Problems with XFX 6600GT

[TRS]

Hi,

Recently I'm having troubles with my PC. It crashes randomly and won't boot afterwards but just gives me a BIOS error code (8 beeps). I googled the code and it looks like an error in the video-memory.
Can it be that me graphics card is screwed? I hope not, it is only 4 months old...

Anybody here can give me some advice of what to check or even better provide a solution?

Thanks in advance,

TRS

[t0rek]

Did you googled for information about the beeps code of your mobo BIOS? Because there a lot of different BIOS with different beep codes.
Also, have you tried to test the videocard in another PC?
If nothing of this works, your card is just 4 months old, it should be still under warranty, so don't worry, unless you been overclocking it and fried it...

[WhiteX]

you should check the contacts between the parts, also make sure that no cable is blocking your cpu cooler and it would be nice if you remove end replace you pc memory sticks.

@ torek: dude, i guess they can add features to the beep codes, like voice, but i believe it to be an industry convention.

[t0rek]

@ torek: dude, i guess they can add features to the beep codes, like voice, but i believe it to be an industry convention.

Are you sure? Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they are different for every kind of BIOS, for example the Intel's beeps are different from AMIBIOS ones...

[WhiteX]

i guess the main ones (nomemory, no graph card) are the same.

[TRS]

i guess the main ones (nomemory, no graph card) are the same.

Indeed, that's what I found also. It seems that 8 beeps is used for graphics error in all BIOSes.

Btw I removed my card and replaced it. Now it seems to work (at least the last 24 hours) but it is still not stable. Sometimes at startup the startup-screen (the screen with the moving knight rider style progress bar) gets scrambled. When this happens, windows won't start and all I can do is hard-power down PC and try again. Furthermore it sometimes happens that some things in the screen get a little disstorted. This usually not causes a hang.

I tried updating my drivers so maybe now things will get better.

I also noticed that in BIOS my AGP transfer size is set to 64MB. Can somebody explain what this setting exactly is for? I ask because the card has 128MB VRAM.

thanks,

TRS

[WhiteX]

this is some sort of "shared memory" between your system and the AGP bus, leave it that way, enhancing it will not help you in any way.

EDIT: For the bios beeps, i work repairing comps since `98 and those beeps were ever the same.

[t0rek]

this is some sort of "shared memory" between your system and the AGP bus, leave it that way, enhancing it will not help you in any way.

EDIT: For the bios beeps, i work repairing comps since `98 and those beeps were ever the same.

Then I'll admit, I was wrong...

[TRS]

After some more problems, I complete removed the card from my system (including drivers etc.) and reinstalled everything, only this time I disabled my virusscan. I can't remember it ever caused trouble updating drivers with virusscan enabled, but the nvidia-website mentioned something about the drivers not being able to initialise correctly with virusscan enabled.

Untill now it seems to do the trick and everything looks stable. I'm still a bit puzzled though. How can an incorrect initialisation of drivers cause a bios-error? I mean, the error occurs before the drivers are even loaded.... :(

[t0rek]

Is not a software, driver or OS problem then. I Irecommendo you again to test your card on another PC, and if possible to test another card in your PC, to see what happens...

[DANO555666]

Dude, im a bit of a newb, so i need help with this. Ive fully installed Djipi's OOT textures, and they work fine, but how do I get the Vertex Textures working? In my graphics options, its like, dull which means i cant use it. Ive installed tons of Nvidia software and downloaded sum others, but i dont know if i need to copy files into the actual P64 folder.

[zAlbee]

TRS: If 2 cards both experience problems, it might be the motherboard. Check your voltages to see if they're steady, including AGP voltage. Run some torture tests as well (prime95, 3dmark) and see if you get video artifacts.

Or... maybe the card just wasn't plugged in snugly... *shrug* :whistling


DANO555666: what the eff.

[TerraPhantm]

I would also check your PSU, it might not be giving the card enough juice.

[t0rek]

I would also check your PSU, it might not be giving the card enough juice.

That's a great idea

[TRS]

Like I said in my previous post, reinstalling the drivers with virusscan disabled did the trick. It has been 5 days now and everything still seems normal again. No more artifacts, no more lock ups, no more BIOS errors.

So it seems my worrying days are over!:bouncy:

Thanks for all replies

TRS

[TerraPhantm]

That BIOS error might've been a fluke, I'd disregard it unless it happens again. If it does, I'm guessings it's your PSU or mobo.