Please Help Pc Locks Up

[Tony Starks]

Hello I am having trouble with my pc. I have an AMD ATHLON 1200 with an NVIDIA GEFORCE 4200 TI 64MB. My computer has 640MB ram. Ok for like the last couple of months my computer keeps freezing on me. It only freezes on me when I am playing games. If am not playing any games my computer wont freeze, but if I start playing a game in like 30min my computer freezes up and I don’t mean the blue screen of death it just locks nothing works keyboard and mouse dead. At 1st it kept freezing but not as much as it does now, maybe once out of 3 days. Now it’s like every 30- 40 mins of playing. Ok I scanned for virus’s computer is clean, and my computer worked find before I had no problems. My systems resources are like 60% free. Also around the time of freezing I changed case from an HP case to a new case with 5 more fans than my old HP case. My old HP case had the same 640MB and same graphic card in it with 0 case fans just one for the cpu and it Never once froze on me never. Ok so when I am playing and it freezes it resets by itself after like a min or 2 or I may have to reset it. BUT most time while computer is booting back up I get a message saying “0251: system CMOS checksum bad- Default configuration used” does anyone know what that means and if some1 can PLEASE help me THANKS FOR READING.

[Force Flow]

I think the checksum error referrs to your CPU info not being entered correctly in the BIOS. Go into your BIOS and see if this is the case.

As for freezing, check your temps. It may be running hot after you put the machine though its paces with your game.

You also could try decreasing your graphics settings in the game.

[GaryRouth]

Sorry for the late post: is your system running OK now?

If you have a motherboard manual around, check the recommended Bios Setup for that board, and then get in there and redo the settings. You can usually download a manual from the manufacturer's website. [If you're in a hurry, you can use "Save Defaults & Exit" - and tune later].

Is the power supply in the new case also new, or did it come from your older case? You can experience system freezes like you describe from a power supply not providing clean, consistent power.

And just to make sure your cpu fan isn't failing (force flow mentions heat) run with the case open & see if you can duplicate the freeze: is the fan slowing at times so much it stops?

Of course, if all is OK now, no reply is needed!
. . . Gary

[mike breck]

The Checksum error can mean your motherboard battery is dead or failing. Try putting in a new battery.

[Tony Starks]

Ya my power supply is new 420volts it take a bit longer to freeze now it freezes sometimes after like 1hr of playing. The other day I was playing for 3hours stright didnot freeze once. My cpu fan is also new, ima change the battery this week. really dont know what else to do.

[GaryRouth]

Tony - I noticed you have over 512 mb memory = take a look at this thread, especially the replies by glc and reboot. I think it will help your situation: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=47646

. . . Gary

[Tony Starks]

Thanks but I dont get any error messages also it only freezes when im playing games, if im not playing it wont freeze. also it never locked up like this before.

[GaryRouth]

I'd try the vcache setting anyway - it might be that your resource usage changed just enough for it to affect you now, where before you were squeaking by. It's the kind of thing that doesn't necessarily lead to an error message: it can also cause a system hang.

You might also see if you can trim some background jobs.
. . . Gary