I actually only started playing Skyrim just earlier. Just when the Imperial Guards were about to take us to Helgen, the PC suddenly had a DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error which I tracked down to RTkHDAudio.sys or something like that. It's RealTek HD Audio. I tried updating the drivers in the RealTek site and it seemed to work. I got inside Helgen... then the PC suddenly restarted with no BSODs or whatever.

PC is on WinXP SP3

Hardware:
Intel Core2Duo E6320, 1.86GHz
Nvidia GeForce 9500GT
2GB of RAM
Asus P5S MX-SE mobo

I use the onboard sound card in the Asus mobo. I might try updating the drivers for that instead. Or I could just buy a sound card and deactivate the onboard sound in the BIOS, but I don't have the cash yet.

Any other suggestions?

The CPU is a bit weak I believe. What are the temperatures of your CPU/GPU when running?

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001143.htm

Try disabling the onboard sound in your BIOS, and see if that fixes it.

I have to say though, your specs are very low. I'm actually surprised it runs

tgl1992, I have no idea. How do I check for temps?

B1gBadDaddy, will try those solutions when I get back on that PC. It's owned by my brother.

Yeah. I'm surprised too. But I was motivated to run it because I have heard from some that the system requirements are often exaggerated.

With Skyrim it's the opposite mate. They've been too generous, and you really need more than what they say to run this game properly.

Yah fraid many of us with realtek based sound are experiencing general wierdness in terms of Skyrim's audio, I remember on launch day for instance there was a suggestion to drop the playback quality from 48K to 41K and that'd fixed some CTDs I was experiencing at the time, now not sure if patches have taken care of that particular need but something to try. Beyond that though BSODs and the like are the realm of driver mishaps and that should be the focus, since you've ID'ed the audio driver that'd be the first one to just re-install even if its up to the most current available.

Er right and to squeeze somer performance out of that video card definitely ensure the geforce 290.53 beta driver (available on geforce.com) is being used.
Beyond that also make sure to use the mod called 'skyboost', its a significant enhancement to how the game's code runs on PCs and universally its been a gigantic benefit.

Unfortunately I don't think that there's any way to monitor the temp on that card since it doesn't have a built-in gauge for such things. I've tried with an older system with the 9600GT so I would think that it's the same for the 9500GT.

Also, keep in mind that system requirements are often exaggerated but not in the sense that most would think. In the case of Skyrim they are actually higher than what they posted so thinking that you'll slip under the radar and run the game without issues is hoping for the absolute best.

This screams PSU to me...anyone else? I bet the temps aren't good, but that may be a symptom.

I concur.

If the PSU isn't adequate or failing you'll typically get a flat out death to black screen with looping audio, but indeed its still in the realm of possibility. A 9500/dualcore combo isn't exactly a power svcker to begin with though.

CPU temps, I mean.


I haven't encountered that. Just a reset of the PC and I don't know what activated it. It worked fine soon after.




I really hope this isn't a case of the PC biting off more than it can chew.

Agreed - if the psu is working right. Here is where I'm coming from (sequence I've seen)...

- psu failing/inconsistent/erratic
- juice flux to mobo, gpu and fans
- maybe some fans not even functioning
- system overheat on heavy loads
- emergency shutdown/restart (maybe failsafe setting in bios)
- failing psu, meantime, taking toll and slowing damaging components (particularly mobo)
- odd mobo behaviour, such as onboard sounds oddities

I dunno...this just looks familiar is all

Unlike the majority of the Geforce 9n00 cards, the 9600 GT was not a renamed Geforce 8n00 anything. The 9500 GT, on the other hand, was very simply the 8600 GT re-engineered slightly to suit a thinner new die. I have an old loaner PC around here, I think, that still has an 8n00 in it, but I think it's an 8600 GTS, which didn't have any 9n00 counterpart.

Interesting. Thanks for the info. So according to that, I would venture to guess, he should be able to monitor the temps for that card.

Going by my own experience with Geforces of that period (8600 GTS, 8800 GT, 9800 GT), the one I have dealt with regularly did have sensors. That's not saying I didn't have friends or relatives ignoring my advice during that period and demanding cheap crap, like the 8500 GT (I'm the official PC Builder for a sizable group of penny-pinchers. Scots heritage, you understand.)