GTX260 Video Artifacting/BSODs

Stress test the GPU too. Furmark should do it. I would never go for an Nvidia chipset - choose a chipset from the CPU manufacturer's. As for the PSU, a Corsair HX-650 is great or an Antec TP-550.

Zepher said:

If you have a best buy near you, grab this PSU and test your system with it,
Antec - EarthWatts 650-Watt ATX CPU Power Supply - EA 650

I know for a fact that this PSU will run your machine since I ran one for 20 days while I rma'd my Antec Trio 650, and my machine is loaded with parts, 8 hard drives, DVD-RW, SB Card, GTX 285, 4 case fans, 4x2GB sticks of ram.

I do have a BestBuy here. Do you know their policy on returning power supplies? Had thought of this before

TVeblen said:

I hate to see you just buying parts to try. That is an expensive form of diagnostics. Keep in mind that servicing a computer while not being on site is difficult, if not ridiculous. I am not at all sure that you need a motherboard, or a power supply, or a video card. It would be nice if you could eliminate one or more of these as a cause.

Are you still running with that Rosewill power supply? I thought you said a while back that you replaced it, but I don't remember.

But let's look at some facts: If you run the game at it's lowest settings and turn off all of Window's 3D eye candy the problem goes away? That is a clue. That means that your system can handle standard graphics, but anytime you ask for some horsepower it can't do it.

Try some tests:
Assuming the card is back in the x16 PCIe slot and you have clean installed the latest WHQL drivers: try this:

Go to Programs > Games and open Chess Masters. Does the video crash opening a Windows 3D game? Try it with a non-Aero desktop and with.

Run the Windows Experience rating. This tests the video card through all the gaming stuff. Does it crash or show the TDR?

Unplug all the equipment you don't immediately need: DVD drive, all USB devices, case lights. Disable the LAN and Sound devices. Basically power down everything you don't need to run the computer and then try to recreate a crash.

Try and think of anything else you could do to test the system to try and isolate the cause.
HTH

Yea i'm still running the Rosewill PSU. Will try the windows games and re-do the experience rating.

Rosewill is not known for high quality parts. They are a re-brander. They are known for decent quality at a low price. The power supply is one part that I would not skimp on. It has to work perfectly. I would replace that before anything else.
The consensus in the builders forums for high quality power supplies is Seasonic, Corsair, and Thermaltake. Antec can sell a good supply, but they don't make em either. For a while they had Seasonic making their supplies, now they use others.
For your rig I would only start at 650W. If you can get a larger one on sale for the same money, I'd do it.

thefabe said:

If you still have the Best Buy receipt it should tell you their return policy in the back of it. Fabe

thanks there fabe, but I didnt go and buy one from bestbuy, was wondering their policy before i do that....

TVeblen said:

Rosewill is not known for high quality parts. They are a re-brander. They are known for decent quality at a low price. The power supply is one part that I would not skimp on. It has to work perfectly. I would replace that before anything else.
The consensus in the builders forums for high quality power supplies is Seasonic, Corsair, and Thermaltake. Antec can sell a good supply, but they don't make em either. For a while they had Seasonic making their supplies, now they use others.
For your rig I would only start at 650W. If you can get a larger one on sale for the same money, I'd do it.

Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies
What ya think of that one? I had been lookin at the 750Watt corsair but that 650 looks pretty good

Shook said:

TVeblen said:

Rosewill is not known for high quality parts. They are a re-brander. They are known for decent quality at a low price. The power supply is one part that I would not skimp on. It has to work perfectly. I would replace that before anything else.
The consensus in the builders forums for high quality power supplies is Seasonic, Corsair, and Thermaltake. Antec can sell a good supply, but they don't make em either. For a while they had Seasonic making their supplies, now they use others.
For your rig I would only start at 650W. If you can get a larger one on sale for the same money, I'd do it.

Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies
What ya think of that one? I had been lookin at the 750Watt corsair but that 650 looks pretty good

That isn't modular, making it harder to cable. Otherwise, if it has the right amount of cables for what you need, buy it. I would prefer the HX due to modularity.

WELL, Went to BestBuy picked up the Corsair 750Watt PSU with the single 60A 12V Rail... put it in and.... still doing the exact same thing.... Im at a loss...


Could I have gotten 2 bad Vid Cards?!?

Shook said:

WELL, Went to BestBuy picked up the Corsair 750Watt PSU with the single 60A 12V Rail... put it in and.... still doing the exact same thing.... Im at a loss...


Could I have gotten 2 bad Vid Cards?!?

Take out 1 RAM stick, all video cards, enable the onboard GPU, and make sure the HDD is on the SATA 1 port. Disable the DVD burner too. Triple check all cables are fully seated. I have probably said this, but I have the same board and its great - especially the heatpipes.