This questions should be easy. RAM

strings41 wrote on 10/29/2003, 5:23 PM

I have a 2.4 Gig P4 .processor and 512 DDR RAM. Windows XP.

I can edit with Vegas 4 no problem, but when I go to Render for MPEG2 DVD Architech NTSC format, it will get so far and then my computer goes off. Someone told me this is a RAM issue. If this is the case what do I need to render. Vegas has a minimum requirement of 128 I believe. I am way over that.
What am I doing wrong?
How can I fix this?

Comments

PAW wrote on 10/29/2003, 5:25 PM

"your computer goes off" - do you mean turns off i.e shuts down or do you mean Vegas stops/freezes?

PAW

strings41 wrote on 10/29/2003, 5:36 PM

By the way, I have went into my CTRL+ALT+DEL and ended all of the Processes that I could and My computer isrunning top notch, but it still shuts down.

strings41 wrote on 10/29/2003, 5:39 PM

It shuts off. The person that told me that it was the RAM said that if XP runs out of ram it shuts off, but the other operating systems freeze up.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 10/29/2003, 5:42 PM

What about your virtual memory settings? also, are you over clocking anything? If you are, turn it off.

strings41 wrote on 10/29/2003, 5:47 PM

How do I te about the overclocking?
I have my virtual Memory set at 1000 min and 2000 max and have also tried 2000 min and max

strings41 wrote on 10/29/2003, 5:47 PM

How do I te about the overclocking?
I have my virtual Memory set at 1000 min and 2000 max and have also tried 2000 min and max

TheHappyFriar wrote on 10/29/2003, 11:22 PM

Well, if you don't know if you're overclocking, you're not. :)

Something on the MB may be overheating (CPu, RAM, etc.) Do you have a motherboard monitoring utility that will tell you system temp's/voltages/fan speeds real time? If so, run it and watch your temp as you render. If it gets close/above intel's recomended specs for your CPU (you'll have to look it up on the intel site), then shut down, you have an overheating problem.

Newer motherboards will shut down your computer if they overheat. There is a setting for this in your bios somewhere.

Chanimal wrote on 10/29/2003, 11:24 PM

Just a side note, are you using a UPS? I had one that was rated too low and the system would inadvertantly shut off when I drew just a little too much power. It took forever to isolate, but was permantly fixed when I bypassed the UPS.

It may not happen during renduring, but if your programs are on different harddrives, and you access another application, the other drive or resource may require more power.

There are multiple things that can cause this to happen, this was the oddest but worth checking.

carloqv wrote on 10/30/2003, 3:58 AM

maybe you have faulty RAM
download memtest and run it
http://www.memtest86.com/
if it reports errors then you've got faulty RAM

if that goes well then
run prime95 turture test for about an hour
http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm
if this fails then you've got
a problem maybe with your CPU
overheating.... or just unstable..

riredale wrote on 10/30/2003, 11:34 AM

I would suggest you run the software mentioned above, and also if you know how to get the side of the box off then remove it and place a fan blowing air onto the insides. If the system now runs fine, you either have a cooling issue or the BIOS shutdown settings are too conservative (by the way, processors are able to run VERY hot without failing--check your Intel or AMD website).

BillyBoy wrote on 10/30/2003, 12:34 PM

CPU's can run "hot", probably should say hotter, but it shortens their useful life. Newer designs run cooler, older chips from both Intel and ADM ran hotter.

Pushing up the limit before the system shuts itself down in BIOS is like putting a penny in old style fuse boxe. Sure, the power would stay on and where the fuse would have melted and cut off the power, the penny would go on and on, but you ran the risk of starting a fire.

I wouldn't set any BIOS setting much higer than 140 F. Ideally, your CPU (assuming P4 or latest AMD) shouldn't get much above 100 F even under constant load. If it does... something may be wrong.

sbs56 wrote on 10/30/2003, 3:43 PM

A couple of other things you might try:

1) Control Panel / Display - turn your screensaver off (select "[None]").
2) Control Panel / Power - check values in "Plugged In" mode. You might try increasing them - particularly "System standby:" and "System hibernates:"

Good luck.

BrianStanding wrote on 10/30/2003, 3:49 PM

Check the CPU fan. Mine quit on me on my AMD Athlon XP 2700 system, and I got symptoms very similar to what you describe.

Otherwise, I'm guessing faulty RAM module.

riredale wrote on 10/30/2003, 4:22 PM

BB:

I agree that "cooler=better" but was surprised the first time I visited the AMD specs page. They say that <60C is great and that their various processors are rated up to about 90C. 90C! That's hot! It's true that running close to the max will shorten the processor life, but given the amazing technology rollercoaster we are all riding, we probably change out processors every 5 years anyway.

They also caution that their 90C figure comes from measuring the die directly, while MotherboardMonitor and similar programs look at the value of a nearby sensor. As a result a bit of a "fudge factor" needs to be included. Nonetheless, these little guys are pretty tough.

My 10% overclocked T'bird is currently showing 46C, and rendering pushes it up to about 50C. According to the AMD tables it is putting out about 70W, which is about what the latest AMD chips dissipate.