PC Shutdown during Idle/Browsing

[RoadKillNL]

Hi all,

First all i'm new here so i couldn't really find a suitable forum section to put this in.

I have a strange problem which is going on for a couple of weeks/months now. Like every 1 or 2 weeks my PC decides to shut itself down during Idle or Browsring the internet. It never happens during gaming which is a load operation. It simply shuts itself down and i have to press the power button again, it boots up normaly again without giving an error message after startup. I checked the Windows Log files a couple of times aswell at the time it shut down but it doesn't really tell anything that could have caused it.

Here is my PC Specs:

CPU:
Intel Core i7 950 @ 3.66 Ghz (166 x 22)
Voltage: 1.125 Normal, DVID +0.125 (Load-line Calibration Standard Intel Spec)
Cooler: Noctua NH-C14 Push/Pull 750 RPM
Temps: Idle 37C - Load (Gaming) 65C

Motherboard:
Gigabyte X58A-UD7 (Bios FC)

Memory:
GeIL DDR3 Ultra Tripple Channel 3x 2GB (7-7-7-24) (Voltage needed 1.65, set to 1.64)
(XMP 6-6-6-24 is unstable, BSOD Randomly)

Videocard:
Zotac GTX580 (Stock) (Arctic Accelero Xtreme Plus)
Installed in the first PCI-E 16x Slot

Soundcard:
Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty Titanium Pro

Harddisks:
OCZ Vertex 120GB (Firmware 1.6) (Windows Drive)
OCZ Vertex 120GB (Firmware 1.6) (Games Drive)
Samsung EcoGreen F1 HD103SI 1Tb (Storage)
All connected to the Intel controller

Power Supply:
Seasonic X750 GoldPlus 750 Watt

I recently swapped around the memory modules into different banks but that doesn't seem to make a difference. I have the same system specs as before it started happening. I had the two OCZ Drives in Raid-0 before and recently seperated them as i thought that might could be the cause, but it's not. Seeing it doesn't happen during load it can't be the PSU or Videocard either. I'm kinda out of ideas what it could be tho i'm leaning towards memory for some reason.

If anyone has any ideas of what it could be or what i could try to figure it out id be very thankful.

 

[stompah]

Had this happen to me long time ago. Turned out to be a video issue. But that doesnt mean it will be the same for you.


First I would run memtest over night just to help rule out memory issues.

Then, since you cannot really replicate the problem. Maybe try yanking everything out and slowly adding parts back in until it starts doing it again. Try only 1 stick of ram, MB, CPU, PSU and video card.

 

[RoadKillNL]

The only thing i can try is swapping memory in and out because i ain't got any replacement parts to swap in and out.

I wish i wrote down the date a when it happend first time, because i added 2 things in the meanwhile. The 580 and a second SSD.

I don't have any BSODing either, infact it could be months since i had such an issue.

 

[Cigarsmoker]

Sandforce controlled BSOD is usually not during load. Usually the SSD drop off the face of the earth. BIOS and Windows no longer is able to detect the SSD so it just freezes. Not saying that this is cause of your problem but the description fits.

 

[RoadKillNL]

Sandforce controlled BSOD is usually not during load. Usually the SSD drop off the face of the earth. BIOS and Windows no longer is able to detect the SSD so it just freezes. Not saying that this is cause of your problem but the description fits.

Maybe it's one of my SSDs then.

A week age my oldest SSD (bought early 2010) all of a sudden wasn't detected anymore by the BIOS. So i attached a jumper and had to do a Destructive Flash wich fixed again. But since then it happend once again that the PC just shut down while i was browsing the net.

I guess ill head back to the OCZ Forum to get more information.

 

[RoadKillNL]

From another forum i had another reply from a guy saying it was his Videocard because of the 2D and 3D Clocks going up and down.

Now i did replace my 5970 with a GTX580 around the time it started happening i think. Maybe i can try to force Maximum Performance on the Global and IE profiles.

 

[Cigarsmoker]

You need to find where the problem lies. Then and only then can you address the problem.

 

[RoadKillNL]

You need to find where the problem lies. Then and only then can you address the problem.

Don't have any parts to swap in an out. The only thing i could try was test Memory Sticks 1 by 1 and they didn't show any errors.

Guess ill buy a new PSU, CPU, Mobo, Videocard and SSD.

 

[Cigarsmoker]

Well that's crappy. You might have to beg steal or borrow. Random BSOD is tough to diagnose as it could be a number of component and could also be a number of software. Lots of variables.

 

[wingman99]

Try running Prime95 and then furmark.

 

[RoadKillNL]

I got the feeling all my hardware is fine.

I remembered i had a APC Back-UPS RS 1500 (865 Watt) laying around that i used before, but once the power went it wasn't able to power my system which is strange it doesn't pull even 500 Watt.

But ye, i hooked it up again. Because around here there are voltage Peeks and Sags every now and then. And seeing it doesn't happen that often i'm pretty sure that's the cause.

 

[ZapTap]

I'd say it's a safe bet that it's the ssd.. that drive uses the sandforce controller mentioned above, and you're using Intel. Try updating drivers and everything for your graphics card and see if that fixes it (or whatever the other guy you mentioned did to fix it) if it doesn't fix it, then I'd say it's that ssd causing it

 

[RoadKillNL]

My SSDs don't use a Sandforce Controller They are the Vertex 1.

 

[ZapTap]

My SSDs don't use a Sandforce Controller They are the Vertex 1.

ahh my bad. I should've asked which one >< well then.. there goes my idea XD still try swapping out graphics card drivers and googling to see if any of them are unstable. who knows, maybe that's it

 

[RoadKillNL]

ahh my bad. I should've asked which one >< well then.. there goes my idea XD still try swapping out graphics card drivers and googling to see if any of them are unstable. who knows, maybe that's it

I'm pretty sure by now the issue is Power Peeks and Sags that are too big for the PSU to take care of. My PSU does have protection for it but ofcourse that's only limited in up and down range.

I got my Back-UPS between the Wall and my PC now with the Software installed. If it doesn't happen anymore the next 3+ weeks the problem is clear.

 

[RoadKillNL]

It shutdown again this morning, so that been 11 days since last time. I'm getting lost here >_<

I did swap around my PCI-E Cards after it happend again. That's pretty much the only thing i can try out atm.

Swapped my GTX580 from PCI-E 16X_1 to PCI-E 8X_1. Yes, it's a 8X slot but performance wise it doesn't matter.

And the soundcard went from PCI-E 8X_2 to PCI-E 1X_2.

I also disabled HPET incase that matters. If these things don't work i have no clue anymore. I mean..it been 11 days since it last happend now. It's so rare i dunno where to search really.

 

[RoadKillNL]

Seems to be still happening every 10 days or so.

Seeing the issue pretty much started happening when i swapped from HD5970 to GTX580, it's clear i have to search there. I did rewire my PC as my PSU has 2 options to connect the CPU 8 Pin. I also swapped the two PCI-E connectors around. If that doesn't help i got some final tricks up my sleeve that "might" solve the problem.

- Up voltage from 1000 mV to 1025 mV (Perhaps a notch higher to 1038 mV).
- Force Constant voltage in MSI Afterburner so it doesn't go up and down while Adaptive Mode is enabled.

 

[RoadKillNL]

So far replaced Memory and SSD, no deal. This is getting annoying.

Right now i'm about to RMA my PSU, that's the only other Hardware that's highly likely to cause the problem. Basicly upgrading PC with parts 1 by 1 and t's very frustrating and expensive.

If anyone has other ideas let me know.

 

[RoadKillNL]

Well the problem is solved, seems it was the PSU.

Since i didn't have a replacement PSU i bought a new SeaSonic X760 and ever since then it's gone. I will RMA my SeaSonic X750 for a replacement and see if i can sell the new unit

Thanks everyone who offered help and suggestions. It been a long couple of months and i'm glad it's finally solved.

 

[RollingThunder]

Well the problem is solved, seems it was the PSU.

Since i didn't have a replacement PSU i bought a new SeaSonic X760 and ever since then it's gone. I will RMA my SeaSonic X750 for a replacement and see if i can sell the new unit

Thanks everyone who offered help and suggestions. It been a long couple of months and i'm glad it's finally solved.

Roadkill,

I've had identical instances with a lesser quality power supply quality and to be honest, when I saw your equipment the last item I would have suspected was your power supply. They don't get much better than what you had or what you just bought.........