Graphics Issue with some games

Athlon64 3500
128MB Raedon x700pro
K8 NEO Platinum mainboard
1GB RAM
Windows XP, service pack 2

Hey,

I cannot play Empire at war or the new demo of Might and Magic 5 because of a graphics issue. The games will install and load, however when I start playing the graphics will quickly corrupt and the PC will crash.

Sometimes I will get a warning from the ATI recovery console.

Ive searched around and it looks like it is a problem with the Direct3d.

I have also updated video, motherboard and directX drivers.

Could anyone offer suggestions or a solution to this problem.

Thanks

 

if i were you i'd start with an adware / virus scan, then dowload the latest drivers for grfx card

 

What PSU do you have? that's quite a demanding system and any crashes could be associated to not enough power.

 

Good point, Its a 350 watt PSU.

However I can play Neverwinter Nights with very high graphic settings and I have no problems.

 

Yes, but some games are more demanding than others.
What brand PSU is it, and what amperage does it have on the 12V+ Rail?

 

Sorry its a 400w PSU

 

From my experience at a different hardware forum I used to visit b4 the site broke for some reason (www.forumplanet.com/planethardware), I would say that that PSU sounds too weak for your system and is probably the problem. I remember quite a few discussions taking place about PSU's, and the most knowledgeable guys there recommended like 500-ish to 600-ish Watt PSU-s for high-level systems, and that was like a year+ ago. Your system is probably even more advanced than what was high level back when I remember those discussions taking place, and yet your PSU is only 400. That's gotta be the problem.

 

My power supply is 400W and the +12v has 18amps max outout, do you think that is enough?

 

For an A64 system, I'd strongly recommend something with at least 22-25A on the 12V rail (or via combination of multiple 12V rails). Oh, and wattage doesn't mean a damn thing. The Enermax EG375AX-VE is only a 370W unit, but has specifications that could easily have it being sold as a 500W unit. I believe it's got 2 16A 12V rails for starters, but they might be 18A. This is particularly important if you've got a PCI Express card, as it draws off the 12V rail. The CPU draws off the 12V as well, so adding a video card to the mix often becomes not enough. If it's an AGP card, you might be alright, since AGP feeds of the 3.3V line. If that's the case, as long as you have 25A on the 3.3V you should be fine.

I'd also check the RAM with [google]Memtest[/google].

 

Ive read up on the power supplies and it looks like I would have to spend around £50 - £80 on a power supply with a 12v with 22amp output.

Could anyone recommend a psu?

thanks

 

Don't have a specific model to suggest, but I've been told to always go for a good name brand, cuz apparently it makes a huge difference with PSU's. Like Antec is always a safe bet. Kind of along the lines of what the topless admin said , the wattage may be listed as really high on some generic or copy-cat brand, but it'll work like crap.

 

well i'd recommend Antec TP 2 550 but if your on a tight buget get one with at least 300W output, i personally have a Tagen TG330 - U1