System lockup with CoH on new PC

Hi,

I built a new PC a few weeks ago (the 3rd one I've put together). The machine is running great for everything except CoH. When CoH is running the system freezes after a while. Not just the game, but the whole machine locks up. Sometimes it will be good for an hour, sometimes it will lock up after just 2 minutes in the game. Usually it locks up within 15 minutes. When it locks up, the screen freezes with whatever was currently being displayed on it, with some corruption in the image. I have to power cycle the machine to get it back up.

I'm looking for some ideas on how to proceed to figure out the cause of the problem. So far I have:

* tried two different power supplies
* tried the latest production and the latest beta nvidia video drivers
* run memtest86+
* run windows 7 memory diagnostics tool

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

---System information gathered by CoH Helper version 0.1.1.8---

DxDiag gathered at January 11, 2010 21:09 (-05:00)
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600) (7600.win7_rtm.090713-1255)
System Manufacturer: INTEL_
System Model: KBIBX10J
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Central Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 860 @ 2.80GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.8GHz
Memory: 4096MB
.Net Memory Report: 2942MB out of 4086MB available
Page File: 6896MB (1274MB currently in use)
C Drive: (ST3500418AS ATA Device) 439773MB out of 476837MB (92%) free
D Drive: (HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GH24NS50 ATA Device) zero-size drive
Windows directory location: C:\Windows
DirectX: DirectX 11
DirectX Diag version: 6.01.7600.16385 (64-bit version)

Display Notes: No problems found.
Sound Notes: No problems found.

No problems found.
Input Notes: No problems found.

Monitor:
Monitor's Max Resolution: (blank)
Video Device Name: NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250
Manufacturer / Chip: NVIDIA / GeForce GTS 250
Video Memory: 2282 MB
Driver Version: 8.17.11.9581
Driver Date: 12/11/2009 1:17:14 AM
Driver Language: English

Sound Device Description: Rear Digital Output(Optical) (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Driver File: RTKVHD64.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5964
Driver Date: 10/21/2009 10:27:58 PM

Sound Device Description: Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)
Driver File: RTKVHD64.sys
Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5964
Driver Date: 10/21/2009 10:27:58 PM


WMI Information
Motherboard Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Motherboard Model: (empty)
Motherboard Product: DP55WG
Motherboard Version: AAE57269-404
BIOS Manufacturer: Intel Corp.
BIOS Name: Default System BIOS
BIOS Version: INTEL - f26
BIOS Release: 20091028000000.000000+000

Registry Information for Current User
Resolution: 1280x962
3D Resolution: 1280x962 (Not using renderscale)
Full Screen: No
Maximized: Yes
Screen Position: 0, 0
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Vertical Sync Enabled: Yes

Physics Quality: High
Maximum Particles: 50000
Max Particle Fill? 10.000
Physics Card Enabled: No

Anti-aliasing: 4x
Anisotropic Filtering: 4x
Texture LOD Bias: Smooth
Water Effects: High Quality
Bloom: 1.000 (turned on)
Depth of Field Enabled: Yes
Desaturation Effects (Sepia) Enabled: Yes
Shader Detail: Unknown (3)

World Texture Level: Very High
Character Texture Level: Very High
World Detail Level (Vis_Scale): 2.000
Entity Detail Level: 2.000
Shadows Enabled: Yes
Gamma Correction: 0.895
Geometry Buffers (VBOs) Enabled: Yes
Suppression of Extra Player FX Enabled: No
Suppression of FX When Camera Close Enabled: No
Close Suppression Range: 3.000
Show Advertisements: Yes

Audio Mode: Performance
3D Audio: No
FX Sound Volume: 0.000
Music Sound Volume: 0.000

Show Advanced Graphics Options: No
Overall Graphics Quality: 1.000
Reverse Mouse Buttons: No
Save Login Username: Yes
Transfer Rate: 918372 bytes/second
Current Game Version: 1600.20091102.9T4
Installation Directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\City of Heroes

Mod files in the Data directory
No modifications found

Logfile of Trend Micro HijackThis v2.0.3 (BETA)
Scan saved at 9:07:18 PM, on 1/11/2010
Platform: Unknown Windows (WinNT 6.01.3504)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v8.00 (8.00.7600.16385)
Boot mode: Normal

Running processes:
C:\Users\Patrick\AppData\Local\Google\Update\Googl eUpdate.exe
C:\Users\Patrick\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Appli cation\chrome.exe
C:\Users\Patrick\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Appli cation\chrome.exe
C:\Program Files (x86)\TrendMicro\HiJackThis\HiJackThis.exe

R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,SearchAssistant =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Search,CustomizeSearch =
R0 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Local Page = C:\Windows\SysWOW64\blank.htm
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName =
F2 - REG:system.ini: UserInit=userinit.exe
O2 - BHO: AcroIEHelperStub - {18DF081C-E8AD-4283-A596-FA578C2EBDC3} - C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\Acrobat\ActiveX\AcroIEHelperShim.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe Reader Speed Launcher] "C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\Reader_sl.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Adobe ARM] "C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\ARM\1.0\AdobeARM.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Google Update] "C:\Users\Patrick\AppData\Local\Google\Update\Goog leUpdate.exe" /c
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\Run: [Sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /autoRun (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-19\..\RunOnce: [mctadmin] C:\Windows\System32\mctadmin.exe (User 'LOCAL SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\Run: [Sidebar] %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\Sidebar.exe /autoRun (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O4 - HKUS\S-1-5-20\..\RunOnce: [mctadmin] C:\Windows\System32\mctadmin.exe (User 'NETWORK SERVICE')
O13 - Gopher Prefix:
O16 - DPF: {1E54D648-B804-468d-BC78-4AFFED8E262F} (System Requirements Lab) - http://www.nvidia.com/content/Driver...reqlab_nvd.cab
O16 - DPF: {2EDF75C0-5ABD-49f9-BAB6-220476A32034} (System Requirements Lab) - http://intel-drv-cdn.systemrequireme...eqlab_srlx.cab
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{44671248-C944-4AEF-9552-D068EE51B271}: NameServer = 192.168.0.1
O17 - HKLM\System\CS1\Services\Tcpip\..\{44671248-C944-4AEF-9552-D068EE51B271}: NameServer = 192.168.0.1
O17 - HKLM\System\CS2\Services\Tcpip\..\{44671248-C944-4AEF-9552-D068EE51B271}: NameServer = 192.168.0.1
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\Alg.exe,-112 (ALG) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\alg.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\efssvc.dll,-100 (EFS) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\fxsresm.dll,-118 (Fax) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\fxssvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @keyiso.dll,-100 (KeyIso) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @comres.dll,-2797 (MSDTC) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\msdtc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\System32\netlogon.dll,-102 (Netlogon) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: NMSAccessU - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files (x86)\CDBurnerXP\NMSAccessU.exe
O23 - Service: Performance Service (nTuneService) - NVIDIA - C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\nTune\nTuneService.exe
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (nvsvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\nvvsvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\psbase.dll,-300 (ProtectedStorage) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\Locator.exe,-2 (RpcLocator) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\locator.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\samsrv.dll,-1 (SamSs) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\snmptrap.exe,-3 (SNMPTRAP) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\snmptrap.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\spoolsv.exe,-1 (Spooler) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\spoolsv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\sppsvc.exe,-101 (sppsvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\sppsvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Stereoscopic 3D Driver Service (Stereo Service) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\3D Vision\nvSCPAPISvr.exe
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\ui0detect.exe,-101 (UI0Detect) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\UI0Detect.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: Update Center Service (UpdateCenterService) - NVIDIA - C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\System Update\UpdateCenterService.exe
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\vaultsvc.dll,-1003 (VaultSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%SystemRoot%\system32\vds.exe,-100 (vds) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\System32\vds.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\vssvc.exe,-102 (VSS) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\vssvc.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%systemroot%\system32\wbengine.exe,-104 (wbengine) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\wbengine.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%Systemroot%\system32\wbem\wmiapsrv.exe,-110 (wmiApSrv) - Unknown owner - C:\Windows\system32\wbem\WmiApSrv.exe (file missing)
O23 - Service: @%PROGRAMFILES%\Windows Media Player\wmpnetwk.exe,-101 (WMPNetworkSvc) - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\wmpnetwk.exe (file missing)

--
End of file - 6220 bytes

If you have the old video card and memory modules that can be plugged into the new PC, you can swap things out to pinpoint which component has a problem.

Thanks PerfectStorm and Twilight_Snow. The Nvidia tool also monitors the CPU temperatures - they are usually in the mid-50's while the game is running with occasional spikes to 60-62. I'm using the stock fan for the i7 processor. I'm not sure if that is a dangerous temperature or not.

Last night I noticed that there is a spike in disk activity right after the system freeze happens. I was hoping it was logging a system error or something, but I can't find anything in the Windows event viewer.

I do have 2x2GB memory in the system. I am thinking about pulling one out, seeing if that helps, if not swapping to the other one and trying the same - to see if it's due to one of the sticks.

I have been thinking of swapping out the video card, but my old system has an (8x) AGP card in it. I don't think it will work in this system, will it? I could possibly pick one up from Best Buy perhaps and return it once the testing is completed.

I also filed a ticket with NCSoft. They suggested running in safe mode. I tried that last night. Got a crash/lockup after about an hour.

Well, looks like it's not the memory - unless both are bad. I pulled out one of the memory modules and ran with just one - crash. Swapped that with the other one - crash.

If I have some free time tonight, I'll try going through some older nvidia drivers. Tomorrow I'll try swapping out the video card - depending on Best Buy's video card return policy.

Looks like it's video card related. I bought a Radeon 4350 last night. Swapped out the GTS 250 and... the game ran fine for 12 hours! So, either it's the NVIDIA drivers I'm using or it's the card. I'm currently in the RMA process.

I'll update the thread once I get the replacement GTS 250 back in the machine.

There is quite a power requirement difference between an HD 4350 and a GTS 250. Maybe you were experiencing an available power problem.

I got the replacement GTS 250 from EVGA and put it in a few days ago. I cleaned up the ATI drivers using Driver Sweeper and installed NVIDIA 196.21. The new card has been running great! No crashes whatsoever

I have been experiencing what looks like an identical problem and my computer setup is nearly identical. The biggest exception being I have an i5 processor.

The GTS 250 is indeed a power hog! I just looked at the power specs and just about choked! 450W Minimum from the power supply, and 24 amps (!!!) on the +12V rail!

I think I need to replace my 460W power supply... *grumble, grumble*

(Note: Hasn't been a problem with any other game, though. Runs Batman: Arkham Asylum beautifully, as well as Lord of the Rings Online. What is it about CoH that demands the extra juice to the GPU?)