# GTS 250/Game keeps freezing up.



## Brett_md

Hey everyone,

So, I'm posting this thread under "Video Cards" because it's the only thing that's changed since this problem arose.

Ok, I'm a noob to computers and pc gaming.  I've been playing Left 4 Dead using my integrated graphics on my mobo.  Needless to say, I had to keep the settings at medium and was only getting 25fps.  Other than the low frame rate, the game ran fine.  I had it full screen 1680 x 1050 res.  

I decided to get a dedicated graphics card.  I ended up getting the GTS 250 512MB Superclocked by EVGA.  It came with a free copy of CoD: World at War.  I got it the other day and installed it.  Of course, the first thing I wanted to test out on it was Left 4 Dead.  That's where the problem lies.

During gameplay, the screen keeps freezing.  The audio just gets stuck in a quickly repeating loop of whatever audio was playing when it froze.  After 5-10 seconds it unfreezes and I can resume playing.  It does this a lot though.  
It seems to happen more often with higher settings in the game.  It does this even if I put all of the settings the same as they were when I played with the integrated.  I am getting high frame rates though. 

Here are some kickers:
-I installed and tested CoD: World at War and had no problem running it all high settings, full screen and receiving high frame rates.

-If I play Left 4 Dead full screen, it freezes up pretty much at any setting levels.  However, if I run it from a window (even at full res. 1680x1050 and with all high settings) it seems to run just fine.  I played for quite a while in a window at high settings, etc. and didn't have it freeze up on me once.

Any thoughts on why it's doing this?  Is it a problem with the new GTS 250 or maybe with the monitor?  The processor seems to be working pretty hard during gameplay too, it's normally running at least 85%.  I was also thinking the PSU, but it didn't make sense why it would freeze at full screen but not in full res windows.  And again, it ran fine (slower frame rates and lower settings) with the integrated graphics.  

If any of you have the patients to help me figure this one out, I'd really appreciate it.  My rig is in my sig.  Let me know if there is any other info you need.  

My PSU is:  450W, 2 +12v rails @ 20A each/27A
(GTS 250 says it needs 450W/24A)


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## Brett_md

Long story short:  the game freezes up while in full screen.  What up wit' dat?!


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## Trace_hunter

Well I don't know what the problem is but If all is well when running in windowed mode then I guess you can't really complain?


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## tecknopunk

have you made sure to update all of your drivers for your new card?


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## bomberboysk

What are your gpu temperatures? A good program to check these would be rivatuner and/or evga precision.


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## fritzj92

( I DIDN'T read it honestly too much for one night LMAO) but idk if your GPU isn't getting enough current from your PSU it may start up but still underperform during games...


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## Brett_md

@ Trace_hunter - yes, playing in windowed is fine, but I'm just trying to figure out why it's freezing in full screen.  I would figure a card like this would have no problems like that.

@ tecknopunk - yes, all drivers are updated.  

@ bomberboysk - I'm using evga precision. 
Idle at 45c
Gaming at 67c-72c (the highest it peaks is 75c)

*Something new.  Just now while trying it full screen, it froze up and then popped up an error: "Windows display driver stopped responding.  The NV4_disp display driver has stopped working normally.  

First time I've seen that.  Any thoughts.  Thanks for your replies and thoughts.


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## bomberboysk

Have you updated your graphics drivers?(Be sure to uninstall/delete old ones first)


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## Brett_md

fritzj92 said:


> ( I DIDN'T read it honestly too much for one night LMAO) but idk if your GPU isn't getting enough current from your PSU it may start up but still underperform during games...



LOL, yeah I did ramble on a bit, didn't I?!  I was just wanting to paint the clearest picture of what is happening so you all would have as much info as possible.  Thanks for your thoughts all the same.


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## Vizy

I had the same exact problem. There's a simple solution. So simple you wouldn't believe it dude. You have a dual core processor. Go to the options, then advanced video settings (this si all from memory but you'll find it), then turn of multicore rendering (or something similiar. Then poof, your problem disappears. With all due respect, when i had that problem, i just searched for it on google. You could of done the same and saved yourself alot of hassle.


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## Brett_md

Vizy93 said:


> I had the same exact problem. There's a simple solution. So simple you wouldn't believe it dude. You have a dual core processor. Go to the options, then advanced video settings (this si all from memory but you'll find it), then turn of multicore rendering (or something similiar. Then poof, your problem disappears. With all due respect, when i had that problem, i just searched for it on google. You could of done the same and saved yourself alot of hassle.





Thank you so much for coming across this thread!!!  That fixed it!!!  I'm so glad that it's a L4D menu setting instead of a GPU, PSU, etc issue.  Wow, you're right, such a simple solution.  I had been spending a lot of time searching online for someone that has/had the same issue and wasn't getting too far.  Hopefully this will help someone else too. 

Thank you everyone for all of your ideas!!  That's why I love this forum, you are all very helpful.  Great place to learn and share ideas.  Thanks again!!!!!!!


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## Brett_md

Brett_md said:


> Thank you so much for coming across this thread!!!  That fixed it!!!  I'm so glad that it's a L4D menu setting instead of a GPU, PSU, etc issue.  Wow, you're right, such a simple solution.  I had been spending a lot of time searching online for someone that has/had the same issue and wasn't getting too far.  Hopefully this will help someone else too.
> 
> Thank you everyone for all of your ideas!!  That's why I love this forum, you are all very helpful.  Great place to learn and share ideas.  Thanks again!!!!!!!






No, really, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just played for hours without a single freeze!!!!!!!!


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## fritzj92

I wonder why?... i have a dual core and it plays fine... is there any speed diff having it on and off?


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## Vizy

Yea when i first got the game i was freezing up till i foudn the fix. Then i uninstaleld it and then reinstalled it about a month later. It plays fine now even with the multicore enabled. Finnicky.


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## Vizy

Brett_md said:


> No, really, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just played for hours without a single freeze!!!!!!!!



yea no problem dude


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