BSOD whilst playing FEAR

[carnageX]

Ok, well this has been happening for quite a while, but I haven't tried playing this game with the updated drivers I have yet. So I open up some diagnostics programs to run in the bg on my 2nd monitor to keep track of temps while I play. Temps on the card go up from 42 (idle) to 55 (load), which is normal for me; happens on all of my games. CPU was also cool, around 39-41 throughout. It plays just fine for about 15 minutes tops, then it suddenly locks up. I have WMP playing in the bg, and the audio is still playing fine on that. If I wait about 30 seconds, the audio starts to loop, then if I wait a few seconds longer (hoping it'll simply come out of its freeze), I get a BSOD, error code: 0x000000EA for NV4disp.dll, I believe it is. It starts to then do a memory dump. Googled it,and saw an article in M$'s KB about it, and it just said to update drivers to the newest ones. This has only been happening with my new card (my 8800GT from veedub, OC'd to 730/1000), but it never happened with my 8800GTS 320, which was OC'd as well. Funny thing is, I tried downclocking it back to stock, and it still goes. FEAR is the only game it does this to. I can play Crysis with a Very High hack for hours on end, and it does just fine. Anybody got any ideas on what could be the problem?

[Ewc1307]

I've Googled the same thing, for problems with the NV4disp.dll and all i get back too is to update your graphics card drivers...or to install nVidia display card driver 61.77

[carnageX]

Lol yeah...I don't think I'm gonna rollback that far xD. Right now I'm running 171.23 forceware drivers. I wonder if modified Omega drivers would work better?

[Ewc1307]

Courtesy of Microsoft:

This issue might occur if the graphics adapter is caught in an infinite loop while it waits for the video hardware to become idle. This issue typically indicates a problem with the video hardware or that the graphics adapter cannot program the hardware correctly.

Not sure if you've seen it or really how much use it will be but: Error message in Windows XP: "STOP 0x000000EA THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER"

[carnageX]

The BSOD didn't say "THREAD STUCK IN DEVICE DRIVER" though. It doesnt give any specifics as for that, that I saw anyway...

[carnageX]

Going to try to install the 174.20 forceware...and t hen if that doesn't work, I'm gonna try the Omega drivers based off of 169.21...

[carnageX]

Little bit of an update... It must have been the clocks that I set it at. B/c I kept it at 730/1000, then did the artifact scan in ATITool...not 30 seconds later I started getting terrible artifacting. Downclocked it to 720/1000, and it didn't artifact. Played a few rounds of FEAR in some of the more fast-paced levels...and it worked fine... I'll try again tonight (Friday night...more people will probably be playing, heh).

Odd though, that I could keep it at 730/1000 and play Crysis just fine without any artifacts for hours o.O.

[Mak213]

It realy isnt. Each game uses teh GFX card in a different way. While Crysis didnt artifact it could be because it plaecd more stress on the CPU than the GFX card. Or vice versa. while FEAR being a older game probably taxed the CPU more and caused the OC to affect the way the GFX were showig and caused the artifacting. Hence why just taking it down 10 stopped it. Gave the CPU/GPU more time to work together instead of against each other.

Of course i could be completely wrong with my guess and it is just a fluke that FEAR didnt like it cause it is a older game and cant handle that kind of speed itself.

[carnageX]

Hmm, well that could be a good explanation for it. Odd that when I took it back down to stock at one point, though, that it still did it... I guess I'll just have to see if it does it again tonight =\.

[Mak213]

Who knows really. Maybe the stock settings were not taking effect? I really dont know what it could be. I am just taking shots in the dark to maybe explain what could be happening.