Fallout 3 .. Game freezes and artifacts.

[Source]

Hello,

I just installed a clean copy of Fallout 3 and played the game for less than 10minutes.

Then just out of nowhere (while walking, so no big gun fights or something.. not much spectacular on screen).. the game hangs same for system.

My specs are:

Silverstone DA650Watt, 54A on 12V1
Intel E8400 @ 3.6GHz @ <45°c @ Swiftech Apogee GT
HD4870 Core @ 850MHz <30°c @ Swiftech MCW60 / Now on stock
HD4870 Mem @ Stock <70°c @ Iandh HD4870 Heatsink
Corsair Twin2x2048, 2x, 4GB PC6400 @ Thermalright HR-07DUO

Windows Vista 64bit
Catalyst 8.10 and 8.11 both same result (currently downgraded to 08.10)

-----

It's only with this game but besides this one i own no 'new' games that are 'demanding' as this one.

Could it also be the game? If so i might return it and say it's damaged.

See screen below for better explanation of problem.
Below the frozen arteficts screen is a Screen shot of the temperatures right after i rebooted.
The temperatures are by the way the last one i suspect.



Game is installed on Samsung HD322HJ Harddisk btw.

[HuffPCair]

Have you overclocked your graphics card that is most likely the reason or it is a driver problem but Ill go towards the overclock if it is try setting them to stock and then i bet it works.

[Source]

I had them already on stock, forgot to mention, my fault.

When i switched from 08.11 to 08.10 it was automatic resetted to Stock settings.

[HuffPCair]

ok well do other games play fine. I would see if other games are playing ok and then you know it isnt the card most likely.

[SoulsCollective]

Is one of your 4870s made by Sapphire?

[MomijiTMO]

Ok I get crashes all the time now. The game hangs and I alt tab out of there to encounter the windows error. I have never had anything like your screenie.

It's never the game, almost always hardware. In this case I agree with the above in pointing to your gpu.

[Entity_Razer]

sound like overheating issue's to me.

I have the same problem when running like Need For Speed Undercover on my big rig. Other games play just fine but that one just seems to push it that little nudge forther into artifacting.

Does it have stock or costum cooling? Costum cooling will do a lot. if you don't want to costum cool (like me with this card, can't afford new one when I fudge up) then try aiming a 80mm fan over it to see if that works.

Also, good practive perhaps, take it out of the PC and by using air or a paintbrush with soft hairs clean most of the direct off the fanblades, the chips and all that.

I can't give you a explenation for it but that seems to help me sometimes when its really hot and my card acts up.

Dust prolly insulates the card so heat gets trapped inside or something I guess

[Source]

Is one of your 4870s made by Sapphire?

It's a Sapphire yes.

I don't get any artifacts in Need For Speed Undercover, with everything on highest.

It can't be the temperatures, by me.
GPU is cooled by an Swiftech MCW60 waterblock, the memory/VRM with the Iandh HD4870 Heatsink and there are two 120mm fans blowing from below on the card.

I also played once in Windowed mode, and had Everest put all the pictogram's in the taskbar, the Memory didn't get above the 75°c where it was above the 110°c when i used the STOCK cooling.



I go try run the game on medium settings with AA/AF off.

[HuffPCair]

It must be the game then. Otherwise I am out of ideas.

[SoulsCollective]

It's a Sapphire yes.

I'd say that's your problem right there then. This can be a common problem with Sapphire cards, does this occur whenever you try to use a terminal? Are you also getting problems in Stubbs the Zombie?

Try flashing your card's BIOS to the latest available on the Sapphire website, this should fix the problem.

[Source]

I'll will try that.

Btw, little nooby question but how do i boot in 'Pure DOS Mode' (Vista-U as OS).
And i don't have a floppy drive (laying around).

Can i make a boot-'disk' with a Memory stick, to come into DOS?

[SoulsCollective]

Can i make a boot-'disk' with a Memory stick, to come into DOS?

Yes, you can - the famous HP utility. You need the system files also linked to on that page.

[Source]

Okay, another problem has risen.

The PN of my card doesn't match up (with the one from the box).
Thereby i can't flash him, unless i force flash it but i would rather get some info on this one;

Wanted to flash the bios, and filled in Atiflash -p 0 1E8501SA.002


No can do.. P/A numbers don't match :S

Checked the info with Atiflash -ai


It really is other then i thought it was.

Grabbed the box of the shelf



...

...

[Source]

Little update:

Yesterday, i run the game for 2 hours without a problem with everything on default ~ low
..
Today, i put everything on default ~ medium => Game freezes after 2 minutes of playing.
..
I looked what the difference between Low & Medium where and saw that the difference was Screen Effects:
None for Low
HDR for Medium
..
After that, i put everything on medium and disabled Screen Effects.
I played the game fine for more than 1½ hour.

Will try again in the evening with everything on high, with Screen Effects disabled.

[D-Cyph3r]

The game is broken to say the least. I also cant play for more than 15-20 minutes before it hangs and I need to hard reset the machine. Tried lowering the settings, putting CPU back to stock (dont have my GX2 overclocked) and tweaking the ini files but nothing helps. No other game I own has issues (SupCom, Stalker, UT3, Oblivion ((same engine, go figure)), Mass Effect, CMR DiRT etc)....

I've given up trying to play now, i'm even enjoying another romp through Fallout 2.


I'll try again in a couple of years time when the modding community actually finish the game and improve it.... just as they did with Oblivion.

[Source]

Try the same i did.
I just played another two hours with everything on 'Ultra High'.
Only the Screen Effects disabled.

It crashes when i'll set those Screen effects on HDR.
When they are off, i can play without problems.

You should give it a try
(disable Screen Effects in Launcher Menu)

[SoberWarlock]

I have EXACT same problem with Zombie Panic! Source and Call of Duty 4 only. I had this problem for the longest time and still can't get it to work. I did those very little things like changing screensaver time to replacing and deleting files and nothing worked.

My Specs:
Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit
E4300 @ 1.8ghz (stock)
PNY 9600gt @ 512mb (stock)
2gb DDR2 Corsair Ram @ 675hz

It has got to be driver related.

[Source]

It works fine now for me.
Like posted above;

Disabled 'Screen Effects' and no problems.
Perhaps you can set that up in those games two?

I don't know for sure if it is because of the Screen Effects btw.
I did enabled it again and it freezed within 5 minutes like in the OP.

Also don't know if this a fault in the game or driver related, since i only got it in Fallout3, but on the other hand, that is one of the only High-end games i play.

[noinimod]

It works fine now for me.
Like posted above;

Disabled 'Screen Effects' and no problems.
Perhaps you can set that up in those games two?

I don't know for sure if it is because of the Screen Effects btw.
I did enabled it again and it freezed within 5 minutes like in the OP.

Also don't know if this a fault in the game or driver related, since i only got it in Fallout3, but on the other hand, that is one of the only High-end games i play.

Hmm i get the same problems as you (crashing, freezing), as do many other people, and i doubt it's a user-side fault. The official fallout3 thread in bethesda forums are flooded with users facing the random crashing too.. hopefully they are gonna come out with a patch soon to address this.

[Nanometer]

the game has been relatively buggy for me. If it's fine in other games, and it's exclusively a problem on F3, then I say it's a patch issue.

[shanems3]

this game is soo buggy, its always crashing on me.. if i put graphics down to low, it takes a bit longer to crash, but it does still crash.. i wish there was a fix for this crap..

[Source]

You also disabled Screen Effects?
Did fix the craches for me, and since you also have a 48x0 card...

[dan7777]

i play it maxed out no problems here 1680x1050 been playing it for 90mins all good gpu temps 64c

[shanems3]

still crashes, i lowered all the settings to low.. works for a bit longer, but still crashes, a guy i talked to on another forum, suggested to update .Net 3.0, Beth. used the demo version in the game, so updating to the microsoft full release fixed his crashes, ill see tommorow when i can play again..

[shanems3]

played for 20 min, no crashes at ultra high with hdr..