Re: GT730 videocard freezes. What to do ?

Paul,

Sorry for the late response, I was a bit under the weather.

>> I've got a 'puter with a GT730 videocard in it, and, when displaying
>> 3D stuff (games but simple OpenGL stuff) it regulary locks up, resulting
>> in a "blue screen of death".
...
> Is this a passively cooled card ?

It is.   And not even a big heatsink either.

> If so, point a fan at the heatsink.

I've bought a small fan and secured it ontop of the heatsink (sucking air 
away from it).- I won't call it "screwed on", as I just wedged some screws 
between the curved(!) blades of the heatsink

Lets see if it makes a difference.

By the way, I was completely focussed on a driver problem, and forgot all 
about possible heat problems. :-|   Thanks for reminding me.  :-)

> There's no point taking it all apart, without
> a temperature measurement showing the temperature
> is too hot. Try GPU-Z from techpowerup -- the dev uses
> techpowerup as his dropsite.

Long ago and with a different, more powerfull videocard I implemented some 
code I found on the 'web.  I've to dig it up and see if it works for this 
card too.

> I was using SmokeParticle.exe

Nice name.   I remember a "nosmoke.com" driver from loong ago.  According to 
the story it didn't quite help putting the fire out.  I hope yours doesn't 
live up to its name either. :-)

> On one video card, I've had it apart to put fresh paste
> on it. If there are four screw holes, you use two of
> the (diagonal) screw holes as "sights" to check alignment,

I have no problem applying new paste on chips where the heatsink is stable 
ontop of the chip (preferrably using a clip-on method), but have no wish to 
gamble with the ones which play see-saw.  For those I rather pay a 
professional (read: having way more experience).

Regards,
Rudy Wieser