graphics problem-pls help...

[ssconvert]

I have just installed SH3, upgraded to 1.4, GWX 1.03 and cfg files, SH3 cmdr 2.7.
Only mods are a couple of Venatores, some that came with GWX and a couple that include xtra tracks for the gramophone.

i start a new career and leave port and everything is fine. About 5/mins into the game when I am well away from port and speeding up tc to max, the graphics suddenly seem to crap themselves. All the buttons become like black sqaures and then the screen just becomes a mix of colors, mainly grey and dark ones.

I have just upgraded to:
Mainboard : Asus P5N32-E SLI
Chipset : nVidia nForce 680i SLI SPP
Processor : Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 @ 2400 MHz
Physical Memory : 2048 MB (2 x 1024 DDR2-SDRAM )
Video Card : Nvidia Corp NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS
Hard Disk : ST380817AS (80 GB)
DVD-Rom Drive : BENQ DVD DD DW1650
Monitor Type : Samsung SyncMaster - 19 inches
Operating System : Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition 5.01.2600 Service Pack 2
DirectX : Version 9.0c

I have searched forums and cant find anything to help me. If anyone can, I would greatly appreciate.

The thing which s**ts me most is that I spent $2k on upgrades to play games like sh3 and oblivion on higher settings that wont crash but I seem to have more problems now than when i did on an obsolete p4, agp, 7 series setup.
Really pissing me off.

[ichso]

If you have general problems I wouldn't concern a fault with SH3 or some mods here at first.

Because you just upgraded your hardware I assume you did a complete reinstall of Windows on a formatted HDD.
Perhaps there are some remaining driver issues ? Reinstall DirectX.

You could also try not using the very newest graphic drivers as one version older ones do run more stable sometimes. The same for the mainboard drivers.

One thing I experienced when switching to a TFT screen was a noticable lag in performance in some games when relying to the standard windows drivers for it. Installing the special ones for the screen did it there.
I also heard about using the DVI connector instead of the VGA can result in similiar problems from time to time.

No special advices there, sry. Never had this but it sounds like something hardware/driver related to me.

Hope you fix this soon, i.

[Mooncatt]

do u have your gfx overclocked?? i overclocked mine once and that sounds like a similar thing that happens when you overclock too far.

[ssconvert]

I have not overclocked and installed windows on a clean hdd. Cod 2 and other games are working ok. I dont thk the problem is with the game or the GWX but more with the setup of the new upgrade.
I was hoping to see if anyone else has the same problems and what they did to fix it.

[TarJak]

Check the temp of your GPU. The Nvidia drivers come with temp guage you can check with. Sounds like your card may be running too hot and you might need some high performance cooling in your rig.

[Fenris_Wolf]

Try the older 97.92 drivers (what I'm currently using). In the driver settings, make sure the "force" options, like forced anti-aliasing and different forms of texture filtering that the game does not support are not enabled. You can also tweak some other miscellaneous settings to find the optimal one. My guess is that it's a driver compatibility issue (the new ones are buggy).

The geforce 8x series works at much higher temperatures by design. When out of port, alt-tab and open the nvidia control panel to check the card's temperature. Anything over 75 degrees celcius is a bit too hot and needs better cooling. Although officially the "good" temp limit under load is 80 degrees celcius but I prefer to keep it as much cool as possible. It could also be an issue with your computer's power supply unit. Make sure that the power supply provides enough wattage and amps per rail for your video card.

[ssconvert]

i have a 650 watt Antec power supply that i bought with the upgrade. I am using the latest forceware beta drivers so I thk I'll change back to the earlier one. I only used the latest as it included fixes for some games. Unfortunately not any ones I play.
I'll go ahead and try to monitor the gfx card temp during play. I do have 3 extra fans in the case, big one at the front and two smaller at the back, but im thking it may be too congested in there.
Much appreciated for your help and comments.