Graphics Card Problem / PC Going to Standby

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Perhappppps someone could offer some advice please

Upon starting to type this topic I'm now wondering if it even is the graphics card at all, that was what I always assumed...but anyway...


The 2nd pc in the house that we use for LAN gaming can be a bit unstable at times during games.
Randomly it will crash with the screen going blank/the monitor going into standby and stating "No Signal" but yet the sound will continue. It doesn't happen at definate moments just randomly, and is quite annoying half way through a UT2004 match. My housemate found that Alt-tabbing can get us back to the windows desktop, but then often we cannot alt-tab back into the game.

It's running XP Pro with a Radeon 9200 (I think). I considered buying a different graphics card for it, but seeing as we can alt-tab back into windows I am now wondering if it is a graphics card problem at all?? Or perhaps just a problem the card has when running at high capacity (as opposed to just displaying windows)?


Perhaps someone has some experience or can shed some ideas on this? Like I say, it is problematic that it doesnt happen at definate times, so is difficult to test any fixes

 

Have you visited the Radeon site, downloaded and installed the latest drivers for that card?

 

Mmm. Didn't Wagnerk already cover this?

 

Sort of, but i thought i would use the correct terminology and advise the OP where to go

 

THe symptoms you describe seem to me to be more of a wrong resolution setting rather than a broken gpu. It could be that the settings used in the game are too high for that particular card.

I would follow whats already been said, make sure all drivers and patches are upto date, make sure your using a normal resolution that makes windows easily visible for you.

I am not sure with ATi cards but with Nvidia you have a piece of software where you can adjust the cards settings if ATi have a similar app go into and select the adjust for best appearance or whatever it maybe called. The next time your game loads it should have been adjusted to whatever the ATi app has set the res at and you will be able to see if you get anymore problems.

Doing these things will eliminate the card being broken or on it's way out.

 

Hi everyone thanks for the responses

I have Windows all updated and the drivers on the graphics card have been updated through Windows (as opposed to going straight to the ATI site)

I dont know the resolution it is running at off by heart, I will check when I get home

No it is not just UT2004 this is happening in, it can also happen in the middle of Command & Conquer Generals gameplay or less than 2 minutes into the start of Farcry 1 etc etc

 

First off as said before update the graphics card drivers BUT from ATI as windows update installs crap basic drivers for the cards. Also double check your ram because it may be possible that you either have literally just enough to start up the games but when a real graphic and ram demanding part comes along the systems stability becomes compromised.

run a copy of Memtest which you sould be able to get hold of through google.

Also it may be worthwile as sed before to reinstall windows as time to time it can start having similar issues as to what your having.

AS its an ATI card make sure you have catalyst installed and are using that and not windows display management to set resolution refresh rate etc.

hope you get this sorted but if need any more help after tryin all that dont hesitate to ask

 

Is it just games it does it in? It could be getting to the point of over heating.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone I shall give these all a try and then hopefully the problem will dissapear, ickle just take a while to test

Sparky - No I have not checked the events log, I shall have a gander next time it occurs

Gingerdave - Yeah it is just on games