PC freeze, no BSOD, fans etc. still running monotone buzz speakers

Martijn Bakker · Jun 16, 2013

Motherboard instability: freezing no BSOD and monotone buzz
-SOLVED- solution marked in red at the last four steps.

Good day everybody

I get random freezing; mouse, keyboard, screen stuck without BSOD and with the fans and everything still running. The speakers deliver a monotone buzz at the moment of freezing. This freezing happens with, or without stress on the system.
My Eventlog only shows something about winit, which after further research is none-related. My specs are as followed:

--Own built--

Antec EA 500D
ASUS P5Q Turbo, BIOS 0602
Intel 2Quad Q8200 (not overclocked)
ATI Readon HD 5870-recent change-
4 GB DDR2 Kingston RAM |DRAM Frequency 414 MhZ| |1,86 Voltage|
SAMSUNG HD502HI ATA
Tweaked Windows 7 x64

This is what I chronologically have done so far:

-Bare boned Windows 7, all possible services are off (example: indexing) + Disabling all possible services on Autorunss
-Disabled Hibernating and ULPS
-Deleted Microsoft Security Centre (HINT: big trouble-causer)
-SFC Scan -no problems-
-CHKDSC -no problems-
-Registry cleaned and defragmentated by Auslogics
-Drive cleaned and defragmentated
-All required updates of all hardware
-PCpit full checks -no problems-
-BIOS = Updated
-Set my HDD to AHCI
-Disabled all unused (or double) hardware
-Disabled and fully removed unrequired windows features
-Disabled unrequired visual styles
-Disabled Page-Filing
-Disabled Ready-Boot
-Prime95 -no problems-
-RAM voltage raised to 1.86 and 835mhz instead of AUTO
-Ran Memtest for 17 hours -no problems-
-Changed memtimers few rotations up
-Disabled Realtek Soundcard in BIOS
-Disabled CE1 support from intel
-Disabeld speedstep
-Changed SATA cables
-Changed temp. paste from processor and cleaned PC
-Updated 'lost' hardware drivers with DriverGenius, and also removed old unused drivers
-Take out 2GB and repositionise the 4GB memory in different slots
-Discovered two ATA channels were not able to start, had to disable them
-Checked disc with CrystalDisk, 'Current Pending Sector Count' occurred.
-Deleted old drivers + disabled non-connected drivers, as following:
____1) eHome Infrared Reciever (USBICR) =not connected=
____2) C-Media USB Headphone set
____3) AMD High Definition Audio Device
____4) Microsoft Usbccid SmartCard Reader (WUDF) =not connected=
-Updated one USB port with INF Chipset driver Update Tool (intel.com/support)
-Raised voltage on Front North Bridge (FNB) to 1.12 (standard 1.10)
-Raised voltage on Front South Bridge (FSB) to 1.20 (standard 1.10)

After doing all on this list: still random freezing. Never a Minidump nor a BSOD (YES, writing minidump is enabled, the PC just freezes without a dump)
My PC is working like a train, I can still play new games on 1920x1080 without any lagg, and multitasking goes incredibly smooth for a 4 year old gear.

The last four steps prevented my PC from crashing for at least 1 week now, due to the fact that the problem may only be delayed by these action I have put a (?) in the back. If my PC keeps running for another few weeks I shall put this topic as solved and hopefully a lot of PC owners can be prevented from months of frustration due to this unknown cause of crashing. I want to thank those who have replied to this topic

lonewolf7 · Jun 17, 2013

You missed the very important thing that is your PSU. What is make of your PSU?

When the computer freezes try to look the fan of your PSU is it spinning or not.

I think PSU is the culprit, cause I have seen this happen with numerous systems I handled. To be 100% sure try to replace your PSU with someone see how it runs. Do the memtest it is a must.
Good Luck.

Martijn Bakker · Jun 17, 2013

lonewolf7 :

Thanks! I did not pay attention to my PSU since my Processor and GPU fans are always still running during a freeze, plus my keyboard back-light also remain on. I will try to see if the PSU fan also still is running.

I will update my post with the PSU model.

PSU:
----ANTEC EA 500D----

Martijn Bakker · Jun 18, 2013

Today I will try upping the voltage of my RAM a bit in the hope for more stability.

Is there any other voltage-change I should do with the specs I have?

lonewolf7 · Jun 18, 2013

Don't change any of the voltages. Looking at the specs it don't seems like you have OC'd anything or changed any voltage. So don't change anything. Try to check your RAM as I said earlier and your PSU. Don't play with anything else or it could get worse. I still suspect your PSU.

Martijn Bakker · Jun 18, 2013

Thanks for your reply

Well I'm at work now and before coming here I did change my voltage up to 1.90 and so far so good, no freezing at all. Soon I'll be home to see if it still is doing its non-freezing marathon.

Before changing my voltage I had experienced another freeze and checked if the fans of my PSU were still working during this freeze. They did. What does this mean? The fan is still working during the freeze, so it's not the PSU?

The reason I did my RAM voltage change is that I've read on certain P5Q socket 775 related forums that most P5Q mobos have RAM compability problems. All answers on those forums were simply start trying to change voltage up to see if the stability changes.

UPDATE: Changing voltage did not gave me a freeze for 3 days, so it appears to be a RAM compatibility problem

Martijn Bakker · Jun 21, 2013

lonewolf7 :

So now I have done everything of my list. Memtest showed no problems and if the fans of my PSU still work during the freeze I guess it is not my PSU either. Final option is to change voltages at the north bridge, if I may experience another freeze. Do you have any further suggestions for me? It would be nice to find the solutions for all other socket 775 users to get to the point of this problem before I do any hardware change.

lonewolf7 · Jun 24, 2013

If it is running fine for days than why worry about tomorrow.

Martijn Bakker · Jun 25, 2013

lonewolf7 :

I'm worried since freezes are irregular, if today goes fine it could still freeze tomorrow. I have experienced one more freeze in these weeks and took care of it by disabling autoreading and something else I forgot the name off. So far, so good. But since it appears a voltage-stability problem I do worry about tomorrow. Therefor this topic still exists for replies and I hope it will not be shut by mod.

lonewolf7 · Jun 25, 2013

Well if you still think that the system will freeze someday and you're paranoid about it than replacing your MB is the best bet providing other components are good. To be very honest it is somewhat difficult to understand the real situation from a distance. I hope you understand. We are always here to help, atleast we will try.

TenPc · Jun 25, 2013

6 GB DDR2 RAM, equal voltage |DRAM Frequency 414 MhZ| |1,80 Voltage|
Your motherboard is dual channel architecture, where did you acquire the 2 x 3gb of ram?

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P5Q_Turbo/#specifications

Martijn Bakker · Jul 1, 2013

TenPc :

? I have 3x 2GB. Two of them are Kingston and the other is a different brand. Memtest showed they all work fine together 0 errors on a 17 hours test.

Martijn Bakker · Jul 1, 2013

lonewolf7 :

Of course I understand, and I appreciate all help. I am paranoid since I don't have much cash for my system and everything runs smooth except until such crash comes in. So far the only traceable where the unstable voltages of my RAM. I am considering changing voltages of the North Bridge, but these are risky things so I gotta do this step by step.

Martijn Bakker · Aug 5, 2013

Changing memory timers have not worked either, nor has disabling the soundcard. My first post is updated, please do not lock this thread since I am still busy with new trials.
I am now thinking it's an unstable voltage of one of the bridges of my motherboard. Today I am going to raise the FSB a little bit in the hope this will make some change.

Martijn Bakker · Oct 13, 2013

So far not able to make all the volatge changes, since I am inexperienced with this I do not know if I can just shift up the voltages of the north bridge or the south bridge. I'm stuck again, hopefully somebody with same experiences can provide help.

TenPc · Oct 16, 2013

Martijn Bakker :

As best as I can tell, you have modified the ram for nonmatching ram brands, the single may not actually be the same latency, better to remove the odd ram, only have the 2 matched ons, you will find it behaves better eventhough no errors were reported with the 3 am together, Windows does have issues, after a time especially during certain processing initiatives that may have issues with e ram configuration, Also, you won't get muc diff with the 3 sticks as with the two sicks anyhow.

Martijn Bakker · Oct 26, 2013

I already have done this in the further steps I have taken. This has not made any difference though.

BUT, recently I have highered the tention in my front south bridge to 1.20V (standard 1.10) and I have also updated an older USB port with Intel INF chipset driver, and also disabled two non-required hardware. The PC is running for a week now without crashes.

I can still not be too happy since the actual problem has yet not been clear, though I am slowely being convinced I have laid my finger on the source of the pain (Dutch expression).

TenPc · Oct 26, 2013

If the video card requires connectors then make sure they are all connected. If they are not connected the video card will buzz a warning alarm.

Martijn Bakker · Oct 27, 2013

Well the video card has all required connectors of course. GPU has not been the problem at all, so far problem is solved as it seems.

TenPc · Oct 31, 2013

disabled two non-required hardware - what were they?

Martijn Bakker · Nov 1, 2013

Thanks for pointing that out, in total I have disabled more but I should mention what exactly I have disabled. I'll correct that immediatly

- eHome Infrared Reciever (USBICR) =not connected, shown with enviroment change=
- C-Media USB Headphone set
- AMD High Definition Audio Device
- Microsoft Usbccid SmartCard Reader (WUDF) =not connected, shown with enviroment change=

Any of these typical, or lets say; d00med to computer freezing? The freezing stops with either disabling these bastards or clocking up tention at the bridges. I did both and I'm keeping it this way. I can later clock down the tention on the bridges to see if it has been driver failure after all, or maybe hardware tention-failure. For now I'm just happy this thing does not crash anymore.

TenPc · Nov 6, 2013

eHome Infrared Reciever - requires XP Media Center, and is not Windows 7 x64 compatible unless you somehow have some sort of recent model unknown to the world.
http://www.liutilities.com/device-driver/ehome-infrared-receiver/

Not sure about the C-Media headphones, i think they are only Vista compatible though, the latest drivers and install method in the link - http://howtodrivers.com/model37702.html

AMD High Definition Audio Device - is only for HD Cd's & HD dvd and only for the ports that are coloured coded on the speaker jacks, these jacks only support HD (High Definition) audio and not mp3, avi, nor wav files.

Smart Card Reader is supported but read the info in the link, it could be that your usb ports are overloaded with other devices that might be ccausing a "blowout", refrain from recharging your phone or mp3 player using the PC -
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg487509.aspx

Don't assume that older OS devices will work without issues in Windows 7 x64

Martijn Bakker · Nov 8, 2013

Thanks for the reply and details

This is why I have disabled them. I recently have enabled the C-Media device, because without my PC would not work. The PC crashed the next day after. There has been 2,5 weeks between the crashes of my PC after I enabled the C-Media. I think the C-media (From my stand-alone Trust microphone) is the reason for the crashing, together with raising the tension on the front north bridge and south bridge. The PC now runs stable again.

PC freeze, no BSOD, fans etc. still running monotone buzz speakers

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