laptop locks up when playing games

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Guest

I have a gateway M675, 512 memory, 128MB radeon 9700 video card, Pentium 4,
3.06 Ghz. It locks up when I play games like C&C Generals or Half Life 2.
Any suggestions?
 
Hi Tom,

Tom said:
I have a gateway M675, 512 memory, 128MB radeon 9700 video card, Pentium 4,
3.06 Ghz. It locks up when I play games like C&C Generals or Half Life 2.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Hardware issues can cause freezing, black screens and other
errors. Also, your drivers should always be kept up to date.

Try the following steps one at a time to try and resolve the issue.
I hope this helps. Please post back if you have any questions! :-)

1. Update DirectX and your Chipset, Sound, &Video Drivers:
For all Video / DirectX / Game and Hardware Issues, I have a
Checklist of Solutions at: http://NibblesNbitsVideo.tk

2. Dust your fans, vents and components using a 1/4" paintbrush
and a hose vacuum. Use compressed air for hard to reach places.
Set a housefan to blow cold air into your case to expose an over-
heating issue.. If it works add more fans or replace defective ones.
Use this Motherboard Monitor Utility: http://mbm.livewiredev.com

3. A faulty power supply can cause STOP errors, random reboots,
and black screen lockups. One way to test for that is to check the
wattage sticker on your power supply and then calculate your need
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/ (Min. 350 for gaming)

4. Test your RAM using: http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________
 
Also remember most laptops get cool air from the bottom. This usually isn't
an issue until you start running something like a game where processor and
GPU usage goes up generating significantly more heat. Heat is often a factor
in random lockups only when playing games.

Joshua Smith
OpenGL Test Lab
Microsoft
-----

Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights


Jimmy S. said:
Hi Tom,

Tom said:
I have a gateway M675, 512 memory, 128MB radeon 9700 video card, Pentium
4,
3.06 Ghz. It locks up when I play games like C&C Generals or Half Life
2.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Hardware issues can cause freezing, black screens and other
errors. Also, your drivers should always be kept up to date.

Try the following steps one at a time to try and resolve the issue.
I hope this helps. Please post back if you have any questions! :-)

1. Update DirectX and your Chipset, Sound, &Video Drivers:
For all Video / DirectX / Game and Hardware Issues, I have a
Checklist of Solutions at: http://NibblesNbitsVideo.tk

2. Dust your fans, vents and components using a 1/4" paintbrush
and a hose vacuum. Use compressed air for hard to reach places.
Set a housefan to blow cold air into your case to expose an over-
heating issue.. If it works add more fans or replace defective ones.
Use this Motherboard Monitor Utility: http://mbm.livewiredev.com

3. A faulty power supply can cause STOP errors, random reboots,
and black screen lockups. One way to test for that is to check the
wattage sticker on your power supply and then calculate your need
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/ (Min. 350 for gaming)

4. Test your RAM using: http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call /
Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any
rights.
_________________________________________________________
Click to expand...
 
Joshua has a good point. Guess that's why he's with the company. :-)

OVERHEATING is the #1 cause of various laptop problems!
Be certain that you're not blocking the laptop's air vents,
and that they are free of dust. Look for signs of overheating
by running your hand along the sides and bottom of the laptop.

If you notice your laptop is running hot, and the fans are all
working properly, one trick that I've used with my old laptop
was to sit it on a clean flat box (similar to a medium pizza box),
in which I kept several cooler ice packs from the freezer. ;-)
Of course, you could order a professional cooling mat instead.

If you feel that your laptop is overheating way too much, you
should contact the manufacturer to see what they suggest. In
some cases they may need to replace the CPU heating fan, or
recommend the ideal Power Settings to use while gaming.

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________


Joshua Smith said:
Also remember most laptops get cool air from the bottom. This usually isn't an issue until you start running something like a game
where processor and GPU usage goes up generating significantly more heat. Heat is often a factor in random lockups only when
playing games.

Joshua Smith
OpenGL Test Lab
Microsoft
-----

Get Secure! www.microsoft.com/security

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights


Jimmy S. said:
Hi Tom,

Tom said:
I have a gateway M675, 512 memory, 128MB radeon 9700 video card, Pentium 4,
3.06 Ghz. It locks up when I play games like C&C Generals or Half Life 2.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Hardware issues can cause freezing, black screens and other
errors. Also, your drivers should always be kept up to date.

Try the following steps one at a time to try and resolve the issue.
I hope this helps. Please post back if you have any questions! :-)

1. Update DirectX and your Chipset, Sound, &Video Drivers:
For all Video / DirectX / Game and Hardware Issues, I have a
Checklist of Solutions at: http://NibblesNbitsVideo.tk

2. Dust your fans, vents and components using a 1/4" paintbrush
and a hose vacuum. Use compressed air for hard to reach places.
Set a housefan to blow cold air into your case to expose an over-
heating issue.. If it works add more fans or replace defective ones.
Use this Motherboard Monitor Utility: http://mbm.livewiredev.com

3. A faulty power supply can cause STOP errors, random reboots,
and black screen lockups. One way to test for that is to check the
wattage sticker on your power supply and then calculate your need
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/ (Min. 350 for gaming)

4. Test your RAM using: http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

--
Cheers, Windows XP MVP Shell / User
Jimmy S. http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

Game FAQs: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=FH;[LN];gms
Visit my Zone.com / Gaming Helpsite: http://nibblesnbits.tk or Call / Contact
MS Support at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=sz;en-us;top
My advice is donated "AS IS" without warranty; nor do I confer any rights.
_________________________________________________________
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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