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Crash Crash Crash - Unibody (Fallout 3)

A

akm3

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Nov 15, 2007
2,252
279
Playing Fallout 3 under Boot Camp / Win XP ? Nope. Guaranteed crash.

So far, I've tried using SMC Fan control to keep the fan speed at maximum - this helps for awhile. I've installed all the Apple updates and patches.

Next step I suppose is upgrading to non-Apple Nvidia drivers and perhaps underclocking the already underclocked 9600GT.

Anyone have any solutions?
 
Please keep this thread updated. I would also call apple and see if they offer to replace the machine.
 
I'd definitely recommend upgrading the Nvidia video drivers. If anything you should see a performance increase and hopefully more stability.

When I installed XP or Vista (swapped back and forth), one of the first things I did after installing Bootcamp drivers was upgrading the video drivers.

I'm using MBP but not the unibody version, with XP32 or Vista32/64 & Fallout3 works flawlessly.

Just in case you need to know where to get the drivers, check out:
Laptop Video 2 Go

Besides that, I have been reading about the MBP unibody having issues with games where they eventually crash the laptop due to overheating.
 
I feel sorry for you, I dont have any problem what so ever playing Fallout 3 on my 15" MBP, which version do you have the 256 or the 512?

Fallout 3's the best game ever :p .... after Halo.

Oh it may help to know im using 64bit XP and not the ancient relic of a 32bit.
 
Lyshen said:
I'd definitely recommend upgrading the Nvidia video drivers. If anything you should see a performance increase and hopefully more stability.

When I installed XP or Vista (swapped back and forth), one of the first things I did after installing Bootcamp drivers was upgrading the video drivers.

I'm using MBP but not the unibody version, with XP32 or Vista32/64 & Fallout3 works flawlessly.

Just in case you need to know where to get the drivers, check out:
Laptop Video 2 Go

Besides that, I have been reading about the MBP unibody having issues with games where they eventually crash the laptop due to overheating.
Click to expand...

HI!
I know this post is not really dedicated to my question, but I' about buying a Titan 256 SSD for my early 08 2,4 Penryn MBP. Isaw you've got one so I couldn't help myself asking you a few questions. If its ok with you, could you tell me the results of such disk using Xbench? are you happy with this SSD?
Thank you very much for your advice & remarks.
NS31
 
The game is pretty crash-prone anyway, but it shouldn't crash constantly (although it was constant for me during the outdoor scenes of Tranquility Lane; I rushed through it and quicksaved constantly). I've logged dozens of hours on my MBP with few issues.
 
akm3 said:
Playing Fallout 3 under Boot Camp / Win XP ? Nope. Guaranteed crash.

So far, I've tried using SMC Fan control to keep the fan speed at maximum - this helps for awhile. I've installed all the Apple updates and patches.

Next step I suppose is upgrading to non-Apple Nvidia drivers and perhaps underclocking the already underclocked 9600GT.

Anyone have any solutions?
Click to expand...

What kind of crash? My MBP was crashing to the point where the screen would go black but it would still be "on" anytime I stressed the video card. Apple ended up replacing my logic board.
 
Skemo said:
What kind of crash? My MBP was crashing to the point where the screen would go black but it would still be "on" anytime I stressed the video card. Apple ended up replacing my logic board.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm having the crashes due to over heating with a stressed video card. The sound will futz up and the screen will go black but the computer is still 'on'. It requires a hard reboot to start over.

I called Apple and they said they they don't support games in Boot Camp, but if I could replicate it in OS X *maybe* they could help.

I don't have an Apple Store within 5 hours of me.
 
I need your help; Apple won't work with me on fixing the 9600GT issue because it is only appearing under Windows XP/Boot Camp. I don't have any OS X games to use to cause the black screen of death. Can anyone recommend a very graphically intense OS X game, that is very inexpensive, that I can use to recreate the issue so that Apple will at least let me move further towards them not fixing it?
 
akm3 said:
I need your help; Apple won't work with me on fixing the 9600GT issue because it is only appearing under Windows XP/Boot Camp. I don't have any OS X games to use to cause the black screen of death. Can anyone recommend a very graphically intense OS X game, that is very inexpensive, that I can use to recreate the issue so that Apple will at least let me move further towards them not fixing it?
Click to expand...

CoD 4?
 
I wonder if re-creating it in crossover would be considered Mac OS X to them? You can't run fallout 3, but there are some graphically intense games supported you could try to recreate it with.
 
I run Boot Camp w/ XP with sp3 and it runs Fallout 3 perfectly. I highly recommend you turn off this feature on the gpu where it uses multi-gpu-cores, I read that creates a lot of problems for games in general.
 
I had the same issue with playing games under Bootcamp. My MBP was only a week old.
I phone Apple and they couldn't have been more helpful. The guy went through some stuff and said it sounded like a faulty 9600. He gave me a lot of options but recommended a replacement. This arrived in a couple of days and *crosses fingers* has worked faultlessly so far when gaming in windows. I played LOTRO for about 4hrs straight last night with everything on full and the MBP got hot but never above 70C. Also the fans kicked in and out when needed without using SMC fan control.

I'd push for a replacement bud. The guy I spoke to didn't push about it happening on Windows as it was happening on more than one game. Maybe I got lucky.
 
n8236 said:
I run Boot Camp w/ XP with sp3 and it runs Fallout 3 perfectly. I highly recommend you turn off this feature on the gpu where it uses multi-gpu-cores, I read that creates a lot of problems for games in general.
Click to expand...

Not familiar with this feature, how do I disable it?

I'll give Apple another call, maybe I'll get a more helpful person.
 
Aha! Major progress.

I downloaded the Nvidia System Tools 6.02 which allow you to overclock (or underclock) your card.

I set it to the slowest it can possibly go, and voila no crashes. I was able to up the resolution and settings to ultra high and didn't even think about crashing.

This was after I could consistently crash the thing in less than 10 seconds.

Of course, being underclocked as slow as possible really hurt the frame rates. So, I will experiment will slowly cranking up the clock until it fails again.

This may be the solution, but what a PITA.

-Allen
 
akm3 said:
Aha! Major progress.

I downloaded the Nvidia System Tools 6.02 which allow you to overclock (or underclock) your card.

I set it to the slowest it can possibly go, and voila no crashes. I was able to up the resolution and settings to ultra high and didn't even think about crashing.

This was after I could consistently crash the thing in less than 10 seconds.

Of course, being underclocked as slow as possible really hurt the frame rates. So, I will experiment will slowly cranking up the clock until it fails again.

This may be the solution, but what a PITA.

-Allen
Click to expand...

You paid a lot of money for a system that clearly has an overheating / malfunctioning GPU. Be stern with Apple and don't settle for anything but repair or replacement.
 
I went through two mbp's that exhibited this behavior. At first I noticed it in bootcamp but since I figured they'll just blame it on windows, I found a free game called Nexuiz for mac that should crash the machine to a black screen nicely.

Give it a shot if they need proof. COD4 should do the trick also.
 
Unibody 512MB 2.53, no crash here...ever...unless I cheat-increase the run modifier and start running around outside.
 
freejack said:
I went through two mbp's that exhibited this behavior. At first I noticed it in bootcamp but since I figured they'll just blame it on windows, I found a free game called Nexuiz for mac that should crash the machine to a black screen nicely.

Give it a shot if they need proof. COD4 should do the trick also.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I'll try that game. A freeware OS X crash candidate is exactly what I'm looking for

-Allen
 
Gahhhhhh it gets super hot under that game, but hasn't crashed /rollseyes
 
Probably a daft question, but have you got the 9600 enabled when using OS X? As far as I know Bootcamp will always use it but OS X will default to the 9400 until it's selected.

Sorry if that sounds patronising, just thought I'd mention it, just in case. :)
 
Nik73 said:
Probably a daft question, but have you got the 9600 enabled when using OS X? As far as I know Bootcamp will always use it but OS X will default to the 9400 until it's selected.

Sorry if that sounds patronising, just thought I'd mention it, just in case. :)
Click to expand...

Funny you mention that, I *just* noticed that and rushed here to post that I had forgot to turn the 9600 on under OS X, but see you've beat me to this suggestion.

No, I forgot that.

That said, I'm pretty happy with how the 9400 performed under that game =D I'm going to turn the 9600 on and have another go at wiping this puppy out.
 
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