Problems with ny new PC.

[Psycho]

I recently ordered a new PC since my old one was getting, well, old.
Decided to order just the parts instead of a pre-made PC so that I could customize it the way I wanted. When I got it, me and a friend (none of us with much pc building experience really) somehow got it up and running. Much trial and errors with the wiring, but all that should be ok now.

Everything seems normal at first glance, exept for that when I boot the PC I get a message saying that the CPU is unknown and that I need to update my BIOS to unleash its full power! (yes in those words)

Strange enough since I can run windows (XP) just fine and it detects my processor with the device manager, drivers for it installed and so on.
Now, Alone in the dark came with my graphics card. I know it sucks, but I decided to give it a whirl to see what my new beast can do.

The graphics are beautiful, and the game runs smoothly. I have to manually blink my eyes every 5 seconds troughout the first bit (I mean, wtf)
After about 2 minutes the game freezes up and I get the usual "program has crashed" error where I can choose to report it.

I try again and the same thing happens, but now even earlier into the game, so I figure its nothing to do with a certain location or event in the game, and google can't seem to find anyone with similar problems with the game.
I get my suspicions that it might be something with the hardware. I fire up a HD movie, and same thing happens. Runs perfectly fine for a minute or two, then brutally crash and burn.

Now, I listen to advice from a friend, saying I should trying to update the driver. The driver I already had was quite new so I thought I'd be alright, but there was a newer one out, so I install it.
Now I try and open the game, and I get the error: "Game initialization failed. A problem occured with your graphics card"

So to the point; What is wrong and how can I fix it?

Specs:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU E8500 @ 3.16GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 4096MB RAM (2048 currently being used)
Hard Drive: 500 GB
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280
Sound Card: Realtek HD Audio output   
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_qfe.070719-1309)
Motherboard:  Mainboard S-775 P35 ATX Audio LAN 2xPCI-E SATA-II Retail DDR2/DDR3

[LeetFidle]

Sorry but the only advice i can give u is this.

sorry you need to take a flamethrower to your harddrive, and your ram if its still in there.

good luck.

[a-4-year-old]

This is a legit problem, not "HOW I FRAGMENT?!?! OH NO I GOT TROJAM"

first you should update your motherboard. Second you could get SP3.

To actually fix your problem, do the usual "try disabling hardware acceleration"

If that doesn't work look into directx, you never got the game to run perfectly, so it might be that.

[8th_account]

Various relevant google links all suggest to update the BIOS. If the latest version still doesn't solve the issues, file a ticked with the motherboard manufacturer.

For the second issue, it might be related to the first issue, or the GPU simply gets too toasty. Are you sure its fan is cooling it down properly?

[Psycho]

I already tried fiddling with the hardware acc options. No luck there.
I have like 6 fans in there, and I have been monitoring the temperature of it with some nvidia software. It is very hot to the touch, but the temp readings show about 54 celcius.

And this just occured. I was trying yet again to watch my movie, expecting it to crash at any second (wich it did). It crashed worse than usual and did an immediate reboot. After logging in, I got the message that a severe crash just took place and that I should report it. I did, and I got linked to a windows site that said the following:

Consider BIOS upgrade

Microsoft is unable to determine the exact cause of this error. However, this problem was most likely caused by an error in your computer’s random access memory (RAM). RAM is the main internal storage area the computer uses to run programs and store data.

During the crash analysis, we noticed the basic input/output (BIOS) system version on this computer does not match the specifications for the central processing unit (CPU), also known as a processor, that is installed on your computer. This can occur when a newer processor is installed on an older system board or older BIOS. Using a BIOS that does not support the installed processor can result in Windows system crashes. Contact your computer manufacturer or motherboard manufacturer for an updated version of BIOS for your computer's processor.

How do I find my computer manufacturer (OEM)?

You can find the name of your computer manufacturer (also known as the original equipment manufacturer or OEM) by following these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type msinfo32, and then click OK. Your computer manufacturer is listed in the right pane of the System Information window.

Click to go online to see contact information for most computer manufacturers

Additional information

Note

Upgrading the BIOS version may require moderate to advanced troubleshooting skills. If you are uncomfortable with performing these steps, you might want to consider consulting with paid technical support.

If your computer contains an Intel processor, you can use special utilities to identify your specific processor. Click the following link to go online for more information:

Now, I also thought about the BIOS updating thing, but the fact is that I updated it when I installed the drivers. The driver installation program had an option that searched for a BIOS update and installed it, so I guessed I was up to date on that one.

Anybody know how I can check my current BIOS version and how old it is?
Edit: I just cannot seem to find a way to update my bios. Google comes up with "install it from a USB flash drive" but where do I download it from?
When I go to the mainboard on the ASUS site, everything is in korean, and if I change the language, I cannot find any info about the card!

Cam someone help me salvage the rest of my weekend?

[Flamingo]

I have like 6 fans in there, and I have been monitoring the temperature of it with some nvidia software. It is very hot to the touch, but the temp readings show about 54 celcius.

If that is in idle then you have 6 broken fans.

[GunPowder]

Did you get a power supply strong enough for your video card? An underpowered or faulty PSU can cause similar incomprehensible problems.

[Psycho]

I got the "GameXStream 700W PSU / SLI Certified / Silent 120 mm fan / 83% Efficiency"
I have no idea how to find out if it delivers enough power.

[a-4-year-old]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=power+supply+calculator&spell=1

[FliesLikeABrick]

This sounds like either an overheating issue or a driver issue, unfortunately I can't tell which

[shantec]

Okay, this may sound stupid (b'cause its random suggestion), but try;

Goto RUN -> dxdiag -> tab called screen (or something like that) -> enable all the accerlation things


I have no idea does it work, but atleast it cant get worse!

[JupiterShadow]

It could be that your motherboard is incompatible with your processor. (highly unlikely) But it could be possible. 

[Psycho]

I uninstalled all my drivers just now, and games seem to run without a problem. System stability also drastically improved.

[bja888]

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU E8500 @ 3.16GHz (2 CPUs Cores)

Fixed

[frogboy]

do you ever get tired of being a worthless pedant

[Flamingo]

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU E8500 @ 3.16GHz (2 CPUs Cores)

Fixed

Fuck you

[koingnegsegg]

Seems bizarre that you can run a game without drivers.
what game is it?