8800GT stuttering problem solved

[MMKA]

<p>After having issues with screen stuttering and freezes on the 8800GT for the past 4 months, I finally checked the bios version of my motherboard. Seems that it was out of date by 10 months - strange because I ordered my computer custom built just 4 months ago and assumed they would have used the most recent bios version.</p><p>I could run eq2 on other video cards without an issue, however, the 8800GT gave me nothing but problems. After I flashed my bios to the most recent version, all the stuttering issues completely went away. Now I can even run my system in SLI mode and get an average of 50-60 fps on balanced settings.</p><p>Anyone having problems needs to make sure they check the bios date on their motherboard. Also make sure you have a large enough and Nvidia approved power supply. I started with a 600w for sli and just upgraded to 1000w. </p>

[Jesdyr]

curious what type/model MB you have.

[Zarador]

I always been a bit cautious about flashing a bios on the motherboard.  I had some bad experiences in the past with an AMI Bios (duel no less) that crashed when loading, then loaded the bad copy into the protected copy.  After a few days of frustration (seems even the MB Manufacturer was at a loss) I wound up replacing the board.

[MMKA]

I am running an Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe.

[Jesdyr]

looking at the Bios update notes, it seems there was many fixes added for video card compatibility issues. I recently did a lot of digging and there has been some issues with PCI-e 2.0 video card compatibility with PCI-e 1.x motherboards. They "should" work but sometimes they dont work at all, and sometimes there are performance issues. updating drivers and firmware / Bios are always a good idea when you are having issues <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[TSR-DanielH]

While updating your BIOS can fix some issues, I would advise people not to do so unless you're absolutely SURE you know what you're doing.  Most fixes/updates are easily reversible but updating your BIOS wrong can destroy your motherboard.  If you really want to flash your BIOS and you're not confident in doing so, bring your computer to a professional.