AboutBobbert Expertise I can answer technical questions about installation, use, and maintinence of most 3D Graphics hardware, and software. I can offer assistance with overclocking (while I do not suggest overclocking while under warranty) and I can give assistance with more complicated problems to the full extent of my abilities.
Experience I have been into computer hardware, especially 3D graphics and the hardware that drives them, for a number of years. I have knowledge in installation, use, troubleshooting, purchase suggestions and over clocking.
Expert: Bobbert Date: 6/2/2008 Subject: No Signal Input during CounterStrike Source
Question Hi!
I didn't though I'd be asking that but I'm really desperate and clanmates really needs me... By the way that's not the problem
The problem I am talking about takes places since February. When I play my Counterstrike Source game, at random times, my computer freezes and the monitor goes in No signal input, the last sound played by the computer is running in loop. To get my computer back, the only thing remaining is holding the power button to close the computer, then repressing it to open it again. The first time it happened, I first though it was an overheating issue, which wasn't the case when I saw that all my temperatures were in the safe range
I asked multiple questions to different people. Some told me to check for my RAM. I did the Memtest thing, all my rams were fine (I also tested with 2 different ramsets). I don't think the problem comes from the CPU since the computer just freeze, and if it was the CPU, the computer would close by itself (happened to me 2 years ago in the summer when my computer overheated). I also though that my hard disk drive could be the problem. Checked with programs, no problem related to the hard disks.
Oh and I forgot to mention that my problem occur at random times... This week my computer was fine from monday through saturday, until it froze this afternoon (sunday). It froze again in the evening. So the problem can occur after a 5-hours run of playing the game, or only after 5 minutes of playing it. One time it also happened that it froze in the game, when I came back he froze again. And after rebooting it, it was fine.
Now, I'm down with 3 last possible problems:
1- Motherboard is losing PCI-e signal
2- Bad powersupply failing under load (even if it crashed when there wasn't a heavy load)
3- Video card has a problem and needs RMA
My bios is up to date (freeze with either bios by the way). My drivers are up to date (freeze with either versions I am giving it). My system is freshly formated (freeze either the system has been formatted recently or not). The system is free of virus/spywares (multiple virus scan made with no viruses/spywares found).
Here are my specs:
Asus P5N-E SLI motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 @ 3,0ghz
Corsair TWIN2X2048 C4 DHX 2GB
Antec TruePower Trio 550W (up to 85% efficiency according to their website)
Gigabyte GeForce 8800GT 512MB (company OCed)
Antec Nine Hundred is the case with all components
I hope you'll be able to solve my problem because I am very tired of that annoying problem.
Thank you.
Mike
Answer You've got it down to the three problems I'm seeing, I'd lean towards power supply, because most random or otherwise inexplicable problems are related to the PSU (unless you've got more issues with stability across the entire spectrum, in which case I'm wanting to say mainboard). If you have another PCIe card you can test with (counterstrike source isn't that demanding, most PCIe cards can run it, maybe not at full settings, but it should still run to test) you could rule out the video card, and get a better image of the power supply being the problem or not (if its a really low power GPU, like a GeForce 6600 or 8400, something that only draws power from the PCIe slot, and the system keeps folding up, it A) shows your 8800 to not be the problem and B) points more at the motherboard than the PSU)).
Based on the PSU being rated at only 550W, and being a middle-line product from Antec, I'd probably be leaning on that (I'm not saying Antec is a bad brand, I'm saying TruePower is their middle of the road product, so failures aren't 100% unheard of, but its better than average, although you've gotta consider you've got quite a load on this PSU).
