More Awesome Than You!

I know some of you are pretty knowledgable about computers so I thought I'd ask here.

I got a Geforce 7800GS (AGP), it ran fine for 3 weeks and then it started locking up the computer until it finally died and I replaced it with my 5700LE (also AGP) until the warranty replacement arrived. Problems with the 7800 got so bad I had to do a windows repair just to be able to get into Windows again. I'd thought it might be a heat issue and took off the side panel and sat a fan next to it, I was able to use my computer with no problems so I got a video card cooler and put it in, removed the fan and next thing I know everything is screwy again and restarting gets no response from the video card (everything else was running though, I guess it was just 1 too many times) so I pulled it out and put the 5700 in and no problems with the computer in the mean time. Research on the internet had led me to believe it was a heat issue and the tower case feeling very hot made me sure of it although I thought the card was putting extra heat into the case, but now I wonder if it wasn't the power supply causing it and not the video card.

I got my replacement card today, hooked it up, a little while later the computer is locking up again and tower case is hot, very hot, around the power supply, I have the video card cooler installed but it doesn't affect the PSU as the video card catches the air flow, however the fan I had originally set next to the tower did and I'm wondering if it kept the PSU from overheating to the point that it could cause a system freeze; when I wasn't using the fan, letting the computer sit for a while (cool down) would typically allow a normal start up to go through.  The difference between the 7800GS and the 5700LE (aside from the obvious graphical advantage) is that the 5700 doesn't use a molex connector and the 7800 does. Do you think I might be on the right track or am I way off base?

System Stats

Geforce 5700LE / 7800GS (when working)
Driver Ver. 93.71
240GB Sata HD
Windows XP Home
P4 2.6 HT
1.75GB RAM

PSU stats:

PowerLab (http://www.logisyscomputer.com/viewsku.asp?SKUID=LGPS450A&DID=POWERSUPPLY)

Max Output: 450W

Output:      3.3V   +5V   +12V   -12V   -5V    +5VSB
Max(Amp):  30A    50A   25A     0.8A   0.5A   2.0A

AC Input 100V - 127V/16A 60Hz
200V - 240V/3A 50Hz

The power supply has the standard fan and it has slits for air flow at the back of the unit near the interior cords, my previous power supply had two fans in it, 1 on the bottom and then the standard fan and the PowerLab PSU only has the 1 fan - that surprised me when I got this PSU, I hadn't been expecting that.

Hopefully someone with more computer knowledge will come along and offer some better insight for you in regards to this but I would like to just add that I, also, have a 7800GS and have had many many many an issue with it. Same deal basically with the game/system locking up until eventually the thing just fried out. Fortunately (maybe not) it was still under warranty , so after a few calls to tech support and finding out that they have had issues reported to them often on this card but have no idea how to fix it, they shipped out a replacement.
I've had that one in and running fine for a bout 2 months and then just last week BAM lock ups/freezes/blue screen of *error*.

This card also seems to have some serious issues with  Driver updates. i.e. I can't update them. Every attempt results in a high pitched screeching from my speakers and a flash to blue screen with an error report regarding the driver - of which for 6 months (the total time I've had the computer and from whence the issue with the 1st card started) neither Nvidia or Dell's (I have a Dell  :() support has been able to figure out a fix for even though they have on record that this is an issue with this card from other users.

Personally, I think it's nothing to do with the computer itself and everything to do with the card just being manufactured crap. My advice: Get something else as soon as you can. I know I will be.


edited for clarification and typoes

I think it's a heat problem, but it may not necessarily be the PSU's fault, as such. Most PSU's only vent out the back. However, if the old one had vents on the bottom too, the case may have been designed with that in mind.

Or the PSU itself may be overheating.  But you definitely seem to be on the right track. If a case feels hot to the touch, your computer is too hot, period.  The reason you notice it with the new card could be because it produces more heat than the other.

Orrr it could be the drivers. A year or more back, Nvidia released drivers that caused some cards to overheat. With all the problems they've had with drivers lately, it could very well be that again.

The molex connector on the video card isn't something new, my old GeForce 5900XT had it too. Off the top of my head, I remember the 7800GS uses something in the ballpark of 300W for power, add that to the power taken up by the CPU, RAM, hard drives, and cd/dvd drives you don't have terribly much to play around with. I have a 500W PSU on my desktop and I haven't noticed any problems with my 7800GS yet.

Some other things you might want to check are how many molex extension cables you have in your case, as a rule of thumb it's better to use only the number of connectors that your PSU comes with (no add-in/extension cables, unless something needs a special connector or it's a fan). The video card should be plugged in on it's own dedicated line from the PSU; in my case, I only have fans connected to the end of the line. You also didn't mention what motherboard you had, the 7800GS uses AGP 8X (may be called AGP 3.0?) if the motherboard is from around late 2004 you may be fine, but check the user manual anyway.

I had a 450W in my case before and it blew out, that was before the video card upgrade. I was freaking out because the thing smelled like burning plastic and I didn't know if anything had shorted out and the stupid thing was really hot. If your power supply is hot, I'd suggest you get a higher watt, you'll notice a significant decrease in temperature. If your pc's components are sucking too much power, the PSU will overheat and you'll see tons of crashes and fatal errors. Trust me, I had to deal with it on my old 350W Pentium III that I built ages ago.

I'd read that the most current drivers, the 93.71 drivers from November are causing an overheating problem and even destroying the video card from the heat. Perhaps this could be what caused your problem Nataku.

I'm going to try an earlier driver and see if that helps, if it doesn't I guess my next step will be to get a higher powered powersupply, if that still doesn't fix it, the card is going back to eVGA.

Thanks for the input. It's much appreciated.