Game/computer randomly reboots, Help please

[ONE_HELLCAT]

I don't know if it's my computer or the game, but occasionally, when playing IL-2 1946, my computer will crash and reboot. When it happens, it's always when I'm on someones tail, and right when I pull the trigger.

My computer is a Sony Vaio PCV-RZ32G with a gig of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 graphics card, if that has anything to do with it.

I also use a Saitek X52 joystick, which used to give me the blue screen of death until I fixed the drivers.

Anyone have any clue as to what's happening to my computer?

 

[Marcel]

Could be your powersupply

 

[ONE_HELLCAT]

Could be your powersupply

I'd laugh if it were, since I've been trying to convince my dad to get a new one.

 

[Gnomey]

The other problem could be overheating. You computer will shutdown in the temperatures get too hot.

 

[ONE_HELLCAT]

The other problem could be overheating. You computer will shutdown in the temperatures get too hot.

That, too, is possible, and that's something else that's happened to me before. But it's just a bit too much of a coincidence that it always happens when I'm about to shoot at another plane.

 

[kool kitty89]

Well if your computer's using a lot of processing power to run the game, it might occur arount those times, if it happens to often to be coinsidence.

Check to make sure the fan is working properly and there's sufficient airflow.

I'm no expert on this though.

 

[moomoo2]

Reboots are usually due to overheating or memory failing. If you feel you can do it, remove power lead, open your case and check the insides. There may be a bit of fluff built up which restricts airflow or other guff over the CPU fan or Graphics card fan. Try running the computer with this open and see if any fans are not running, it won't do any harm unless you are poking around when its on. Otherwise you may need either memory or Graphics updated which may not be that expensive from Ebay. Even moving up to a 6 series Nvidia GPU would be a real boost, memory check with a supplier like Crucial, the only problem is that older memory could be expensive, find out what you need then try Ebay.

Bit long winded but i hope it helps.

 

[lesofprimus]

I had the same problems with my old computer... I never got it resolved and resorted to upgrading the whole thing rather than try and fix whatever was going on... I even tried reinstalling Windows in an effort to get it right.... It seems to be of general opinion that my graphics card was just too much for the machine I had it plugged into....

No one really knows....

 

[SoD Stitch]

My guess is the graphics card; when you "squeeze the trigger", you're asking your GPU to suddenly increase it's output, and sometimes that causes a data collison leading to a shutdown. Especially since your graphics card is an "older" card, I would try downloading the latest driver from nVidia (the drivers are fairly generic; there are only two or three drivers for nVidia GPU's, and they're upgrading them all the time). Lemme know how you do . . . . .

 

[lesofprimus]

I installed so many different drivers when I had my problem, I lost count.... From what it sounds like, u have either a graphics card collision like Stich said, or ur power supply aint puttin out the right amount of juice...

 

[Milos Sijacki]

I will say the same thing that Lesofprimus said, but I will just write this-- i agree with him here.

 

[Bearcat]

I'd go with the power supply as well... first anyway. Look at the label and see what it's specs are. If it is under 350W or more than 5 years old there is a good chance that that's your problem. Do you have anything else hooked up like TIR or a headset or other peripherals? I believe that PC is a PIV correct? Perhaps a bad stick of RAM could also be your problem as well.... I am thinking that you have DDR2700 .... ? Is the RAM matched? Do you have 2 512 sticks? How old are they? Your video card could be the problem too. That 5200 is not all that good a card... it was less than stellar when it was new.. One way you can kind of eliminate your graphics card is to tone down the settings a bit.. see if that improves anything.

If that is the PIV that I think it is though IMO you'd be better off getting a newer PC.. Even one of the lower end rigs of today would perform better than a PIV.

 

[Gnomey]

By the look of things it is a laptop which isn't really suited to gaming in the first place (too low power etc). So this is probably the cause of all the problems.

 

[ONE_HELLCAT]

It's a desktop, and I know I'm in need of a new one soon. My dad keeps saying we'll get a new one when I go to college. My computer though is just being overall finicky with some games, like Mech Warrior IV. IL-2 seems to be running fine in more recent times, but it still does the same thing. At this point in time, I think a new PC would end up being the best option.

 

[Gnomey]

Probably at the end of the day, plus nowadays a good one isn't too expensive (~$1000-2000 - laptops a bit more). Still is a strange probably and one that is probably GFX card related/power supply (GFX card doesn't get enough power to run the graphics needed but with a 5200 this should not be a problem). Did you try a reinstall of IL2?

 

[kool kitty89]

You'd be surprised by some of the prices, I got my new laptop on sale at Staples for under $800:
Staples®- Office Supplies, Electronics, Furniture, Ink, Toner, Copy Paper

It's not listed on that site, but mine's a HP dv9720us, similar to the dv9910 series which is listed.
And here:
HP Pavilion dv9720us Notebook PC*-* Product Specifications*


It certianly lacks the main limitation of my older computer, limited RAM and graphics memory, often using virtual memory (hard disc space as RAM) while running Il-2. (which was not very fun to play with) I think it only had 512 MB of RAM, and I think 128 MB for the graphics card.

I'm not entirely happy with vista, particularly how it tends to resourse hog and explored is a bit glitchey (I'm thinkg about adding firefox). Besides that the ony problems with gaming is that it has a wide-screed moniter and most of my older games dont offer a 16x9 AR resoloution, so things end up stretched. (though some offer running in a window, albit in a lower res in many cases)