PC freezes after installing new video card

[M&M_Dutch]

Hello,

I've searched the forum for an answer to my problem, but haven't found it. So here goes:

I am a folding@home user, for many years. I recently installed a new video card, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520. Since then, the pc freezes and the cpu usage goes to 95-99% (even when set to max. 50% in expert-modus), so the pc becomes impossible to use. Shutting the folding client via task manager - eventually - unfreezes my pc. I tried to delete the Work folder, the queue.dat file, and the unitinfo.txt file, but that did not help. I have a AMD Athlon II X2 250 Processor 3014 Mhz and 4 Gb internal memory. I'm using Windows 7 home premium.

Anyone any ideas as to why my pc freezes and cpu load is being stretched to almost 100%?

Thanks for any useful help!

Martin71

Edit: some comprehensive info:
1) CPU:
CPU
AMD Athlon II X2 250
Cores 2
Threads 2
Name AMD Athlon II X2 250
Code Name Regor
Package Socket AM3 (938)
Technology 45nm
Specification AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 250 Processor
Family F
Extended Family 10
Model 6
Extended Model 6
Stepping 3
Revision DA-C3
Instructions MMX (+), 3DNow! (+), SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4A, AMD 64
Virtualization Ondersteund, Uitgeschakeld
Hyperthreading Not supported
Fan Speed 1298 RPM
Bus Speed 200.0 MHz
Rated Bus Speed 2000.1 MHz
Stock Core Speed 3000 MHz
Stock Bus Speed 200 MHz
Average Temperature 31 °C
Caches
L1 Data Cache Size 2 x 64 KBytes
L1 Instructions Cache Size 2 x 64 KBytes
L2 Unified Cache Size 2 x 1024 KBytes
Core 0
Core 1

2) Graphics:
Graphics
Monitor
Name ASUS VH242 on NVIDIA GeForce GT 520
Current Resolution 1920x1080 pixels
Work Resolution 1920x1050 pixels
State enabled, primary, output devices support
Monitor Width 1920
Monitor Height 1080
Monitor BPP 32 bits per pixel
Monitor Frequency 60 Hz
Device \\.\DISPLAY1\Monitor0
NVIDIA GeForce GT 520
Memory 1024 MB
Memory type 2
Driver version 8.17.12.9573
OpenGL
Version 4.2.0
Vendor NVIDIA Corporation
Renderer GeForce GT 520/PCIe/SSE2/3DNOW!
GLU Version 1.2.2.0 Microsoft Corporation
Values
GL Extensions

3) RAM:
RAM
Memory slots
Total memory slots 4
Used memory slots 2
Free memory slots 2
Memory
Type DDR2
Size 4096 MBytes
Channels # Dual
DRAM Frequency 333.4 MHz
CAS# Latency (CL) 4 clocks
RAS# to CAS# Delay (tRCD) 4 clocks
RAS# Precharge (tRP) 4 clocks
Cycle Time (tRAS) 12 clocks
Bank Cycle Time (tRC) 14 clocks
Command Rate (CR) 2T
Physical Memory
Memory Usage 50 %
Total Physical 3.50 GB
Available Physical 1.75 GB
Total Virtual 7.00 GB
Available Virtual 5.14 GB
SPD
Number Of SPD Modules 2
Slot #1
Slot #2

[7im]

Driver cleaner, then upgrade to 301.xx or higher driver version.

[P5-133XL]

My first reaction is to run the task manager->process tab just to see what process is actually using the CPU. The second is 7im's reaction which is to use a driver cleaner and then re-install a recent Nvidia driver.

[M&M_Dutch]

Thanks 7im and P5-133XL, but your suggestions didn't work. The driver needed upgrading though (thanks 7im). All this, however, did not solve my issue. I am tentatively contemplating reinstalling the old on-board video driver (which only caused the CPU temp to rise to 65C by default). Otherwise, I'm forced to remove the client entirely (which I would so regret).

[Nathan_P]

What mobo are you using?
Which client version are you using, v7 installs both SMP and GPU by default.

[M&M_Dutch]

What mobo are you using?
Which client version are you using, v7 installs both SMP and GPU by default.

Hello Nathan_P,

My mobo is this:
Motherboard
Manufacturer JW Electronics Co.,Ltd
Model Minix780G-SP128M (CPU 1)
Version To Be Filled By O.E.M.
Chipset Vendor AMD
Chipset Model 780G
Chipset Revision 00
Southbridge Vendor AMD
Southbridge Model SB700
Southbridge Revision 00
System Temperature 30 °C
BIOS
Brand American Megatrends Inc.
Version 080014
Date 09/07/2009
Voltage
CPU CORE 1.088 V
MEMORY CONTROLLER 0.952 V
+3.3V 3.344 V
+5V 5.016 V
+12V 8.197 V
VIN5 1.208 V
VIN6 1.664 V
PCI Data
Slot UNKNOWN
Slot Type UNKNOWN
Slot Usage Available
Bus Width 32 bit
Slot Designation AGP
Slot Number 0
Slot PCI
Slot Type PCI
Slot Usage Available
Bus Width 32 bit
Slot Designation PCI1
Slot Number 1

I'm using the latest client for Windows 7.

Thank you for your response.

regards,

Martin

[Nathan_P]

I'm guessing that the v7 client is detecting the radeon graphics built into the mother board and is trying to run a WU on that. ATI graphics need a whole cpu core to run and with if you are running smp as well you pc will grind to a halt. Your best bet is to go into the BIOS and disable the on board graphics adapter. You will then also need to re set up your v7 folding client to run on the 520 and you should be OK

[7im]

Quick questions, what is the size of the power supply? Did the new GPU take an extra power connector?

[gwildperson]

It might be helpful if you told us which WUs are being assigned. There was a problem with the Assignment Server that was fixed quite recently but it might have caused your problem earlier.

[M&M_Dutch]

Quick questions, what is the size of the power supply? Did the new GPU take an extra power connector?

I don't know.

[M&M_Dutch]

I'm guessing that the v7 client is detecting the radeon graphics built into the mother board and is trying to run a WU on that. ATI graphics need a whole cpu core to run and with if you are running smp as well you pc will grind to a halt. Your best bet is to go into the BIOS and disable the on board graphics adapter. You will then also need to re set up your v7 folding client to run on the 520 and you should be OK

Thanks, I'll let you know if this works. Do you mean with your last sentence, that I've to reinstall the Folding client?

[M&M_Dutch]

It might be helpful if you told us which WUs are being assigned. There was a problem with the Assignment Server that was fixed quite recently but it might have caused your problem earlier.

I can't tell you yet, since I've disabled the client. It takes too long to shut it down and freezes my pc, so I can't take a peek

[P5-133XL]

It might be helpful if you told us which WUs are being assigned. There was a problem with the Assignment Server that was fixed quite recently but it might have caused your problem earlier.

I can't tell you yet, since I've disabled the client. It takes too long to shut it down and freezes my pc, so I can't take a peek

You don't need to have the client running to post the client's log...

[M&M_Dutch]

It might be helpful if you told us which WUs are being assigned. There was a problem with the Assignment Server that was fixed quite recently but it might have caused your problem earlier.

I can't tell you yet, since I've disabled the client. It takes too long to shut it down and freezes my pc, so I can't take a peek

You don't need to have the client running to post the client's log...

True, but I don't that have log file of the WU and the latest client. I only have the logfile of Folding@Home Client Version 6.23, even though I'm using 7.1.52

[P5-133XL]

Perhaps I'm missing something but 7.1.52 has a log file too: Start->all Programs->FAHClient->Data Directory->Log.txt and if necessary go into the logs folder to get older logs.