Complete system lockup: UT3 + 8700M GT SLI

[skyyspam]

UT3 completely locks up my system when I launch it while set to SLI mode. The game starts up and is completely playable in non-SLI mode, though this is HARDLY a workaround given the age of the 8700M GT (ie. I need 2 to play with decent frame rates).

No overclocks.

System:
XP 64-bit SP2, DX 9.0c (remember, there's no SP3 for xp 64)
T9300 @ 2.5 GHz
4GB DDR2
2 x 8700M GT (SLI)

Drivers: latest mobile from nvidia, 179.48

Running the game in SLI mode will cause the entire system to lock up, with no program break via CTRL-ALT-DEL available. It requires a hard reboot to run again.

The crash occurs RIGHT when the first annoying UT3 video pops up--the one that is black with all of the white text. It gets to about half-brightness during that video's fade-in, and then locks.

Any help out there?

[skyyspam]

OK, this is interesting. The crash seems to occur with ALL unreal-engine games. The same exact system lockup happened with Red Orchestra (ut2k4 engine). Splash screen was fine, but once it goes fullscreen to launch the first video, BOOM--super locked.

[skyyspam]

Anyone experience this problem? I'm going to try Vista X64 and see if it helps.

[Nawrot]

I had similar problems but with ATI crossfire. What helped for me is messing with setting for AA, mip map etc.

When troubles started? After patch? Did you upgrade drivers or something with hardware recently? It is not uncommon to blame faulty RAM problem on some game or something else. What usually happens is that bigger games allocate memory and sometimes use damaged block for critical data, while everything else does not need as much memory and never allocates that damaged one. Result is user blaming game not his damaged hardware.

But yes in case of many games (Dead Space recently) cause of troubles is in SLI/crossfire.

[skyyspam]

I had similar problems but with ATI crossfire. What helped for me is messing with setting for AA, mip map etc.

When troubles started? After patch? Did you upgrade drivers or something with hardware recently? It is not uncommon to blame faulty RAM problem on some game or something else. What usually happens is that bigger games allocate memory and sometimes use damaged block for critical data, while everything else does not need as much memory and never allocates that damaged one. Result is user blaming game not his damaged hardware.

But yes in case of many games (Dead Space recently) cause of troubles is in SLI/crossfire.

I'll try disabling AA/AF and see if that helps.

Ugh...this requires at least one reboot, more than likely two when my comp freezes up again.

[skyyspam]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and blame XP64 with its lack of compatability. I'll try Vista x64 and see if that helps.

[skyyspam]

This was exactly the problem. SLI works wonderfully in all games now.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and blame XP64 with its lack of compatability. I'll try Vista x64 and see if that helps.