Problem with 3DMark

I have a new build here (new MB, new RAM, new CPU, new PCIe video card) with a clean install of XP Home SP2. When I try to run 3Dmark 2003 or 2005, they open the first splash screen, and that's it. They stop responding and pretty much lock up the PC until I ctrl-alt-del to end the process as it is "Not responding". 3Dmark 2001 runs fine. Other benchmarks run OK. I haven't tried any other of the 3dmark series besides '01, '03, and '05. The PCs owner said he was having boot up problems, where about half the time the PC would power on, but there'd be no video, and the other half of the time it booted up fine. I haven't had the boot up trouble he described, or any boot up trouble for that matter. I have swapped out video cards, and still the 3dmark lock-up. I downloaded new 3dmark installers in case the ones I have on CD were bad somehow, still they lock up. I'm running a memory diagnostic now (2gb DDR2-667), and will run a HD diagnostic next, and then I'll probably flash the BIOS. I might just swap out the RAM next just to see what happens, even if it does pass the memory diagnostic. The motherboard has an AMD780G chipset, and I've tried two HD3870 video cards (one Sapphire, one HIS, both 512mb with complete driver removal and reload between card swaps) with the same result. I have downloaded and installed new chipset drivers too. So, does anyone have any clue at all as to what might be happening here?

Thanks!

 

UPDATE- The RAM passed full diagnostics.... the hard drive passed full diagnostics. I installed a couple of games that give the PC a decent workout (nothing like Crysis on high, but still good) and everything ran perfectly stable with both video cards, however the HIS was about 10C warmer, even at idle, but that's neither here nor there. So I'm starting to think that maybe there is a compatibility issue with ATI HD3870 video cards and 3DM'03 and '05. I have run 3DM'03 and '05 on a different PC but with the same RAM, same MB, but with an NVidia video card and had no issues. Tomorrow I'll install a lower end ATI card (like a 1650 or maybe even a 1300) and see how that goes. I don't have an NVidia PCIe card at my disposal so I might have to use an older PCI card :eek. But in the meantime..... anyone have anything?

 

Well firstly have you ran CCleaner on the registry, there maybe some corrupt registry entries causing issues. Would firstly make a restore point, then save the registry back-up before finally cleaning any and all registry anomalies.

You didn't specify whether you were running any other apps during the load up, I find if I try and run GPU-z (for overtime temps/volt/fan analysis) during 3DMark06 I get conflict and system freezes needing a re-set, but this occurs after the load up! Make sure you are not running any other apps for the first attempt.

Have you DL and installed all latest patches for the 3D apps?!?

 

You know what.... I was running HWMonitor in the background to see what the temps and voltages were doing during the bench. It did cross my mind for just a split second that a conflict might be a-brewing, but it was a fleeting thought. I'll try running the benches with out it. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm pretty sure I did try to run 3DM without HWMonitor, but maybe I didn't.... thanks for jarring my brain. I'll check it out tomorrow. I hope that's all it is!

Good question. I'm running 3dm'05 1.30 downloaded from here, MG... and 3dm'03 also downloaded from MajorGeeks. I'm not sure what the version/build is, but it's whatever is here http://www.majorgeeks.com/3DMark03_Build_360_d1712.html. All other benches and a few games have run perfectly, even with HWmonitor running minimized.

 

:celebrate Problem solved! :dancer

It turns out that it indeed was a conflict between HWMonitor and the 3DM programs. Strange. I guess I need to find a more friendly monitoring app....

[dlb]

 

Well it was just a guess as that is what GPU-z was doing for me, but HWMonitor and EVEREST Ultimate work fine, in fact EVEREST Ultimate displays temps, Volts and fans down near the time/date (bottom right hand corner) so you can observe parameters each time the app changes to new tests. You could try a MOBO specific app, e.g. ASUS PCProbe?

 

Maybe this will help.....small footprint but only for Core Temp:

http://majorgeeks.com/Core_Temp_d5665.html

There are many others here:

http://majorgeeks.com/downloads11.html

Otherwise may have to go the coarse approach, i.e. temps/volts/fans screenshot just before commencement and then screenshot immediately after.

 

I ended up using an app from the mobo maker's web site called HWMonitor! A totally different program than the free one available here, it just happens to have the same name. It's bundled in a pack called T-Util. It's a pretty cool program and I tried it with a different brand running a similar AMD chipset and it worked there too....

 

Good to see it's sorted.