Video Hardware Error - software glitch or should I stop overclock?

I've been overclocking my ATi HD 2600 since late last year, but this is the first time (from what I can remember) that I have had a game pause for a few seconds whilst playing. When I exited Crysis (had been playing for almost 2 hours I think), Vista told me there was a 'Video Hardware Error' and my overclock to 600/450 had be reset back to 500/400.

Until a month or two ago I used to overclock to 600/500 (no problems), but I decided that there was minimal performance difference at 600/450 and you can't tell how hot the memory is running (unless so hot it's causing artifacing) so I lowered the overclock.

Today isn't nearly as hot as it has been. On one of the hotest days this year I ran my overclock at 600/450 to test it and the max temp was 54 degrees; that is the hotest I've ever seen it, but there were no problems. 51 degrees is my normal max.

So it is a bit strange that it would happen now, considering it's running cooler and at a lower overclock than previously. Occasionally when trying to apply an overclock with AMD GPU Clock Tool the same error will appear (saying a hardware error), but that's a software glitch, so I think this error may not be a hardware error as Vista said. Should I stop/lower my overclock?

Thanks.

 

how old is your laptop? from what i see, your system, especially your gpu (256 ddr2), can't meet the Crysis recommended or even minimal settings, so it eventually 'got tired'. i recommend using xp with your current system.

i'm using core2 2.5 ghz, 4 gb ram, 9500m gs 512mb ddr2. even i, i think, can't play crysis with decent graphic

 

I can! Old computer SiS Mirage 2 Graphics! lol. it can't even run Age of Empires 2 very well.

 

I got it last October. Crysis runs great at 1024x768 with everything low, except medium physics, water, sound and volumetric effects.

I made up a custom config file for the low shader setting, that makes the foliage colour blend better. Also, I made it so the edge of the icon graphics are smooth and increased the shader quality of terrain to medium, and glass and metal to high. I also enabled the dynamic sky, so it isn't always daytime (as with low shaders). It is very rare that the frame rate goes below 20 fps. Usually hovers around 25-45 (even upto 70 fps whilst runing around the aircraft carrier). The main problem I found was with my CPU at the harbour level: at times it would bottleneck the GPU but my CPU overclock helps (undervolt as well so it runs 2 degrees cooler than without overclock). I'm not using my laptop at the moment (with the config file), but I'll post what's in it and explain how to set it up if you want.

Oh, and I'm definately not downgrading from Vista to XP. I have cleaned up the bloatware and Vista runs very well. The updates have definately helped Vista a lot and I prefer the layout and look of Vista. ATi's drivers for Vista are very good as there is only a very small framerate difference between XP and Vista now (according to a test done a while ago at Gamespot).

 

no, it's not necessary...i'm no expert. until 2 weeks ago, i even thought that 9500 m gs is better than 8700 because it has greater serial number ...u know, if u're not mobile, just buy a pc. i've read lots of posts in many forums like this and overclocking just will add more problems than before. Because gpu in laptops are rarely replaceable, when the time comes, u're gonna wish u hadn't been overclocking from the 1st time. I mean it, trust me pal...

 

I know what you mean, and if I had a better laptop, with a faster CPU and GPU I wouldn't feel the need to overclock. But I have made up for the increase in temperature by using a cooling pad and undervolting the CPU. It all seems fine...

One day, when I build a new desktop (to replace my PC with an AMD Athlon XP 2400+, 768mb DDR RAM & ATi Radeon 9800 XT), I'll transfer my games across to it and stop overclocking .

 

You seem to be getting really low fps, last time I played the demo I was able to play at 1280x800 with med/high settings and get playable fps. I'll download the demo again and see what I can do both with and without OC.

 

The demo is only the first level; I think medium would be fine at 1024x768, but I doubt 1280x800. I'm using settings which have a decent framerate for all of the game, and the tweaks I'm using for the low shaders remove the main issues I had with the graphics on low shaders...People always seem to mention this when I say what settings I run at in Crysis, but I think it is because I like games to run smoothly and I think it looks decent at the quality I have it at so it doesn't bother me if it's on low (unlike some games which look terrible on low).

To get an idea if my HD 2600 is performing upto par (without downloading the Crysis demo), maybe this will help.

I run Half Life 2 (1280x800) max with no AA and 2xAF (barely any noticable difference any higher anyway). Very smooth. Always a high framerate. 2xAA is fine as well, but with occasional dips in some large outdoor areas. So I prefer the higher framerate without AA. Similarly for Episodes 1 + 2 and Portal: max settings with motion blur, but medium shadows for Episode 2 (minimal visual difference to high, but better framerate).

Oblivion, I run at either 1280x800 with medium textures or 1024x768 high textures. At 1280x800 with high textures I get some mouse lagg and framerate dips in outside areas with lots of grass (most noticable at the Gold Coast). I assume the lagg is mainly because of the speed of the DDR2 VRAM (and maybe partly size). Other settings are pretty much max (w. HDR lighting), but with 40% shadows (low shadow filtering).

Company of Heroes, 1280x800 with everything high and 100% model detail: the performance test gets 42 fps average (min 17, max 60).

Anyway, do you think the error is anything I should worry about?

BTW, didn't you used to overclock the memory to around 450-470mhz? Why did you reduce it to 432mhz?