SAFETYpin

Well I recently got a dangerden gpu cooler for my gainward ti4400.
And after installation I am now getting an error that say cant read memory. Any Ideas on where i should start my diagnosis. I all ready removed the card from my agp slot and reinstaled it. I guess next I will pull off my gpu block and check to see if I did something stupid!!

putwig

Do you have an old agp or pci card you could try.

If that worked you could be sure something is amiss with your card

lcpiper

Putwig is right, part swapping can really help track down a problem.

But this error, where / when does it show up ?

During post, after booting into windows ?

Just trying to get a handle on it.

SAFETYpin

It shows up when I try and run a game like CS or 3d Mark. It boots fine in to windows. Yeah I have an old Voodoo lying around some where I will have to find it. I am sick to my stomach now with worry that I damaged my card. Do manufactures repair cards? I think I still had a warranty! If I could find some of the plastic pins and springs that the old heat sink was mounted with maybe they would still warranty it. I dont know

BigAkita

Post the specific error that you are receiving and explain what you are doing when it occurs. It may not be vid related.

TiDude

Most likely a hardware problem, maybe you hit an IC off during install, try the card in another system or terminate your current drivers and download the detonator 42.01's (unless you require manufactuar specific drivers) with or without water cooling
Sounds like a hardware problem to me but mineaswell try software/driver related video.

Get your serial's out! its RMA time!

lcpiper

TiDude, I don't think it's hardware at all.

If he had damaged that card then we would be seeing real problems long before he ever hit a game.

This is software related.

SaftyPin, I know you have been most excited about your water cooling setup and that that's been the biggest thing on your mind, but try and remember what the last things are that you load / changed / adjusted, in software.

And if you can't remember anything, then if your using WinXP, try a roll-back to a recent point, but only if you can't remember something specific that you have done, like install DX9 maybe ?

TiDude

Heh lcpiper...when I got my ge2 my, when I was installing, I set it down to take out old riva, and I installed it, I saw some tiny bit, it wa an IC, on my table, anyway the card only runs @ 640x480@256 colors and its in my old backup 90mhz pc rofl.
I simply set down the card nicely on its static wrapper and it was killed...Them damn IC's are sensitive! if you as my they should put a 0.1mm dielectric clearcoat over silicon chips such as motherboards, pci cards, video cards etc after manufacturing for protection

lcpiper

Actually Ti, Anything can happen.

But I am not going to assume hardware failure of a video card without evidence of that being the case.

The problem has only surfaced during a couple of applications which means the boards is passing Post, and Boot, and performing all other activities.

My first guess is that something in software was changed just recently and he has forgotten it in all the excitement of installing his water cooling.

But we'll see. We have ways of making it talk

TiDude

Perhaps a nice format and new detonator 4X.XX drivers

SAFETYpin

Well I am at work now so i will try to get the specific error information this evening. For a little more information the card runs fine when I start CS during the menu and the option screens it messes up when I try and start the game. The monitor displays parts of the screen and or the proper screen but all distorted. It will then hang and crash except in CS it will pop up an error screen. I havent had an opertunity to try another vid card in it yet for some back to back testing. I did install direct x 9 but that was a few weeks ago. I dont recal installing any drivers I believe I already have the 42.01 detentator. I think if I send the card back they wont except an RMA because I removed the heatsink and fan. I could reinstall the old one if I can find someone with the proper pins and springs. I cut one of the plastic pens because it was being difficult and I didnt want to put to much stress on the card.

BZA

try running a 3d Benchmark or an intense 3D screen saver, maybe the GPU is heating up due to a problem with the cooling...just a guess. is the GPU Water block seated well and did you remember the Arctic silver?

dont mean to insult, just covering the below basic basics

lcpiper

Actually I am suspicious of the game's video settings themselves.

The intro, menues, and all that are not 3D application elements and do not access D3D or OpenGL, which are 3D APIs. It is possible that your problem is happening as soon as the game tries to switch to the 3D API.

You can go about this by running DX Diag and running some tests, also, you can go into the game's video settings and change them first, to D3D, and test it, and then to OpenGL, and test that.

Also, there are many other games that allow both D3D and OpenGL support. They also can help you track this down. I am suspecting that OpenGL is the culprit.

BigAkita

Here's something else to try. Uninstall the detonator's you are running and load up the 31.40's. This suggestion is based upon my experience with Gainward cards.

SAFETYpin

Well guys I think I ve tried all your suggestions I apreciate the help but no solution yet. So far I ve changed drivers Ive tried non detenators and detenators alike. I've reinstalled DX9. In DX Diag the Direct Draw tests work but Direct3d always crashes. It seems like anytime I run 3D graphics it falls on its face. The error I was getting with cs is Microsoft Visual C++ runtime error, Abnormal program Termination. Does anyone know where I can get the small plastic mounting pins. If anyone has them I wouldnt mind paying for them. I ve mentioned this before but I havent gotten a response on it yet. Otherwise I am stuck purchasing a new card.

Ohh one other quick thought I think the last program I installed before I took my machine apart was Folding@home. But it dosent seem to make a difference if its off or on.

lcpiper

SafetyPIN, you have two seperate issues here.

One is the methode for cooling the video card, the other is the software errors.

The reason your system is yaking is not for cooling.

It is something in software.

If D3D is failing in DX Diag, then I think you are having a DirectX problem.

You said that you you re-installed DX9, are you certain that it is the latest DX9, because the earlier one everybody was jumping on was a beta.

Have you tried a "Roll Back" of your system to a point prior to when you first installed DX9.

I had a similar problem with DX9, did a Roll-Back, and it fixed everything and I am back on DX8.1.

Do not buy a new video card just for those little pins. Dude, if you want those, just send an email to Gainward and ask for some. At worst, but a new GF4 HS like the one from Thermaltake, at least it would be cheaper then a new video card.

I really don't think your card is damaged, this is really a software problem and switch cards will just cost you money, and you will still have the exact same software problem. This is what you have to fix.

If you don't know how to do a Roll-Back, just ask.

SAFETYpin

Yeah i just got the new version of DX9 from microsoft. I didnt want the old fan heatsink to try and remedy my problem I wanted it so that I could send my card back to gainward if I cant find a solution. Maybe they would still warranty it. I will try the roll back this evening and see if that does anything for me.