[ZmaN]

Okay, im gunna get some REAL help from the HLP community.  My computer is freezing in every game that i play (Far Cry, Need for Speed: Most wanted demo, and Tribes: Vengeance so far)!!!!!  I'm not sure what to do anymore....  Here are my specs:

Pentium 4 2.8Ghz LGA 775 Socket
Albatron PX915P Pro motherboard with an i915P Pro Chipset
3x 256 MB sticks of DDR RAM = 768 MB total
Sapphire Radeon X850 Pro 256MB
MGE 450 Watt Power supply with the following amperage outputs: +3.3V@28 Amps, +5V@50Amps, [email protected], +12V@18Amps. -12V@1Amp, [email protected]...

I also recorded some temperatures after the crashes had occured (note that I estimated the northbridge temperature based on the video card heatsinks temperature).  The processor was at 60 degrees Celsius (monitoring software), the video card was at 54 degrees celsius (monitoring software), the northbridge was at about 65-67 degrees celsius (estimated)...

Someone told me that my power supply wasnt pumping enough power out of the 12V rail (its pumps 18Amps, he said I need a power supply that pumps at LEAST 22Amps)....

So whats the problem?  Its either the Northbridge is too hot, the video card is defective, or the power supply is going bad....

whats your vote?

P.S. I REALLY need help on this, i cant game for an hour and a half without it crashing!!

[Grey Wolf]

I'd say one and three. Replace your cooling and PSU.

[Dark RevenantX]

Nice video card!  Where'd you get it, and how much did it cost you?  I am asking this because I'm going to get that very one for myself.
Also, I think that it's three.  One is sorta related to three, so go ahead and do both one and three.  Your video card should be just fine.  I have had great experiences with my Sapphire Radeon cards.

[ZmaN]

yea its a nice card!  i got it at newegg for 249.99 plus shipping and tax, it came with tom clancy's splinter cell: Pandora Tomorrow and Prince of Persia: The Sands of time.  its very good!  it can run Far Cry at 1280x960 and High Detail settings at about 60-75 frames per second, pretty darn good if you ask me!  yea its a keeper!  i havent overclocked with it yet, but i dont plan to until the warranty runs out..

[Dark RevenantX]

Actually, mine would be ~ $300 because I'm aiming for the XT version, which has some better statistics.  My current Sapphire Radeon 9600 XT (OEM) doesn't cut it anymore.

[ZmaN]

Someone told me that my power supply wasnt pumping enough power out of the 12V rail (its pumps 18Amps, he said I need a power supply that pumps at LEAST 22Amps)....

Is that correct?!  get the X800XT, ot the X850XT...  they work about the same and the 850 is more

[ZmaN]

also, my power supply has a 20-pin connector, my motherboard has a 24 pin connector.  could that pin shortage be casueing the problem?  i have a 24pin connector psu, so that might fix it....  im gunna test my computer with another power supply and see if it works...

[Nix]

Wait, the PSU has a 20-pin connector, and you have a motherboard with a 24 Pin connector?  Are we talking about the ATX plug that goes into the main power of the motherboard?  You definetly need a new PSU with the new ATX power input.  I dont think there's a way to adapt a 20-pin ATX old style to the new style, long ATX power plug. In the past, most motherboards have a 20-pin ATX adaptor (more are switching over to this longer atx plug though today) and a seperate 4 pin power input which usually is nowhere near the main ATX input on the motherboard.  Now, if you dont have the secondary power hooked up (the extra 4 pin input) then you're probably not getting enough power to the system.

[ZmaN]

the MAIN ATX CONNECTOR is 20 pins..  the extra 4 pin for Intel based motherboards is plugged in by the processor..

[Grey Wolf]

There are adapters to plug in a 20 pin ATX connector and the 4 pin auxilary connector into a 24-pin connector.

[Kosh]

the MAIN ATX CONNECTOR is 20 pins.. the extra 4 pin for Intel based motherboards is plugged in by the processor..

Intel based boards like yours?