Hi everyone, originally posted in tech support, but think we've got more of a firm handle on it now. My friend has built a computer (well done a major upgrade), and his spec consists of... A8-6600k 8gb 1.65v Xms3 1600mhz ram Gigabyte sniper g1.sniper a88x mobo 120gb agility3 ssd 2tb hdd 2gb Msi power edition 6950 @975:1550 Win7 64bit home premium Originally the problem was that the PC was completely fine for a while then would freeze up in random (and non replicatable places). Due to a short internet outage after trying a lot of different things upto and including reinstalling windows, trying Ubuntu and using the onboard graphics for a while, we swapped the ram to the other channels. This stopped the problem for 48 hrs , but it still exists but only happens at the moment once in a blue moon. He's going to run test overnight later , so it could be memory, but he also has a problem where USB devices often stop working and need to be replugged. Am starting to think it's the motherboard, so am I right in thinking that if the memory passes memtest , should he go for an rma back to scan (is a week old so can Rma or use scan sure to send it back), as don't think it's a software issue. It's IBT stable, furmark stable, in fact completely stable until the freeze of death happens and the only thing that works is the power switch. Have spent a week on the phone with this and it's driving us both crazy now so any help would be appreciated Cheers
Quite often freezing and lock ups can be down to a dodgy driver or a corrupted OS. Hve you try a fresh install yet?
Yep, tried fresh win 7, and Ubuntu in case it's a windows specific issue. He's running memtest tonight in case it's the memory as we swapped the sticks to different sockets and it didn't happen for 48hrs and it was 3-4ish between each freeze previously Just want to nail the cause so if it's hardware we rma the right piece of kit
Ok, so ran memtest and it's fine after 10 runs, currently reinstalling windows and going to leave it to run for a day. If it still freezes intermittently am thinking it must be the mobo, or am I an idiot?
may be a dry joint on the board had 1 like that few year ago was a nightmare would stay on all day or 5 min and made no difference what you were doing on it from web browsing to gaming
Well thought it was the ram, as when we swapped the sticks to a different channel it didn't do it for 48hrs, and is much less regular. I think the plans going to be reinstall windows and if still a bit freezy, scans going to get a call for an rma on the mobo
The PC I built for my Grandad did a similar thing to this, it was a much lesser spec obviously, , just an E2180 on an Asrock mobo with Win 7 Basic. It would just blue screen at random points, usually only when he had it, and never when I went round to look, or had it back at my place. I could run Prime for hours and not have any problems. I changed the mobo to an MSI, as I wasn't happy with the Asrock one, still the same problem. Turned out the CPU was the fault. Got a second hand E2180, and it worked fine from then. I then tried the dodgy CPU in one of my spare boards at a later date, and it did give problems, even in Ubuntu it would give me errors occasionally.
Fair enough. Will make him run a few extra tests later stressing the CPU more see if it happens. The main problem he has with the whole experience is being 200miles away without any other support so want to definitely be sending the right component back to scan (he's got scan sure so should be easy). I don't exactly know what scans policy would be on 'something's broke out of the mobo and cpu, so have them both' ;-) tbh that's what I'd do at this point after the week we've had trying to sort it out
Best to ask them I suppose. Can be very tricky determining whether it's CPU or Mobo, the shop I took the PC to switched out the old CPU and put a known good CPU in to test. Obviously for most (me included at the time) you don't have a compatible spare CPU lying around to test.
That's the kicker. As I'm up in scunthorpe I can't run round with my rig and swap out the ram etc, and have a friend here with the same socket (fm2) so could nick his CPU for a day. Instead my friend has to try everything possible on his end (has a little know-how, but is finding his feet still), hope we've nailed the right thing and send it back and hope for the best. When we think we've got it, he has a list of everything done and the order so he can talk through everything on the phone and hopefully get it sorted. I suppose it's too much to ask for them to take both and send back the working part with the exchange for the broken part ;-) would save a lot of buggering about
Is the ssd running the latest firmware? Try removing some of the memory dimms and see if the problem comes back. Eg remove dimm 3&4 see what happens if it happens swap for 1 and 2, if it happens swap dimm sockets on the board. Try a different sata port or sata cables to the ssd. Reseat the cpu. Try a different psu. Like you say it comes down to pin pointing the faulty component. If any of them are faulty. In my last place we used the ultimate boot cd to run through a load of tests of various parts of a PC to help pinpoint problem. Also the built in dell partition was really good. Some people here may know something better than UBCD as it a bit "geeky/unfriendly for beginners" but worth a try if you get a copy downloaded and burnt somehow. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
Well it's current config until I get home from work in an hour is newer bios (checked the ssd btw on the off chance), but everything, even the ram the same as the initial build to try and recreate the freezing. Well it will be in an hour when I get on skype as he'll have finished installing the drivers on a clean install of windows. Then we are going to wait for a freeze. Then swap ram sticks but keep the same channel (on the off chance). Then swap channels. Then 1 stick in each (so a fe variations). Then strip the PC and reinstall and reseat everything. Adding swapping the sata ports to the list, as well as cables as he's got 4 spare cables. Then if it's still happening it'll have to be scan as we'll be exhausted of options at that point I use ubcd, don't know why I didn't point him on the right direction so will bring that into play too
Sounds like your tooled up for the job. Good luck. It's a nightmare sorting out this sort of thing when it goes a bit wobbly. Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
Right, new windows install, still does it. And during the install the mobo wouldn't recognise the bootable USB in bios at all in any of the USB ports. So had to trigger windows install from within the existing installation. The symptoms now are... 1) Random freezing in windows (every 3-6hrs, non replicatable) 2) USB devices randomly disconnect within windows 3) Bootable USB not recognised in bios And incase it matters, 4) coretemp and hwmonitor don't give any correct temps or voltages but gigabyte easytune6 does It must be the motherboard in my eyes, as tested the memory, reseated everything, furmark and prime95 and ibt are stable (and don't trigger a freeze), it happens in Ubuntu, and there's no error messages at all (or anything on windows event viewer). So is it rma time? And if so should he straight rma it or should he use scan sure to send it back as it's a mobo?
Speak to scan and see what they advise. I would suggest doing which ever is quicker to be honest Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
That's now the plan. On the off chance (and because he's both bored and angry) it's getting another reinstall of windows from someone else's DVD (put onto USB, disk less systems sometimes have a lot to answer for), hopefully it being a screwed retail disc he has somehow, then call scan tomorrow
