ATI X1650 Graphic Problem

IceRevenant · May 19th, 2009, 04:33 AM

Hi all, I've read the thread regarding "ATI BSOD FIXED FINALLY!!! IT WILL HELP ALL OF YOU. ati3duag.dll , squeal of death, et" and though it has a similar problem I have, it is not the same.

Problem:
I never got the BSOD but my problem right now is my graphics card will always freeze (with sound and gameplay still there and working fine). Everytime I play games like FEAR 2, TimeShift, it would do one of the following 3 things: freeze graphics with sound and gameplay fine (this was the first problem), randomly minimize the game and put me out to Windows (I can always alt-tab it back to the game and it would continue fine), or worst (several times when I went to the exact location of the problem, the whole computer restarted itself (fresh restart!). If I do the Alt-Tab solution and go back in, after a few seconds, it would happen again. In FEAR 1, sometimes the game would just Alt-Tab itself out to Windows (I didn't press anything) or it might show black squares when I shoot or make dust. Certain graphics (such as a wall panel) would be totally black. This is only in FEAR 1.

This only happens in games that require SM3.0 (Dx9c) graphics as Age of Empires 3, Quake 4, Doom 3, and possibly FarCry 1 don't seem to have this problem.
I'm using Windows XP SP3 Professional.

Solutions I've tried:
I've read tons of internet articles about my problem; alot of others have the same card as me and have similar problems. They have the BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) which I don't seem to have (thank god).

I've tried everything from deleting Catalyst Control Centre, installing all windows update hotfixes from the automatic updates, disabling hardware acceleration, lowering the AGP to 4X instead of 8X, installing other related software and older DX drivers as well as older ATC drivers and sound drivers. I also tested using my analog wire to the LCD (didn't fix it). Increased the GPU fan speed to maximum which lowers the temperature significantly (didn't fix it).

I even took the card out and put in my old 9250 card in (can't even play DX9C game so I tested it with FEAR 1 and it works, lags like hell but it works). Upon sticking X1650 back in, the same problem occured. Except now the problems seem to varie even more.

I'm beginning think it's not drivers problem now; probably hardware. Maybe something got burnt but is not significant? I think this has to do with a few months ago when my computer froze with those beep beep sounds and you thought it was a harddisk problem. That moment might've just burnt a part of the GPU. Cause I remember before the format and after that problem, I played FEAR 2 and it would randomly give the BEEP BEEP sound and freeze the computer totally. But everything in my computer is working fine right now after the format.

Please help me.......

squall_leonhart · May 19th, 2009, 12:09 PM

Doom 3 uses opengl.
use Catalyst 8.12

IceRevenant · May 19th, 2009, 06:40 PM

I forgot to mention; I tried using Catalyst 8.5 which came with the cd for my card. That didn't work.
I just tried FarCry and it gave a critical exception error of not being able to read my memory. It can load each level but after the loading, it just stops and gives me that exception error window. I can run the game with everything on low though; but not medium or higher.

squall_leonhart · May 19th, 2009, 07:01 PM

Then take the hint and do a memory test

IceRevenant · May 19th, 2009, 09:38 PM

I'm a real newbie at this but what is a memory test and what program do I use (or you recommend)?

I've also been reading on why Doom 3 and Quake 4 works even at max graphics and found out FarCry 1 can also be run with OpenGL. So I tried this with FarCry and VOILA! It runs with no problem except there are sometimes some weird graphcs gitches (but nothing as big as running with Dx9c). Now my problem is, most other shooter games I play uses Dx9c so unless I find a problem to solve my Dx9c problem, I can't play those games!

Here's something I'm thinking of and don't know if it's correct (perhaps you guys can see if there's any correlation?). All my games worked fine before I formatted my computer due to that beep beep sound I had (first post). After the format, I installed Dx9c March 2009 edition right away. Is it possible this version has a problem with my X1650? Being Directx, I can no longer revert to an older version so basically I'm screwed. But I would still like to find out the problem though.

squall_leonhart · May 20th, 2009, 05:33 AM

You aren't running a VIA chipset are you?

if so, decrease the AGP rate to 4x and the problems should go away.

IceRevenant · May 20th, 2009, 08:21 PM

VIA P4M800.
I tried using 4X from the Catalyst Center and restarted it; it gave me the same problem.

squall_leonhart · May 20th, 2009, 08:23 PM

only decreasing it in the bios will work.

IceRevenant · May 21st, 2009, 05:34 AM

Ok I just tried it; decreased it to 4X in the BIOS and restarted it. It didn't work; still got that graphic freeze problem.
Do you think formatting my computer and reinstalling an earlier DX version will work? Cause everything was fine before I formatted my computer and installed the new March 2009 Dx9c.

squall_leonhart · May 21st, 2009, 06:17 AM

its totally unrelated, the directX update only installs files that are not already installed, and doesn't even touch any that already were.