Random freezes

[oshta]

Even since i've had this PC (about 2years, since when i got it 2nd hand off another member here) its frozen about once a week, seaming compleatly randomly.

When it happens, it is just a clean freeze, screen stops still, music stops, and it never comes back. Just end up hitting restart.

I doesnt seam to correspond to anything im doing at the time, or how long the pc's been on, or anything.
- It could be when im using it flatout, multitasking like a bitch, or just screensaving all apps closed. After its been on fine 25hours, or 30seconds after i switched it on for the first time that week.

It also varies over a along perod time to, somtimes it will crash 5/6 time a day for a whole week, othertimes its worked faultylessly for a month without a hickup. Which the first few times lead my to beleave it might be sorted.... I wish!



Also, over the last few years ive had it, ive swaped almost everythink, just as it happened like.
- The PSU was new origanaly (nexux nx3000) I also beleave the ram was new at the time i got it. And i tryed some other ram it for a week or so too.
- This the is the third diffrent graphics card its had
- It changes the HDD at christmas time, when i also did another total rebuild of the OS
- I've changes the CD-RW's over the time, as well as added, and removed the FDD
- Ive tryed removing all the PCI cards for a week, still did it then.

AHhhhh, im at the end of my tether!

Anyone got any idea at all?
- Might try a new Mobo at some time if can find one somewhere?


Daniel

[arthurleung]

Try drop your overclocking, or give a slight voltage bump.

Test it with SP2004 and Memtest

[oshta]

Its running at stock speeds acttually, it was mild OC'ed before, but that didnt seam to change anything.
- Have also run memtest a few times in the past and it was fine, i run it again tonight in a bit.
- Might try bumping up the voltage a bit if you think that will help? Whats sort of thing are you talking about. how much?


Daniel

[icq3800846]

I know you don't need me to say it, but tracking down random freezes without any error messages is a nightmare.

It could be hardware, it could be software or it could be a conflict caused by some strange mixture of devices in your machine who's drivers might not be 100% compatible with each other and your version of Windows when all installed together at the same time.

I think you have gone down the right route. I would firstly have swapped out anything I could. Graphics cards, memory, sound cards and any other cards, like you already have done.

I would be tempted to monitor the voltages just in case your power supply is out of ATX specification and is delivering unstable voltages. A lot of motherboard provide utilities to monitor it in software, but you can always watch it for a bit in BIOS if you don't have that utility.

The other aspect of PC Health monitoring to watch is the temperature of the motherboard and the processor. Most contain thermal throttling which will halt a computer when they reach a certain temperature.

Finally, if the temps and the voltages look OK, I would be tempted to try a different motherboard.

I once had an unstable motherboard where I could not force an error no matter how hard I tried. I swapped everything out like you have done, ran memtest overnight, did a scandisk and chkdsk to see if there was a bad sector right in the middle of the page file or something, and all tests passed fine.

No matter what BIOS, what drivers or how well I had installed Windows the machine would just fall over at random times, some when idling and some in the middle of Quake4. Eventually I changed the motherboard and never had a problem.

It would be a lot easier if your computer simply restarted itself so you could enable the blue screen of death to see what was making it fall over. If it just halts on it's own it's a lot more difficult.

As you seem to have eliminated pretty much all other options I con't think you have any alternative other than to swap the motherboard out with a new one. Perhaps you could try a different chipset and manufacturer just in case it's something like the embedded RAID controller on the motherboard which has a conflict with nVidia or ATi graphics cards.

Good luck!

[oshta]

Yeah, thanks icq.

It could well be almost any of those...

Ill fire up MBM and have a look at the high/low table of voltages, although the boards own softare allows you to set all alarm limits, and even with the alarm set really tight it doesnt sound.
- The CPU sits fine at 45c full load, and the boards sensor reads about 50/55c load, as its has a fanless cooler. But i think both temps are ok really? Certainly i wouldnt expect it to be thortalling it
- As i said, sometimes it will fall over within a minute of booting it for the first time in the morning.


Its looking like the next thing is a new mobo.
- Its just annoying, becuase it can be fine for like a whole month.
- But then then next week, it falls over 3/4 times a day, its one of those weeks this week!!!


Daniel

[emul8]

I had a problem like this with my Abit IC7 Max3, Every thing would freeze solid.
If music was playing it would stop and make a high pitch whine,
Even the keyboard would freeze.
I changed everything but the MB to no avale.
Then i changed the MB for another Max3 and it was fine so i sent the board back under warranty and it was tested faulty with random bios freezes.

[oshta]

Yeah, sounding more and more like mobo-replacement-time...
- I guess its going to be about £35 or somthing?


Daniel

[oshta]

Also, as i said, im willing to give increasing the voltage a little a go if it might help?
- The CPUs really not that hot, and that with the fan speed reduced (could always up it a little)
- However, i would have thought at stock clockspeed stock voltage would be enought? At the moment it seams to be moving about between 1.46/7 and 1.49/1.50v


Daniel

[piranha]

Had similar problems with a nf7 - cured it by slightly increasing the volts.

[icq3800846]

Being far, I think at stock speeds without any overclock you shouldn't really need to go into BIOS and fiddle with anything like the voltages to have a stable system.

It's indicative of a problem.

Stability at stock "everything" is one of my priorities. Poke and fiddle all you like (within reason) AFTER you have a trusted platform that is stable at stock speeds.

I once had an instability problem caused by an overheating P4 processor which was brought about by the stupid heatsink retention mechanism. One of the four legs through the motherboard had popped out of it's hole and the heatsink wasn't making the right contact. I don't trust the stock cooler at all.

I guess you probbaly already know this, but a motherboard replacement will probably mean a rebuild of Windows unless you get the same model and try to sneak a swap in wiithout Windows throwing a fit and refusing to boot. Backup time me thinks.

[oshta]

Yeah, i really dont have a problem with rebuilding the machine, only take half a day to get back everythihg anyway. And its all backed up anyway.
- But ive rebuilt it three times to no avail, so im thinking new-hardwar-time!

I might just take this as an excuse to going skt939 and get a new cpu/mobo and posably Gcard.


Daniel

[emul8]

I might just take this as an excuse to going skt939 and get a new cpu/mobo and posably Gcard.


Daniel

Go for it oshta you know you deserve it go get that board

[oshta]

Mmm, yeah...

Ive up'ed the voltage a little too, and it hasnt crashed since that, this morning.
- But this is about the 10th time ive though i've "fixed" it some im not overly expectant, im sure it will f** up again shortly!



Daniel

[emul8]

Hows it doing now oshta ?

[oshta]

Hows it doing now oshta ?

Well, ive stuck a new (used) motherboard in it and touch wood it seams ok. Although i havnt being home much lately. Just come back from three weeks on the narrowboat (no mains elec, computers or tv)!



Daniel

[emul8]

Ooohno!
Three weeks away from a PC, Nightmare