Arch Linux

raven3x7

Member

Registered: 2007-03-11

Posts: 23

Quake 4 problem

I recently picked up a copy of Quake 4 to keep me busy while i wait for ET:QW but i've run into a rather annoying problem. Whenever i play Quake 4 on linux my pc turns off after only a few minutes of playing. This is unlikely to be a hardware issue as i just run the Orthos stress test utility for 12H without a problem. Additionally Q4 and other games(Rainbow6:Vegas, Guild Wars, CS:S) run just fine on windows. Several hours of memtest have also not shown any problem. Finally other games run fine on linux(Guild Wars(Wine), True Combat:Elite, OpenArena). This is really confusing me and i dont really know how to debug this as there are no logs to check since nothing crashes(or are there?), the pc just turns off. Can anyone help me out?
My specs:
AMD X2 4600 using cpufreq_utils for frequency scaling
MSI K9N Platinum NV570 mobo with the latest  bios
2GB OCZ 800mhz ram
X1800XT 512MB with latest fglrx
Enermax 500W PSU
kernel 2.6.20-Arch and 2.6.19-Beyond (i have both installed and problem happens with both)

brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Quake 4 problem

A PC losing power under load is the classic sign of an underpowered PSU, despite it working in Windows. It might be working, *just barely*, in Windows. Memtest is useless because it's not adding the power drain from the video card having to throw all those pixels around.

So, buy a 700W PSU.

oli

Member

From: 127.0.0.1

Registered: 2006-02-07

Posts: 164

Website

Re: Quake 4 problem

700W, this isn't a SLI system. Maybe your cpu is overheating or the PSU is defective. With a X1800XT you have a power consumption of about 280W. So a 500W psu is more than sufficient.

Look at the 2nd table (Last:), this is the consumption under load:

http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/hard … mverbrauch

The test hardware:

http://www.computerbase.de/artikel/hard … testsystem

Last edited by oli (2007-04-28 22:36:27)

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Use UNIX or die.

raven3x7

Member

Registered: 2007-03-11

Posts: 23

Re: Quake 4 problem

Brebs i agree with Oli what you are suggesting is overkill. The only reason for the PSU to fail is for it to be defective. If thats the case though why wouldnt it happen on windows? Of note is also that i run less usb devices on linux than i do on windows(as some devices like my webcam cause a number of problems), so my windows install should consume more power than my linux install. im going to do a test install of Ubuntu and see if this will occur there as well.

gerryAU

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2007-04-08

Posts: 37

Re: Quake 4 problem

Does it only happen on q4? got doom3 linux (or demo) to try out ?
Did you copy over quake4config from your windoze partition, hope not as this will cause the game not to start at all (eg: ref_gl faults)
Try deleting /home/user/.quake4 & start try again.
might want to run it with a console log to trap any errors (quake4 +set logfile 1)

Tried 3dmark05 or 06 (real gpu killers) on windoze, does it complete the test without rebooting?

Sounds like a power problem sorry to say

good luck

raven3x7

Member

Registered: 2007-03-11

Posts: 23

Re: Quake 4 problem

gerryAU yeah 3dmark05  and no problems. Quake4 even runs fine on windows. I never thought about trying the doom3 demo, good idea. Im still dling Ubuntu right now. The log option sounds likea good idea.Thanks

brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Quake 4 problem

A few years ago I played Vice City under Windows, along with some first-person-shooter games. *Only* Vice City had the problem that the PC would spontaneously reboot after around 10-40 minutes of play. Changing the PSU fixed it.

I reckon that, if someone's going to go through the hassle of changing the PSU, then get a decent model which will support further expandability. And err on the side of caution.

raven3x7

Member

Registered: 2007-03-11

Posts: 23

Re: Quake 4 problem

I guess if i was going to buy id get at least a 600W model probably, but i have to tell you this is a 150E(at the time) enthusiast PSU that can do 32A on the 12V rails.  22A on each but a total of 32A. So it can handle heavier gpus as well only sli /crossfire would be too much for it. Nevermind though as im quite sure i found the problem. My GPUs fans dont spin up when playing quake!  WTF. Is there any tool to play around with the fan speed for ATi cards?

oli

Member

From: 127.0.0.1

Registered: 2006-02-07

Posts: 164

Website

Re: Quake 4 problem

Maybe you should clean up the fan. Dust can be sometimes very harmful in such small fans.

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Use UNIX or die.

brebs

Member

Registered: 2007-04-03

Posts: 3,742

Re: Quake 4 problem

My nvidia 8800gtx has a fan, but (thankfully) it's designed to run so hot that AFAIK the fan has never even started. The rest of my PC is quiet enough that I would be able to hear it.

raven3x7

Member

Registered: 2007-03-11

Posts: 23

Re: Quake 4 problem

Right now im thinking of replacing this card with a 8800GTS 320MB. Although in a certain way thats a downgrade so im still debating whether it will be worth the money. Btw ATi PCBs are designed to run hotter than nvidia simply because all the X1XXX series runs very hot(mine runs at 65C when idle) Oli well i cleaned it with supressed air about a week ago. The only way to clean it better would be to remove the heatsink which i dont really want to do. I guess ill just play in windows for now.

test1000

Member

Registered: 2005-04-03

Posts: 834

Re: Quake 4 problem

try to remove cpufreq_utils

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raven3x7

Member

Registered: 2007-03-11

Posts: 23

Re: Quake 4 problem

Yeah i tried that. Didnt work.(btw i made a mistake earlier im using cpudyn to manag the cpu) On top of that this also happens on Ubuntu. Im thinking that i should replace the stock cooler on the GPU. Should make the card run cooler and quieter.

Master Beef

Member

Registered: 2005-05-28

Posts: 37

Re: Quake 4 problem

if your gonna replace your stock vga cooler zalman makes some great coolers VF900

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"Alright it's settled. Zorak is the hammer, Moltar you suck."