Major graphic card issues, game only runs in windowed mode

@BoilingOil
Did you mean "would cause the entire system to reboot" or "wouldn't cause the entire system to reboot"? It's been years since I had a problem with the PSU - what I do remember is that my computer would (seemingly) randomly restart or just shut down. Then one day it just wouldn't turn on anymore and off to the computer store I went. (Of course, by that time I had an idea of what the problem was so I didn't just go buy a new PSU because I felt like it, lol.)

If you didn't have your computer custom built, it's actually pretty common for the PSU need upgraded because they're not going to put "the best of the best" into the case. I don't know of any way other than opening the case to find info about the PSU - the wattage will be on the label. If your PSU is.. say 450 watts, it's more than possible it's just not powerful enough and you might benefit from an upgrade to.. say 650 watts. What's recommended for your card, do you know?

Note that I could be completely off base here and your PSU could be just fine. But it's worth checking into since other solutions haven't worked.

@mustluvcatz
The line that I typed, "these would cause the entire system to reboot" is exactly what I meant, hun. Most of these issues, in *my* experience, WILL INDEED cause random reboots.

I understand what you're saying about the PSU not having enough power. That can indeed happen too. But not so much with an 850W PSU, right? I've had this much juice from day one, because my DUAL graphics cards require it. I don't remember the actual specs - the machine is about 5 yrs old by now - but the PSU in my case should be sufficient. Anyway, since I removed the extra fans, the problem has been gone. Everything works as it should.
The only issue that remained for me, was that the SSD boot drive had suffered from having to put up with the frequent crashes for over 6 months. So I had to replace that drive for the system to become operational again.

For @asoivel, however, you might be right. Checking into the PSU and the system's power requirements might be sensible.

@BoilingOil
Sorry, I forgot to tag asoivel after that first part! So all that after "If you didn't.." wasn't directed at you. Forgive me?

@asoivel

What BO and MLC are talking about are worth looking at as well.

@mustluvcatz There is nothing to forgive, hun. Don't worry about it

Thanks for your suggestions @BoilingOil and @mustluvcatz . I just bought this computer, it's not custom build. According to the description, the PSU should be 300W, which doesn't seem that much. I have no idea though, what would be needed and how to test, if this is indeed the issue. My graphics card is a Geforce GT 730, which certainly isn't the best on the market. So I wouldn't have expected any problems here. Also if I just bought the computer, I would expect, that the used components would work well together. If this is indeed the issue, I'd contact the retailer and ask them to fix it. While I can't send the computer back anymore, I do have warranty on it.

I'll only be able to look deeper into the issue on the weekend, but could you recommend me some tests, how to check this? Thank you for your help!

@asoivel: You're welcome. We're all kindred spirits, wishing our game to run without too much incident. Helping others achieve the same goal is our pleasure.

Checking for the specifications of the Graphics card (on this page), I found that the minimum recommended system power is 300W. But I would use that figure as the absolute minimum for a very bare bones system, that would boot up and be stable as long as it isn't taxed too much.
Because as soon as the graphics card is asked to actually do some *work*, it will start eating more power than the minimum. When it requires more power than it has available, the system may decide to temporarily power down other parts - such as the harddisk - to compensate. Next time the system needs to read some file, it will find the harddisk missing, and a fatal error occurs! - expect the system to at least CTD, or worst case REBOOT/BSOD!

TS2/3 will really challenge your system, so if you hope to run those games at any comfortable speed without breaking down, you will need a fair deal more than this minimum power requirement. If you look at the back of your system case, there might be an indication on the PSU what power it actually can provide. If that number is below 450W, I'd guess it's too little and you'll need to have it upgraded. And that's the most conservative number; you may need even more.

We just might be on to something here then.

@asoivel
Yeah, 300W is a bit low for a newer computer. (Is it a Dell by any chance?) It doesn't surprise me though - manufacturers are looking out for their bottom dollar. It's to their benefit to give you the bare minimum for some things, less expense for them and there's a chance to make money when someone upgrades a part or buys a new computer because their new one doesn't work anymore and the warranty is expired. If it does turn out that the PSU is the problem (and I'm really betting that it is) it would be worth getting in touch with your computer's manufacturer to see if there is anything they're willing to do since you're having problems and it's still under warranty.

Indeed! They often build their low end models to just about meet the specifications of its most demanding part (often the graphics card), so they can sell you something that seems too good to be true: a working device at the lowest possible price. It's not a bad machine, mind you; it's worth every penny that you spent on it. And it'll function properly, too. UNTIL you try using it for something that requires hard work, that is. Because THEN the system falls apart, and you're going to need upgrades.

It's just like a power tool. A low end drill is just as much a drill as a high end one. It's a good tool, worth exactly what you payed for it. Only its battery will not nearly hold out as long, and the motor will not be as strong, so it can't drill in the same materials.

So, if the 300W from the description is really all that your machine has, I can predict that it will not get better unless you replace that part.

Hm, that's not good... Replacing the PSU seems complicated and I don't want to spend even more money on it... Where can I find out more info on the PSU? Do I have to open the case? On the backside it just says "230Vac only".

On a different note, I finally got an error message. Sometimes the system doesn't crash completely with reboot, but it recovers and I get the message "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered", like here for example. This seems to be a frequent error. I did try to adjust the TdrDelay value in the registry, but that didn't help.

What do you think, does this support your theory of not enough power? Is it possible to tune the graphics card in a way that solves the issue?