N4 Lockups

I have been getting lockups in N4 now and I was wondering if its the patch or the video drivers. I'm currently using the 21.88 drives. I got a big increase in frame rates over the 21.81 drivers in OpenGL. I don't remember getting the lockups with the 21.81, but to be honest I really didn't play N4 very long with those. I don't think its a heat build up issue because I can play F1 for a couple hours with no problems. I'm thinking its probably the drivers, but I really don't want to change them because they do seem to work real well on my setup. The graphics lock up first then about 2 seconds after the sound locks up. The only way out is hard boot. System specs AMD 1.4 T-bird ASUS A7m266 MB 512 ddr PC2100 ram Hercules Geforce2 GTS 64meg Philips Acoustic Edge sound card Windows ME Thanks MadDAWG

MadDAWG; I'd suspect it's the patch, as I am still having a crash to desktop when trying to save a Export/Replay while online with over 250mb of replays in the replay folder. The only way to eliminate this is to move everything out of the Export & Replay folders. This also caused a screen freeze (lockup) at one time, hasn't appeared again. What kind of mouse/software are you using? -- R.I.P. - William Joseph Dunlop OBE MBE 2/25/52 - 7/2/2000 http://www.roadracers.uk.com/legend.htm

I'd guess that you are right - you're having problems with heat. I had the same issues with a Geforce 2 MX400. What is your system temperature? That is the key - keep the case cool and you will be just fine. Mine used to run about 33 degrees Celsius, and got it down to 26 or 27 and I don't have any more problems. I'm sure your temps are different as each system is different, but a few degrees makes a huge difference. Ryan "MadDAWG" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > I have been getting lockups in N4 now and I was wondering if its the patch > or the video drivers. I'm currently using the 21.88 drives. I got a big > increase in frame rates over the 21.81 drivers in OpenGL. I don't remember > getting the lockups with the 21.81, but to be honest I really didn't playN4 > very long with those. I don't think its a heat build up issue because Ican > play F1 for a couple hours with no problems. I'm thinking its probably the > drivers, but I really don't want to change them because they do seem towork > real well on my setup. The graphics lock up first then about 2 secondsafter

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> the sound locks up. The only way out is hard boot. > > System specs > AMD 1.4 T-bird > ASUS A7m266 MB > 512 ddr PC2100 ram > Hercules Geforce2 GTS 64meg > Philips Acoustic Edge sound card > Windows ME > > Thanks > MadDAWG > >

I really don't think its heat related because I can play any other game for hours where N4 may lock at 10 laps or it may lock at 70. Fresh boot or running for hours dosen't seem to make any differance. As far as keeping the case cool goes I'm pretty well set for that as well I have a case fan bring outside air right across the back side of the xideo card and the top of the cpu. Plus a case fan blowing out on the lower front along with a dual fan setup mounted in the top 5-1/4 bay blowing out. At times I think the thing is gonna take off from the sound. Plus I never had this problem before until reformating my system last night and reinstalling N4 with the new patch and new driver version. Guess thats what i get for breaking the age old setup rule "only change one thing at a time" MadDAWG

If you have fans blowing *out* the front you may want to rethink. AMD recommends (as do I) that you create a flow throught the case, typically fans in the rear pulling air from the front. Check out the recommended air-flow at the AMD site (www.amd.com) I think they have a diagram somewhere how to create the optimum flow through the case and point out that too many fans, and fans not working in the same direction can cause more harm than good. I created a system to their specs, that creates an "S" flow like they diagram and the thing runs mildly warmer than room temperature. (AMD 1.2Ghz with a GF3 running N4 at 100+ FPS for hours on end) The only fans in my case are a big one right under my power supply, the power supply is vented on bottom and has a fan drawing air through it and out the rear, and the fan on my GF3. According to your scheme, you are pulling air from the rear and pushing it out through the front which is backwards to what AMD specs and you are likely pulling warm air through that is being evacuated from your power supply. Try reversing the flow and have the air come in from the front and go out the rear. This seems to me to be a heat issue as well. MadDAWG <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:3beae573$[email hidden]... > I really don't think its heat related because I can play any other gamefor > hours where N4 may lock at 10 laps or it may lock at 70. Fresh boot or > running for hours dosen't seem to make any differance. As far as keepingthe > case cool goes I'm pretty well set for that as well I have a case fanbring > outside air right across the back side of the xideo card and the top ofthe > cpu. Plus a case fan blowing out on the lower front along with a dual fan > setup mounted in the top 5-1/4 bay blowing out. At times I think the thing > is gonna take off from the sound. Plus I never had this problem beforeuntil > reformating my system last night and reinstalling N4 with the new patchand > new driver version. Guess thats what i get for breaking the age old setup > rule "only change one thing at a time" > > MadDAWG > >

Here is their latest FAQ on the deal. Look on the left for "recommendations for cooling" They apparently still recommend a front to rear airflow though they don't say "no multiple fans" anymore. They just say that for every exhaust fan there must be an intake fan (and remember to include the power supply fan in the calculation) http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/white_papers_and_tech_docs/quic k_ref_faq.pdf HTH SimRacer <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:8JAG7.78874$[email hidden]...

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> If you have fans blowing *out* the front you may want to rethink. AMD > recommends (as do I) that you create a flow throught the case, typically > fans in the rear pulling air from the front. > > Check out the recommended air-flow at the AMD site (www.amd.com) I think > they have a diagram somewhere how to create the optimum flow through the > case and point out that too many fans, and fans not working in the same > direction can cause more harm than good. I created a system to their

specs, > that creates an "S" flow like they diagram and the thing runs mildlywarmer

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> than room temperature. (AMD 1.2Ghz with a GF3 running N4 at 100+ FPS for > hours on end) The only fans in my case are a big one right under my power > supply, the power supply is vented on bottom and has a fan drawing air > through it and out the rear, and the fan on my GF3. According to your > scheme, you are pulling air from the rear and pushing it out through the > front which is backwards to what AMD specs and you are likely pulling warm > air through that is being evacuated from your power supply. Try reversing > the flow and have the air come in from the front and go out the rear. > > This seems to me to be a heat issue as well. > > > MadDAWG <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:3beae573$[email hidden]... > > I really don't think its heat related because I can play any other game > for > > hours where N4 may lock at 10 laps or it may lock at 70. Fresh boot or > > running for hours dosen't seem to make any differance. As far as keeping > the > > case cool goes I'm pretty well set for that as well I have a case fan > bring > > outside air right across the back side of the xideo card and the top of > the > > cpu. Plus a case fan blowing out on the lower front along with a dual

fan > > setup mounted in the top 5-1/4 bay blowing out. At times I think thething > > is gonna take off from the sound. Plus I never had this problem before > until > > reformating my system last night and reinstalling N4 with the new patch > and > > new driver version. Guess thats what i get for breaking the age oldsetup

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> > rule "only change one thing at a time" > > > > MadDAWG > > > > > >

I can't say for sure about the AMD site, but the diagram that came with the case and the add on fan unit say to do it the way I am now. Just like every thing in life there is more than one train of thought. Besides same system same setup with 1.1 version of N4 and 21.83 drivers ran fine. MadDAWG