nonstop30151° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" WMember
edited December 2006
I am now running the CPU at 2,3 GHz and all my routine applications are operating well. There is however one setback with respect to the 3D graphics performance.
Every time I need to launch a 3D program like Google Earth, the computer will suffer a crash that is related to the video driver of the graphics card. I don't know if there's a way to prevent this other than reverting to the non-overclocked status. Even with a smaller overclock below 2 GHz I will receive the same error with Google Earth despite no errors with Prime95 or the Folding at Home console after extended periods of usage beyond 24 hours.
Will it be necessary to overclock the AGP card as well or do I have to change some of the settings in the video card's DirectX or OpenGL options ?
When I was attempting to overclock the CPU, the AGP and PCI frequencies were locked but the motherboard allows me to raise the AGP frequency although I have kept it at the default 66 MHz all the time.
The card I have on this computer is the ATi 9550 and I'm using the latest available driver for it along with the Catalyst console.
Thanks again for your help and any comments you wish to provide are greatly appreciated.
nonstop30151° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" WMember
edited December 2006
Yes that's the only 3D application I use occasionally Fortunately all the other programs I use more frequently run reliably without any errors at the higher CPU clock.
The message I receive when the graphics driver fails is : VPU Recover has reset your graphics accelerator as it was no longer responding to graphics driver commands.
At least the VPU recover feature prevents Windows from crashing completely and thus a restart is avoided.
I have read a few more detailed articles relating to the problems that might occur with this graphics card and I don't think it's an error related to the CPU overclock.
It was daunting enough to overclock the Sempron and now I have to see what can be done about the 3D graphics acceleration I hope it isn't the sound acceleration that I will have to deal with next
What graphics choices do you have in google earth configuration? If opengl is selected you might want to try switching from that. I remember having similar issues with my 9800gt agp card. It never ran smooth with google earth.
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nonstop30151° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" WMember
edited December 2006
Hi again csimon,
I changed the Google Earth launch mode to DirectX although I'm not sure what it was using previously. It is set to DirectX from now on.
I also had a look at the Catalyst settings for the 3D performance of the graphics. I adjusted the DirectX setting to Optimal Performance from it's original High Quality setting and also reduced the SMARTGART AGP speed from 8X to 4X. I'm not sure if I have to set the AGP GART speed to 4X in the BIOS as well in order to register the change properly.
It seems there is some improvement now but with Google Earth one can never be totally convinced that it will be error free when you have recently experienced so many failures.
Is it good practice to attempt to overclock an AGP graphics card as well if you have already overclocked the CPU ?
If you configured GE to DirectX then it must have been OpenGl configured before I believe.
I don't recommend lowering the agp speed in the bios at all. You may want to set it back to 8x in smartgart too.
Once you do that then check out the performance of Google Earth.
I have more confidence in overclocking the cpu than the gpu.
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nonstop30151° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" WMember
edited December 2006
I did what you suggested csimon and I returned the SMARTGART AGP speed back to 8X but left the DirectX setting to Optimal Performance. I didn't make any changes to the default AGP settings in the BIOS either.
It's looking good at the moment and hopefully nothing else will be necessary.
Well done on the purchase of the monitor you were after by the way If I was going to get myself an LCD monitor I'd most likely get one from Samsung as well.
I did what you suggested csimon and I returned the SMARTGART AGP speed back to 8X but left the DirectX setting to Optimal Performance. I didn't make any changes to the default AGP settings in the BIOS either.
It's looking good at the moment and hopefully nothing else will be necessary.
Well done on the purchase of the monitor you were after by the way If I was going to get myself an LCD monitor I'd most likely get one from Samsung as well.
How is Google Earth performing now?
I went to a local vendor that had the 4:3 lcd on display but not the 16:10 I ordered. The 4:3 does have a very high quality appeal to it and I was tempted however I've become familiar with the widescreens at work and that is what I chose as preferance. My wife prefers the 4:3 however but I'm the one spending so much time working behind the screen so the choice is mine!
I am anxious to get it plugged in and get the feel for it. Hopefully I won't feel like I'm at work!:bigggrin:
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nonstop30151° 27' 24.87" N // 0° 11' 38.91" WMember
edited December 2006
Hi again csimon,
Well I think using a computer at home never feels like being at work I hope the new monitor arrives soon because it looks like your wife is just as eager as you are to see what it will be like to have it at home.
Google Earth hasn't caused any annoyances thus far, so I'm not going to make any other changes and if any errors emerge again, I'll just install it on the other computer. I don't use the program so much in the first place and I only noticed the problem by chance but I was surprised because it worked well before I overclocked and I could only assume that overclocking would make it run better like it did with all the other programs
Folding at Home is running nice and steady as well although it's just 3 WUs it has completed up to now I had some doubts whether it would even complete the first one it started off with but the console version is doing a nice job so far. There will be an opportunity for me to add a few more machines to fold with Team 93 in the new year and I'm just making the necessary arrangements. I'll let you know what sort of machines they will be in case the console settings need any adjustments for the folding program to run smoothly with them.
Comments
Every time I need to launch a 3D program like Google Earth, the computer will suffer a crash that is related to the video driver of the graphics card. I don't know if there's a way to prevent this other than reverting to the non-overclocked status. Even with a smaller overclock below 2 GHz I will receive the same error with Google Earth despite no errors with Prime95 or the Folding at Home console after extended periods of usage beyond 24 hours.
Will it be necessary to overclock the AGP card as well or do I have to change some of the settings in the video card's DirectX or OpenGL options ?
When I was attempting to overclock the CPU, the AGP and PCI frequencies were locked but the motherboard allows me to raise the AGP frequency although I have kept it at the default 66 MHz all the time.
The card I have on this computer is the ATi 9550 and I'm using the latest available driver for it along with the Catalyst console.
Thanks again for your help and any comments you wish to provide are greatly appreciated.
The message I receive when the graphics driver fails is : VPU Recover has reset your graphics accelerator as it was no longer responding to graphics driver commands.
At least the VPU recover feature prevents Windows from crashing completely and thus a restart is avoided.
I have read a few more detailed articles relating to the problems that might occur with this graphics card and I don't think it's an error related to the CPU overclock.
It was daunting enough to overclock the Sempron and now I have to see what can be done about the 3D graphics acceleration
I changed the Google Earth launch mode to DirectX although I'm not sure what it was using previously. It is set to DirectX from now on.
I also had a look at the Catalyst settings for the 3D performance of the graphics. I adjusted the DirectX setting to Optimal Performance from it's original High Quality setting and also reduced the SMARTGART AGP speed from 8X to 4X. I'm not sure if I have to set the AGP GART speed to 4X in the BIOS as well in order to register the change properly.
It seems there is some improvement now but with Google Earth one can never be totally convinced that it will be error free when you have recently experienced so many failures.
Is it good practice to attempt to overclock an AGP graphics card as well if you have already overclocked the CPU ?
I don't recommend lowering the agp speed in the bios at all. You may want to set it back to 8x in smartgart too.
Once you do that then check out the performance of Google Earth.
I have more confidence in overclocking the cpu than the gpu.
It's looking good at the moment and hopefully nothing else will be necessary.
Well done on the purchase of the monitor you were after by the way
I went to a local vendor that had the 4:3 lcd on display but not the 16:10 I ordered. The 4:3 does have a very high quality appeal to it and I was tempted however I've become familiar with the widescreens at work and that is what I chose as preferance. My wife prefers the 4:3 however but I'm the one spending so much time working behind the screen so the choice is mine!
I am anxious to get it plugged in and get the feel for it. Hopefully I won't feel like I'm at work!:bigggrin:
Well I think using a computer at home never feels like being at work
Google Earth hasn't caused any annoyances thus far, so I'm not going to make any other changes and if any errors emerge again, I'll just install it on the other computer. I don't use the program so much in the first place and I only noticed the problem by chance but I was surprised because it worked well before I overclocked and I could only assume that overclocking would make it run better like it did with all the other programs
Folding at Home is running nice and steady as well although it's just 3 WUs it has completed up to now