So what the heck is with my comp's sudden freezing issue?

[pixel7ripper]

This is a case of happily running a PC at the same state of drivers and no major changes and then starting to encounter bootup issues, crashes during games, and now all that plus crashes while doing literally nothing but looking at firefox, or Spotify. basically just while using windows, etc.

I've done memtest scans with multiple programs, no issues found, i ran Hard disk sentenel, my storage drive is at 93% health but my startup RAID is at 100% health

so here's my specs, hopefully someone can tell me what I should check for next

I just did a fresh windows 7 ultimate install, so that didn't fix it
Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe V2
CPU: Intel i7 quad-core @ 2.67 ghz
PSU: AX1200i
RAM: 12 GB OCZ DDR3
GPU: 2x Gigabyte ATI 7950 HD
OS: Win 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
(note, I'm using the GIGABYTE ATI driver that came on the disc, because -any- of the newer drivers cause rampant crashing in every game, and I had been using this old *** driver happily for 6 months, so I don't think that's the cause of this new issue, probably just an anomaly, maybe a hardware compatibility fluke or something, no idea. I absolutely cannot update my graphics drivers with these cards so don't ask me to try that, I've already been down that road a dozen times on my own.)

A description of the bootup issue when it occurs: computer turns on, does not go to ASUS express gate, or bios setup, monitor receives no signal. Several manual restarts eventually get it to boot up, and then it might restart just fine for several days. The other issue is most of the time when put to sleep, it will not wake from sleep, it might 'wake up the HDD' but the screen never comes on.

 

[10XTriplet]

Have you've checked your CPU fan to make sure its free from wires? Or MEMtest to check your RAM? For that matter check the board for blown caps?

 

[pixel7ripper]

The cpu fan works fine, i specified memtests results were fine in my post yes, lets see blown caps... no they look fine to me.

Ran 20x LinX tests overnight, no problems found

 

[Conumdrum]

Any updates to software recently you know of? Hmm, what anti-virus proggy you running?

Try one GPU for a while?

 

[illuminate]

By crashes do you mean freezing or it just reboots and starts loading windows again ?

 

[pixel7ripper]

By crashes do you mean freezing or it just reboots and starts loading windows again ?

instant lockup, doesnt even go to the actual bluescreen, but i get a BSOD message when i start back up manually, by having to hold down the power button or hitting reset.

Any updates to software recently you know of? Hmm, what anti-virus proggy you running?

Try one GPU for a while?

no major software changes come to mind, borderlands 2 was running fine and now its also been BSOD'ing, other games i play are Reckoning, Torchlight, Secondlife. 'right' before this started I got all the way through Bioshock 3 and Metro LL with no crashes.

Been using AVG free edition all this time, at the most basic settings since i don't do risky stuff online

That's what im going to try today, see if the first card i got was faulty all along and see if the newer one can run the newest drivers fine.

 

[Conumdrum]

Aha, the first GPU you have wouldn't use newer drivers? Caused issues?

 

[illuminate]

Check to see if there is a recent minidump in the C:/windows/minidump folder. If so you might want to try BlueScreenViewer to look at what is causing the BSOD

Check temps to make sure they are normal.

Also is your CPU or GPU overclocked by any chance ? If so you might try bumping the voltage up one notch to see if anything changes.

 

[pixel7ripper]

Aha, the first GPU you have wouldn't use newer drivers? Caused issues?

Yes, but the old driver worked peachy for almost a year, as well as when i added the new card bout 6 months ago i think, but now these issues are popping up.

Check to see if there is a recent minidump in the C:/windows/minidump folder. If so you might want to try BlueScreenViewer to look at what is causing the BSOD

Check temps to make sure they are normal.

Also is your CPU or GPU overclocked by any chance ? If so you might try bumping the voltage up one notch to see if anything changes.

Here's the minidump attached for you to check out, i know it didn't fit everything into the jpg (almost) but let me know if you want the actual file too.

Temps are normal, ran a GPU-Z log in game til BSOD, i checked later and it got up to 76 deg c. i don't know how to interpret the voltages or anything so i'll just attach the log to this post too.

My CPU is not overclocked, my GPU might be using AMD overdrive by default, the catalyst AI or whatever. i do know how to bump up the voltages 1 notch but check out that data and let me know if i should still try that thanks.

Also since i'm still a 'technical' noob for the most part I should just ask, should I be checking for and updating stuff for my mobo, like bios updates, and ASUS AI or anything? The kind of stuff i don't know til someone tells me!

 

[illuminate]

Yes if you could please attach the minidump.

Temps are normal on your GPU, did you also check CPU ?
Can you post a pic of HWmonitor

Something that seems odd to me is at the beginning of the log file the vddc current seems normal then i assume when i see the GPU load go up you have started the game which makes the vddc current amps go up then close to the time you start the game the amp randomly drops for a second and the memory core drops with it. At 2013-05-27 01:13:11 of the log you can see it happens again amps drop and the memory clock aswell as the GPU core clock and at the end before crash i assume there are low vddc current amps for 3 seconds it goes from 126, 81, 2.8, 0.0, 0.8, 0.8, then back to 127. I am not sure if this is normal since i am not to experienced with amd cards but it does seem odd.

That log lasted 11 min from when the GPU was under load until it crashed.

Try running a GPU test that puts 100% load you were at peak high 60's see if this increased load makes the computer crash faster than before.
Try Heaven, 3dmark, MSI Kombustor anything to get 100% load


Is there any stuttering before it crashes or does it work perfectly then freeze up.

 

[pixel7ripper]

Yes if you could please attach the minidump.

Temps are normal on your GPU, did you also check CPU ?
Can you post a pic of HWmonitor

Try running a GPU test that puts 100% load you were at peak high 60's see if this increased load makes the computer crash faster than before.
Try Heaven, 3dmark, MSI Kombustor anything to get 100% load

Is there any stuttering before it crashes or does it work perfectly then freeze up.

Thanks a bunch by the way, you seem to be curious to get to the bottom of this with me, if you were local I'd buy you dinner haha.

Anyway, no stutter, no 'buzzing sound' as ive experienced before if BSOD occurs during audio output. just instant freeze.

Also the voltage anomaly was because i opened the game, closed it and then opened it again, i forgot to move my saved games in from windows.old

I checked the CPU temperatures with coretemp during a game, was fine.

The bsod file (7zipped so it uploads) and the HWmonitor pic are attached

I'll do the GPU 100% load test at some point tonight.

BTW I ran a bootup chkdsk / r just because why not, i don't know where or if it generates a log but i didn't see anything alarming, finished in about an hour.

 

[illuminate]

No problem I just hope we get this fixed.

The temps all look good to me nothing out of the ordinary

I forgot to mention in my last post you should be fine with a GPU voltage bump as people who overclock are at 1.3 or higher on the vddc.

Also you may try running one card at a time to see if there is maybe instability in one of the card maybe try putting your newer card in alone in the primary PCI slot usually the upper most.

Also for the voltage tweak you can first open overdrive and set everything to default and see if that changes anything if i locks up again then open overdrive and give it a bump up by one notch.

The error code in the dump is usually caused by a hardware problem, but is sometimes fixed by running the windows cd and using the repair function in worse cases people have fixed the problem by restoring there drive but that is a last resort.

What BIOS version are you on ?

Your motherboard has an led on it if so check if anything flashes when it freezes.

Another thing since you are running triple channel and have 6 stick you might try to take out 3 stick in and leave 3 in on the appropriate slots you may have to check your manual but it is usually every other slot if it freezes switch all 3 stick and replace with the ones you took out if it does not freeze then you may have a bad stick of ram.

Also this article has some suggestion for the error code:
http://www.sevenforums.com/crash-lockup-debug-how/35349-stop-0x124-what-means-what-try.html

 

[pixel7ripper]

We are too late, the patient has died.

The LED under the RAM slots on my mobo stopped coming on after my last restart, in which case it did not boot up and indicates a power supply issue to the RAM apparently, the PC only powered on and sat there blank screen, and while on the phone with my friend / microcenter employee, instructions to reset the mobo / bios by removing the battery and cable n stuff, did not result in being able to start up either, he told me the diagnosis and that my particular mobo has had some longevity issues at the age it is, about 3.5 years. So (i wanted to upgrade anyway, so i can finally have PCI 3.0 and usb 3.0) he's got me set up with an order for a new mobo cpu, cpu-fan, and ram, everything else i have is still good. Looks like proper power to the ram or, maybe a number of components on the mobo was the issue.

Shame it had to end like this, great I have a week or 2 while those orders come in and til he can come over and help - of playing games on my android and using skype on this otherwise paperweight powerbook G4 from 2004 that somehow still works. heh. welp, thanks for the support again, i'll be back if the need should arise.

 

[illuminate]

That is great news i was thinking it was either your motherboard or ram that was the real problem.

Ya i hate when my computer is out of commission, i usually get my gaming fix from my xbox that is about the only time it is ever used.

Best of luck to you on your next build hopefully all your problems are fixed with the new parts.

 

[10XTriplet]

So it was a mobo issue after all..