Hi guys, this is sort of 2 problems in 1.

My Specs:
Motherboard: Asus P5GC-MX M/B
CPU: Intel Core Duo E2140 1.6 GHZ
Graphics: Nvidia GeFore 7200GS 256mb
RAM: 2gb

Ok I just boguht a whole bunch of custom parts (motherboard CPU, Graphics card etc) and got a computer place to put it together, I had to install XP on it and after i did I typically had to install all the new parts. Although the graphics card didnt seem to take to the drivers and software on the CD it came on, so I sought a driver elsewhere, eventually I found a PC powerplay cd with a Nvidia driver on it so I thought I'd give it a shot, and it worked!.. or so I thought it seems to work fine on all the games i have (Call of Duty 2, GTA San Andres etc) except the 1 game I really want to play it on; Oblivion. I can run the game fine with the graphics tuned up almost to the max. And suddenly I get the dreaded Blue Screen of death saying something like:
is is the first time you’ve seen this stop error screen,
Rest If thart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed.
If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any Windows updates you may need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup Options, and then select Safe Mode.

I found this strange because even though my CPU is .4 ghz under the minimum level, the blue screen is complaining about shaders and such so I assume it is Graphic Card related. so I looked in DirectX Diagnostics in display and it all looked good, it had the rite stats for it, except it said my total memory: 512.0 mb instead of 256 :S

Bascially I just need to know, what is making Oblivion crash the graphics card or CPU and why is it crashing. I really dont want to go back to using Oldblivion with hte screwy lighting.

Wow long post, thanks for reading / answering.

Elliot.

well if it's shaders and stuff then i don't see how it's cpu related (although im kinda new to that part), only thing i can think of is downloading the newest version of the driver off the net and reinstalling it, otherwise ur gonna have to disable the shaders

Hi elliot81.

Don't junp to any conclusion that it's the graphics driver that is causing the BSOD. With a hand-built desktop you need to first check out all the hardware before assuming it's a software problem. After eliminating the hardware as a likely cause then start looking at the software.

- Check the RAM
You can fully test the RAM by using Memtest86. Download the ISO image file and burn it to a CD using Nero, Roxio or CDBurnerXP Pro. Make sure the BIOS is configured to try to boot from the Master CD/DVD drive before it tries to boot from the hard drive. Your system will boot from the disc and Memtest will start running automatically.

Menetest86 should report no errors in 3 complete passes. This could take some time.

Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

CDBurnerXP: Downloads

If any errors are found and you have multiple sticks of RAM installed then uninstall all but one stick and retest each until you locate the bad one. Bad RAM can not be repaired. However, if you boght the RAM yourself keep in mind that most reputable RAM companies have a lifetime replacement policy on their RAM. You will need the receipt or an electronic copy of it.

- Check the hard drive.
Run a HDD test utility from your drive’s manufacturer to make sure the drive is functionally OK. You can find them all here:
Seagate/Maxtor/Quantum Seagate Technology - Downloads
Western Digital Downloads
Hitachi/IBM Support - Downloads and Utilities
Samsung SAMSUNG's Digital World - Hard Disk Drives | Utilities

- Bad or Failing power supply: Dowload and run Everest Home V2.20 from:
EVEREST Free Edition 2.20

Look in Computer > Sensor. The +3.3V, +5V and +12V should be within +/-5% of their nominal values.
3.3V 3.135V to 3.465
5.0V 4.750V to 5.25V
12.0V 11.400V to 12.600V

- Overheated CPU: In Everest Home 2.2 (free) look in Computer > Sensor. The CPU temp should not be over 50 degrees Celsius when idling. Overheating can happen as the result of a failing CPU fan or excessive dust buildup there. It can also be due to an improperly mounted cooler (heatsink+fan) assembly.

Did you try downloading the appropriate drivers for your GPU from NVIDIA's website?

Download them here:
ForceWare Release 163

ok, i'll do all of thoose actions when I get home, just so I know what will happen if I do disable shading? will I still be able to play Oblivion?

ok, I ran everest and everything was fine n cool, but when I ran MemTest for 9 hours, I got 1 error:


just incase you cant see the error is:

TST - 7
PASS - 4
Failing Adress: 000758db720 - 1880.6mb
Good: c861ca46
Bad: 8861ca46
Err-Bits: 400000000
Count: 4
Chan: (nothing)

what does all this mean should I return the ram?

Elliot.

I think the Memtest folks recommend running it "overnight". A single error might be an unrepeatable, spurious event.

Run it again overnight. If you get any more errors I would return the module that error belongs to.

You should test (have installed) only one module at a time so you know which particular one the errors belong to. If you have a single 2GB module then never mind...