Weird display problem

[subjectivist]

Here are my computer specs:

Pentium 3 (800 mhz)
512 mb RAM
AGP Radeon 9000 Atlantis Pro, 128 MB Sapphire DDR

everything looks fine but for the 800 mhz (minimal system requirements)

Anyways, I'm able to play the game, tolerating lag and such, but every once in a while the display goes what, showing colors and bars and planes fluxuating everywhere around one point (where my character's head is?)

I was wondering if anyone knows what this problem is from and how to fix it.

[DJplaeskool]

Whoa...reminds me of that old game Tempest...

anyways...

What is your:

-Current DirectX version
-Current ATi Driver version
-Power Source Wattage
-Heat control setup (Do you have extra fans, where is your computer located, etc)?

Looks like you're gettin' major artifacting/VP distortion...but since it isn't immediate, it may be physcially related, not necessarily software...

[subjectivist]

ATI Driver version 6.14.10.6343

DirectX version (I can't find anything explicitly saying it but C:\WINNT\Directx.txt has a log of updates and some of the last lines of the file say
08/10/03 17:20:26: Version in registry = 4.09.00.0900
08/10/03 17:20:26: Version in DLL = 4.08.01.0881

For heating, there are no extra fans, just the typical computer fan near the processor and the fan *on* the video card. The strange thing is a while after I got the video card the fan on it would speed up and down audibly (like reeeeEEEEEEEE ree), and suddenly it stopped (I can't recalled whether or not I had the problem before the fan was obviously active or not). I just checked whether or not the fan is running on the video card and it is not but the top of it is warm.

Power Source Wattage -- ??? I have the power cord plugged into a surge protector with 2 other things plugged into it.

Thanks for helping

[subjectivist]

bump, can anyone help with this?

[wacky]

start-->run--> type 'dxdiag' and click ok

that should help you with the directx information

[PhoR]

This definitely sounds like an overheating problem to me.

If you feel comfortable fiddleing around inside your pc, I'd just replace the fan on the video card first. That'll cost you about 3$, maybe less.

This video problem generally happens when video cards are overclocked too high with programs such as rivatuner and/or powerstrip.

So if you're using one of those utilities to overclock it, i'd say tone it down a bit. If not, i'd replace the fan.

I've been a computer tech for Oklahoma State University for 4 years now, and i've seen this "artifact" problem many times, and it's always related to heat problems, not software.

Hope that helps!

[Jayna]

I just checked whether or not the fan is running on the video card and it is not but the top of it is warm.

That should pretty much answer your question there. You're card is overheating, you need to replace the fan. Would really help is if you had a fan blowing out the back of your computer case too.

[subjectivist]

thanks for the help, guys, but just one more thing

how would I go about getting a replacement fan and replacing it? ; ;

also could this overheating causing any permanent damage to the card (last time it happened the display definitely froze after I let it go for a while)?