A graphic card issue...

I started playing SL sice about one week.
Since I´ve installed SL my coomputer crashes nearly ervery about 30 min.
When I´m online in SL sometimes I can play for about a houre, and most of the time I can only play for some minutes until it crashes...
(Since installing SL my computer crashes also without playing SL about 10-20 times a day...)
I did set up my Computer new about two weeks ago, hopping to fix the problems, but nothing relay changed. Same crashes as before.
I guess its beacuse of the graphic card I´m using.
It´s a Radeon 9250, maybe it is broken.
Would SL perform better if i switch to an Nvidia 7600GS?
My system is a Pentium 4 2,4 Ghz, 1024 Ram
Thank you very much for help,
lg
Tinara

If you go in the bios, perhaps turning down the AGP setting would help? I changed mine from 8X to 4X, I think, and it solved my computer crashing. Well, that and a new, better power supply. Though I have a Radeon 9800 XT..

If it's crashing the whole computer, overheating is a possibility. I had this problem with one of my laptops and also with my desktop right after I upgraded my video card recently.

With the desktop, I discovered that the heat sink on the CPU had gotten clogged with dust and wasn't cooling as it should. I used a cotton swab with finger nail polish remover to carefully clean the top ridges of the heat sink and it eliminated the overheating.

First, you will have a MUCH better experience with SL with a 7600 than a Radeon 9250. Without a doubt.

However, it does seem like you may be having overheating issues as above. Cleaning out the interior of your computer may help. It isn't difficult. You'll need compressed air. Many electronics stores (Best Buy, Comp USA, etc...) have canned air you can use if you don't have an air compressor. And just so that it's said: No Liquids!

Unhook your computer and move it to a place you won't mind getting dusty.

Open the case. Cases can vary widely on how to open them, so I can't give specifics. You may need a Phillips screwdriver. Your manual should be able to tell you how to open it if you don't already know.

A note about canned air: Always keep the can as upright as possible, some canned air products when turned upside down will spray the liquified gas out which can cause frost burns and damage components. Also, as you use it, the can will coll down dramatically. As it does, the pressure will drop. It's a good idea to have two cans and alternate between them, letting one can warm up while you use the other.

Now, if your computer is really clogged and you have canned air, just concentrate on disloging the heavy build up at first. Start at the top and work downward. Don't forget the vents on the back of the computer.

Becareful about blowing out the fans. Don't spin them too fast and do *not* let anything get in the way of the blades. If something gets into a spinning fan, you may break a blade off which will unbalance the fan and make it useless.

Blow out the dustbunnies from the bottom of the case and then start over, getting the rest of the dust out.

I've seen some really clogged computers that were very unstable become much more reliable after a good cleaning. Give this a shot and see if it helps. Even if this doens't clear up your problems, this is good practice for proper maintennance of your computer.

Hello,

thanks for your help.
When I´ve set up my computer new, I´ve done a cleaning with compresse air (there was a lot of dust in my computer )
But the problem is still there.
My graphic card has no cooler fan as I can see and when I touch it, it seems to be very hot.
So will try a new graphic card to see if that helps.
Thanks again a lot for your help,
lg
Tina

P.s. Yesterday I realized, that my AGP was disabled. I´ve turned it on, first 8x, but still crashes. Then I´ve out it to 4x and it seems that it crashes now not that often as before...

If the heatsink on the card was very hot (makes ou say 'ouch') then the car is likely overheating. A new video card might be a good idea. The nVidia 7600GS is a great choice for the price. Newegg has an XFX 256M 7600GS AGP for about $120 with a mail-in rebate to bring the price down to $90. you can check it out here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814122011