3D Mark 2000 question

[Tony Glass]

I downloaded this and decided to run the demo. It seemed to work fine untill the part when it shows Stonehenge. Then the video just freezes, the Sound track seems to keep going fine but video doesn't move. It also freezes on the third test when I run the default Benchmark. Is it my video card?

System:
Amd K6-2 450 with 3D Now
Gigabyte Ga5ax mobo
Voodoo 3 3000 Agp
128 meg Ram
SoundBlaster Live X-Gamer
Direct X 7
Windows 98

Any help?
Thanks

[Xayd]

Could be vid card, could be processor heat. 3dmark is a pretty hefty workout, so if any of the above are overclocked, a slight hint of instability will crash you. It could also be a resolution your monitor and vid card don't like for whatever reason. I had a similar problem back with my old Geforce 256, for some reason it just didn't like 1024 x 768, and would hang in 3dmark.

Xayd

[Tony Glass]

xayd,
I have a fan/heatsink on the processor and added some thermal paste. Now the voodoo 3 only has the heatsink and I couldn't get it off to apply the paste. Other than that there is only one fan at the fornt of the case. Should I get another? And if so where to place it.
Also are you talking about the Monitor resoultion I'm running in or what resolution says when it's doing the test.
It sems to hang on the higher reso with high detail.
Can I find out somewhere the temp of my cpu/video card?
thanks
tony

[Xayd]

The res that the demo is running. 3dmark runs full screen, so it doesn't matter what resolution you have set in Windows.

The high res/high detail test is a pretty hefty stress on the CPU and vid card, could be causing the Voodoo card to overheat.

If games don't lock up on you, I wouldn't worry about it. 3dmark is just a benchmark, after all, it's not that important . Yes, Voodoo cards run very hot and can lock up if you push them too far, but there's no reason to modify the card just for a benchmark.

Try the demo again at 800 x 600, and see if it hangs.

Xayd

[Tony Glass]

Thanks, I think It is the video card getting too hot. I get lockups in graphics intense games like Madded 2001, Links 2001, and some other newer games. Can I add another fan or 2 and if so where is the best place to put them in the case.

tony

[Xayd]

Depends. Many cases already have a spot for an intake fan in the front, below the power and reset switches. If that's the case, add one there. There also might be a spot in the back, above the card slots.

If it's just the vid card, which is likely the case if your CPU isn't overclocked, then you could just add a fan to the Voodoo card. I'd take the heatsink off (by compressing the pins through the circuit board, and then pulling it off. If it's attached to the chip with sticky tape, you may have to scrape at it a bit with a razor or a steak knife or what not, just be careful not to scratch the chip), and replace the sticky tape or tin foil, whichever is there, with heatsink compound.

After that run your tests again and see if it cools down enough to finish 3dmark. If it does, problem solved. If it doesn't, I'd consider adding a fan to the heatsink on the vid card. There are places that sell fans specifically for Voodoo3's, but you could just as easily head down to the local computer shop and grab a fan out of an old machine or power supply, and drill holes in the Voodoo heatsink to mount it with.

If you like hacking up hardware, go ahead. If not, a case fan will help. If you're just adding one, make it an intake fan. The problem is your Voodoo is putting off heat, and your processor is putting off heat, and with no cool air coming in, the ambient temp in the case tends to rise, so temps of the devices also tend to rise. Getting cool air in will help by at least a few degrees, which can be the difference between crash and stable.

Xayd

[Tony Glass]

Thanks Xayd,
I got a new fan for the front of the case and I got t fan for the vid card. I doesn't connect to the card but is attached below it To one of the case openings and blows directly up at the haetsink. I also got some thermal paste from Radio Shack (hope it's good). Couldn't find Arctic Silver. I'll try these and keep you posted.
Tony