed some optional DirectX components that weighted about 43MB (not sure if EXACTLY that much). It's probably the moment my problems started.

As soon as I got bored with SE v2 I stopped playing any games for like a month or so, had no problems with my PC etc. It was like that until I installed FIFA 12. Game worked great for the first 5 minutes (till a while after the second half starts), then it would crash. EVERY TIME, no exceptions. I was really disappointed so I installed FIFA 11, which worked fine but also had some random crashes (never as much as FIFA 12, but still it would crash once every five matches). That was the time when I thought that something bad is happening. So I formatted the system partition to install a fresh copy of Win 7 (I also used dxwebsetup again, which installed same optional features as before). It didn't help. FIFA 12 was crashing the same way, so was the FIFA 11 every five to ten matches. I hoped for the fact that it's a problem connected only to FIFA series.

Sadly, I was wrong.

My next game was NBA 2k12 which I used to play aloooot the previous year (like 200h of gameplay) and it never crashed then. NEVER. But today I can play about 5 to 10 minutes of NBA 2k12 and it crashes every time. Then I tried L.A. Noire. Same story, crashes after about 5 to 10 minutes. EVERY game has a tendency to crash after almost the same amount of time.

Before you suggest:

- The sound problem with SE v2 was the game's issue, not the PC's, I know it because many people experienced the same problems with this game. Using dxwebsetup solved any sound problems. Every other game had sound and it worked fine.
- My graphics and audio drivers are perfectly up to date
- I tried to update DirectX
- I tried to switch back to previous graphics drivers
- I tried to install older DirectX redist.
- I tried using dual core optimizer
- I tried reinstalling MVS C++ redistributables
- I checked if the PC is overheating, it's not
- Only hardware change before the crashing spree, was changing my NEC 17' monitor (DVI Input) to a BENQ 15' monitor (connected via adapter [DVI-graphics card output] -> [D-SUB-monitor input]) - crashes actually started to occur after this monitor change, however I wasn't playing any game for a while before it, so you know, I may have had no occasion to encounter them
- I tried removing DirectX from the registry and installing it again
- There are no other problems than those crashes, except for them, games work perfectly normal
- Games tend to work perfectly in windowed mode (tested on NBA 2k12), crashes occur in full screen mode only.
- I can't uninstall those optional DirectX components from the system because they are not listed in the Add/Remove Programs menu
- Playing in different resolutions doesn't help

By "crash" I mean a complete crash to desktop without any error at all or in some cases with a standard Windows 7 error stating that an application stopped running, but more often there's no error at all.

Do you have any suggestions on my problem? I would be so grateful for any help, thank you.

[Megabite]

I would say something maybe with your video card and the new monitor resolution....try lowering the screen resolution on the in game menus

[etekiller]

I've already tried that, unfortunately with no success.

[Megabite]

How have you tested for heat?

[etekiller]

I've done it the standard way:

HWMonitor, Everest Ultimate and some common sense (there were no framerate drops, no lags, everything was running in a beautiful, standard pace). Even after the crash Windows was fluent and fully responsive.

[Megabite]

What did the Video card temps run up to?

Do you have a lot of programs running in the back ground.

[etekiller]

Before playing:



Seconds after the game crashed:



The CPU core temp is a little high in the end, but still tepmeratures around 70 deg. of C are totally unable to cause such crashes.

And yes, sometimes I do have lots of programs running in the background, but it crashes when I don't have them running and when I do, so it doesn't really matter. Also, few months ago none of those games were crashing irrespectively of the background applications.

[Megabite]

I wouldn't say unable to cause crashes....I would say the CPU temps are high and what we are trying to do is find something we can eliminate. Myself I would try and get the CPU temps down first. your GPU temps look fine as also the voltages. It must be getting to you as you have tried a lot of thing already including a format. The video card may also be a problem.

[etekiller]

Yes but the thing is that I used to have such temperatures (and sometimes even slightly higher) before and was able to play some games for hours (back when I really enjoyed playing basket I used to play NBA 2k12 6 hours a day continuously). And I am sure I had similar temperatures and had not even a glitch in most games. This fact is also impossible due to that in a windowed mode NBA 2k12 doesn't crash. So it's something about the display itself. CPU doesn't make any less calculations for applications in windowed mode than for those in full screen mode.

What I think is that the most probable cause is the fact that now I'm using a monitor that is connected via an adapter (DVI to D-SUB), because my card has no D-SUB output. Normally that probably wouldn't be a problem but this monitor is kinda old, so maybe it's providing the graphics card with a faulty information about his specifications. This could lead to a major misunderstanding between the GPU and the monitor, thus any changes in display during playing a game may crash the DirectX functions. Even though this is a long shot I would still consider switching monitors a possible major factor. Also - all my problems started around the time I switched to that monitor.

EDIT: My real problem is: even if I'm right, what's the next step?

[Megabite]

You have Dual core and reasonably older GPU if you played those games on the other monitor and you where happy then try a different monitor. I have a Quad core and 550Ti GPU and play those games fine...not trying to be flash but maybe you should consider an upgrade.I think your graphics card and CPU are having problems with that Monitor and the newer games.

[etekiller]

Yeah, I believe that the monitor fault is the most probable, coz I don't need to run those games on max detail, but using the previous monitor I was able to play them at all (it would lag on higher detail settings, but on whichever settings it was set it still would work all the time without any crashes). I just wasn't sure if it is even possible to have a monitor incompatible with the GPU or the OS. But everything seems to reveal it.

Anyway I am going to borrow a monitor from my mother and test those games again. I will post the results as soon as I do the test.

Thank you very much for your help .

[Megabite]

No probs.....on and upwards...

[Sick_Jargon]

Maximum Operating Temperature: 55-63 Degrees, they are probably running hot for too long. Other than that, who knows what long term damage they may have sustained keeping these temperatures up. Just a point.

[etekiller]

Yes, I understand that, but if it was the case then games would also crash in windowed mode. They don't. By windowed mode I mean still the same resolution, just a window instead of a full screen.