Hi guys / gals ...

Edit : Added memory cause

I thought that some people might have some crashes in quake3, and perhaps also just in general (i know i did at some point) .. I just wanted to promote a very good tool which you folks can use to find out if your computer (cpu / memory) is stable.

However, this is properly known by some but then again, some might not be aware of it :

The tool is called Prime95 , it uses calculates prime numbers, and has a build-in stress test which (with 100% guarantee) can inform of error on cpu / ram.
The stress test is shortly a test where it calculates preknown prime numbers and then compares, if they dont match, well then there you go, theres a error (most likely caused by instability).

Here's a step by step guide with possible causes :

1) download Prime95 (versions for Windows, OS/2, Linux and FreeBSD exists) at http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm
2) extract and fire up Prime95, in the options menu select the 'Torture Test'
3) It will now really put stress on your cpu, let it run for atleast 5 hours (although most faults will be caught within 30 mins - if they exists)
4) If you dont get a error within 10 hours (example) then you should be confident that your cpu/memory are stable for workstation use.
4b) if you get a error ive made a list of possible causes :

NOTE I DO NOT TAKE ANY RESPOSIBILITY FOR ANY FAULTS THAT MIGHT BE CAUSED BY ACTION DERRIVED FROM THIS!!!!!!!

Cause :
CPU Voltage might be too low. Now, this can be caused by directly just too low voltage setting in the bios (this would mostly apply to people who overclock their cpu) - OR - Your PSU (Power Suply Unit) might simply not be stable, as in it reduces the voltage suply under heavy load, or perhaps it even spikes ! (this is not good though, can damage hardware)

Could be the memory that fails, check below what can be done.

Possible fixes :
Install a program like mbm5 to monitor your CPU voltage at runtime under heavy load to see if it drops - then you could as a option increase your CPU volt (by ONE step at a time) in your BIOS (consult your BIOS guide how and what dangers there might be with this).
If it's your PSU, well then you should definatly consider a QUALITY psu, Watt Output is not a reliable source to determin quality.

If it's your memory (hard to tell, but anyway) make sure you run the clock speeds of your memory at default (e.i. dont overclock anything at all)
Then check again, if you still have errors you might try adding a little voltage to your memory (check if low voltage is the case, compare bios setting with mbm5 readings under full load).
Run a program like memtest+ to see if its your memory only that fails, you can download the latest mbm5 from here : http://mbm.livewiredev.com/

Hope this might help some desperate people out there, cheers..

Links :

Prime95 http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm
mbm5 http://mbm.livewiredev.com/
memtest+ http://www.memtest.org/