Blue screen

[Dreaming]

I'm not sure what happened earlier, but I started getting blue screens, and Windows said it was a hardware error. Said something about a USB something or other, so I assumed it was driver issues (as I'd been lazy and not installed chipset drivers) so went to install them. More blue screening.

After lots of blue screens, formatted the computer and started installing windows again - then in the install process I got another blue screen. Eek. So something's definately up with my computer.

Turned my overclock off (set it to auto) and have left it there... since then it's been stable but I've done nothing intensive. What do you think could be wrong? RAM? There was an error but it was something like 0x00000008 or something similarly obscure.

Have no idea which individual component it could be though.

eta: Alright, the computer just locked up again (trying to set up media centre... am bored heh) and on restart it said 'drive read error' or something like that. I reset it and it worked fine. but it's happened more than once, just remembered now. Everything started today though.

Possibly the motherboard, possibly anything. I have no idea. Seems like the whole computer is breaking, see in the scan support forums - they've sent me two brand new hard drives and they both died in a day of bad sectors being written to them. One person suspected the raid controller. (integrated)

Maybe my p5w has had it?

[Max Tractor]

I would be looking firstly at ram

[Dreaming]

Any advice on how to test the ram? It was rated as 800mhz (corsair something or other, has heatsinks on both sides and 5-5-5-12 timings or something) and I only ran it at 800mhz. But definately, turning off all the overclocking has worked, my computer has automatically bumped it down to pc-5300 speeds.

So yea basically, how do I test which ram stick it is (or both?)

[Max Tractor]

You can use a few apps, I use memtest in windows or boot from Memtest86+. It sounds as if your ram overclocked is not stable, the xx08(e) error would suggest that

[Dreaming]

maybe it needs more volts, it should be able to run at that speed fine. ill find what kind it is in a bit . I just leave everything to [auto] normally and just change the fsb speed. There is an option to change the ram speed but i leave it at 800 since thats what it is suposed to run at...

will download memtest anyway, thanks

[Dreaming]

My memory as per my ebuyer order history (only bought from them cos they had an offer on):

OCZ (OCZ2G8002GK) 2GB (2x1024MB) DDR2-800 PC2-6400 CL 5-5-5-12 Gold XTC DUAL CHANNEL Kit (LIFETIME WARRANTY)

At least it's got a lifetime warranty, and since I know it's been running at 800 and not overclocked, I should be able to get a replacement if I work out which is wrong! If either are wrong. Haven't worked out how to use memtest

[Dreaming]

Ok, I don't think it's the memory.

My motherboard (Asus P5W with latest bios 1902 I think) allows you to set the memory latency seperately from the fsb in 'steps' which I assume are multipliers of some sort.

Leaving it at the default fsb I ran memtest86+ for 2 hours and it found no errors.

Then upping the memory to 800mhz it found no errors.

However, upping the fsb to 400 and the memory to 800, it stalled and the computer became unresponsive.

I have now set the fsb to 340 and it's running fine with the mem at 800mhz. What I cant fathom is why its been running fine since october at 2.8 and now it's not working.

What other things can be affected by the fsb? Surely if it was solely the processor there would be some simple error rather than a blue screen error thing?


p.s. if theres not going to be a world of difference in gaming performance terms I'm not going to be fussed too much about the overclock, it is a shame though. I left everything at normal volts and speedstep was turned on, so can't imagine it would have 'burnt out'.

[Dreaming]

In another thread they said look down a list of errors... and this one ppoped out as being very familiar:

THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER

which has something to do with the grahics?? Why would the fsb effect the graphics?

[Pob255]

Yes it can.

In basic terms the FSB is the speed which the cpu "talks" to the northbridge and the northbridge talks to the rest of your pc.

have a read up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_side_bus

this means the increaseing the fsb also increases the memory speed, when overclocking most people set the memory speed to be the same as the fsb, then increase the fsb in steps which will also increase the speed of the memory.
There is no harm in underclocking the memory and it will give you a potentially higher fsb overclock (because you might reach the oc potential of the memory before the oc potential of the fsb)
If you really must have the memory running at 800 no matter what, then set it after you've changed the fsb.

[Dreaming]

The memory can run at 800 no probs. Was doing it for 2 hours on memtest86+ with no untoward issues.

The issue is with the fsb setting at 400mhz. The computer just freezes.

Bear in mind it had previously been running at 400mhz since well, october time with no untoward issues. Maybe increasing volts to the northbridge would help but I don't want to damage anything so have left it at [auto] for now.

[Dreaming]

*bump*

any help? Should I increase voltage to the northbridge or what? I don't want my pc to blow up lol

[shaithis]

I have the Asus P5W64 WS Pro which is a very similar board and I have the exact same RAM....

I cannot run 400FSB with the combo, in fact I cannot even post with FSB and RAM @ 400.

Pretty sure there is an issue between the Asus BIOS and the RAMs SPD tables.

If I get time this week I will try the OCZ RAM in my other PC which has the P5W DH Deluxe.

[Dreaming]

It was working fine for up to 6 months though. There was no drastic changes that made it start happening either...

eta: it hapened when I was using word

[Dreaming]

*bump* still unresolved. My main concern is that some component may be slowly dying and I want to sort it before things get worse.

Also, every time I add / remove a hard drive it says overclock voltage failed (or something), press F1 for set up. It didn't do this before (only when I tried overclocking it too far months ago, but didn't change voltage). So that's making me think possibly something on the motherboard?

[Dreaming]

*bump*

[Dreaming]

Got my new power supply in, bumped it up to the usual overclock, all is stable. New UPS is working and putting out clean safe power too.

Then I just got another bluescreen. It's been running for a bit fine, a few days, whereas before it would be instant i.e. logging into windows. So maybe it was the power supply, but something else is to blame as well?