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Possible Solution: "Checkerboard" Lockups after 5-10 minutes

yadda

Chieftain
Joined
Dec 31, 2002
Messages
7
I'm posting this in a new thread as I hope we can get a sticky on this (if it works for more then just one or two people).

The original problem was having civ4 lock up on a Nvidia 6800GT card after about 5-10 minutes of play. The lockup looks something like this:

checkerboard0fk.jpg


Based on suggestions from Ludde and Raezal, I downclocked the video card from 370 MHz core/ 1.00 GHz memory down to 330 MHz core, 899 MHz memory. After doing that, I've been able to run the game for over an hour and a half without issues.

I was fairly aggressive downclocking my video card, it may well be that a higher setting will still allow Civilization IV to function.

For more specific details on the steps I took, see below. If you would like to read the original thread, it is at http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=134244

I've taken the following steps (please note that this may or may not work for you. I take no responsibility if this causes issues or failures with your rig):

[1] I downloaded foreceware_coolbits.exe from www.3dguru.com (file is at http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=815)

[2] I extracted and then double clicked the coolbits.reg file. This adds registry keys to your HLKM hive.

[3] I went to display properties->settings->advanced, then clicked on the GeForce tab.

[4] This should open another "attached" dialogue box on the left. On the left side dialogue box, I selected "Clock Frequency Settings". This changes the dialogue box to the right.

[5] I wrote down the existing Core Clock Frequency and Memory Clock Frequency (for my computer, it was 370 MHz core, 1.00 GHz memory).

[6] I changed both frequency settings to a slower setting. For my computer, I changed it to 330 MHz core, 899 MHz memory. If you try this solution, you may find your "sweet spot" at a different setting. *** WARNING *** Setting this higher then the original settings may fry your video card and your warranty along with it. Be careful!

[7] I clicked "test Changes", then clicked "OK"

[8] I'm now playing CIV. :goodjob:

If you try out this solution and it works (or doesn't!) , post in this thread!!!

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
 
As I said in the other thread - it DID work for me for about 2 hours but now it is back to it's regular crashing.
 
strange,
i have an aopen 6800gt AGP

and i can no craphic fault,

but sometimes the game crashes back to desktop,
if those happend ones i just could restart the pc to avoid a crash eevery 5 minutes
 
After underclocking approximately %20, Ive had the game running for about 5hrs and no crashes. Ill post back if anything changes.


6800gt 256mb
 
no I didnt overclock before. My settings that are working, in the 3d settings I have it set to core clock 308, memory clock 847 with no effect on gameplay.
 
I didn't go that far - I tried 330 and 899 as suggested above. Previous to that my card was not overclocked by me, however BFG overclocks their cards a bit at the factory- and that has never been a problem.
 
Thank you sooo much Yadda for the very thourough instructions, and for detailing your testing in another post.

Recently (since the patch maybe?) this crash started occuring for me more and more frequently, usually less than 10 minutes in to a game. After underclocking to 330 MHz core, 899 MHz memory, I played a full two hours before reaching the crash again.

Yay!
 
Hi

I had the exact same problem with my 6800 GT card. My solution: I turned every advanced feature off. No AA, no ani filtering. Nothing. That drastically reduced the risk of crashes, though not eliminating them.

Then my monitor died in a flash of light and smoke. Incidently while playing Civ IV. So I went out and bough a 19" TFT monitor. And guess what? That change brought back the same old chequerboard crash. Strrrrange!

rgds/EoE
 
A few weeks ago I was experiencing very similar crashes with my 6800 GT system, only difference to the screenshot in the beginning of this thread was that the "checkerboard tiles" were randomly colored instead of black and white.

However, as similar as the problem was, the solution was to upgrade motherboard's VIA chipset drivers, didn't get the crash ever since. So the checkerboard crash can occur for several very different reasons.
 
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