Parity Check Error Blue Screens

This is driving me nuts. For some reason, every time I play any sort of game, regardless of how old it is (the problem ranges from something simple like System Shock 2 to something modern like S.T.A.L.K.E.R), every so often the computer crashes to a blue screen saying there's a parity check error. And I have no choice but to hard reboot the computer. What could be causing this problem, where can I find it exactly, and how can I fix it?

I have a sneaking suspicion it might be the OC, but it's weird because I chose the one that's stated in this very forum as being the "safe" setting...

 

Run memtest86, see if your RAM is faulty or the OC is bad.
Let it go at least to 500% (fill and empty the RAM 5 times)

 

memtest86 says the memory is fine. Nothing wrong with it there.

I think I'm going to bring down the OC a bit to see if that clears it. If not, then I might have to go back to the default factory settings.

 

Partity check is pretty much done on anywhere on computers from ram to HDD to ethernet and even CPU bus.But this error IMHO should be from either the HDD or the RAM, check your HDD too...
Try Prime95 [I think i got the name right] one of the most impressive stress tests availible...

 

could be linked to the stray voltages than can run with the dell e1705/9400's; as theorized in this post: http://www.notebookforums.com/thread188600.html

 

Hi!

Have you had a look at this post?

Seems to be a common problem. I had a parity check BSOD once but couldn't find any hardware issues.

I'd also suggest to check your ram. As far as I remember, some people fixed the problem with a new graphics driver, but this concerned only the X1400-owners.
Have you tried to set your GF7900 back to stock clocks?

 

Hmmm...that could really be a problem...And I'm measuring different voltages at different screws on the bottom...

It seems that the problem seems to remedied by getting a 3-pronged adapter, replacing the 2-pronged one. I'll have to try and get a hold of Dell so they can hopefully send me one ASAP.

 

Another thing I'm noticing. Someone on one of those threads also mentioned that another reason for the crashes is due to the GPU overheating. And this makes sense, because the crashes only happen when I'm gaming, not when I just surf the web or listen to music. I do notice that after the crash and rebooted, the temperature reads the GPU at about 72 or 73 degrees. Which seems to point that it hit 75 degrees during gaming.

So, that might also be a problem, in this case...

 

75C degrees is pretty still pretty cool, so I doubt it could be the heat.

 

Yes, this is about the temperature mine has got most time. During gaming, it's mostly even cooler because of the fans running all time.

But I'd try to set the clock down though. "Safe" in OCing is not the same "safe" as I use in my parlance, I guess...

 

Well, I've brought it down to 400/1100, the second lowest setting available. When I also brought it down to my basement and had our fan blowing air underneath it, I was able to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R without crashing once, this time. Which means it may be the overheating problems causing this more than the stray voltages, because I rarely get these problems with other games I play. Probably a good idea to get the Spire Pacific Breeze for this...

 

Parity check errors are almost always RAM errors. I'd keep it clocked normal, and if you're ambitious, check your heatsink to make sure it's not loose or anything. You're running something very near, if not out of, spec and it's horking up when STALKER hits the right combination of... something. Who knows what it is exactly.

 

It's weird, though, because memtest86 and prime5 don't find anything wrong...

Another thing I noticed is that when it crashes during a game, a number of different colored blocks can be seen on the screen. And when I reboot the system, the GPU temperature reads close to 75 degrees celcius. That's when I'm not in the basement with the fan running air underneath it, at which point I played S.T.A.L.K.E.R for hours and, upon exiting it, the GPU only read about 63 degrees.

So, I'm more inclined to think it's the GPU, rather than the memory. Although, that doesn't change the fact that the memory needs to be changed to 2GB. Which I hope I can do soon...

 

I'd also think it's the graphics card. Try to run it with normal clocks abd if that doesn't help, contact Dell if you are still in your warranty.

 

Yeah. Keep the GPU on normal clocks, because it sounds like your machine might not have enough cooling to keep up with the overclocked heat generation. It has RAM on it as well, remember, and that can get parity errors the same way that the system memory can.

 

Well, I found some consistency with the problem. Apparently, when I play S.T.A.L.K.E.R in my basement, with the fans running on high, and my big fan sitting next to it blowing air across on the low setting, the game will run without crashing once. Any other time I try to play the game in a different area, the game crashes after a short while.

So, it is overheating that's causing the problem. Of course, you think the GPU wouldn't do this when it's around 75 to 80 degrees Celsius.

Looks like a Spire Pacific Breeze will be in order so that I can keep things cool. Perhaps with that, I can then bring the OC back to the way it was.