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System froze, couldn't even reset; other performance issues - suspecting motherboard

Tags:
  • Motherboards
  • Performance
  • Computers
  • Lag
Last response: in Motherboards
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May 15, 2014 6:32:01 PM

Hi. So I've been having some strange performance issues for a while now I'd like to finally iron out.
If I had to explain it in one sentence, it would be like those performance drops when your computer is overheating, like there's a hidden "load" even though the mem/cpu usages are normal.

First off, the issue that came first and is happening still is when I browse Firefox and the scrolling gets intermittently laggy/stuttery. I have tried new and old GPU drivers ever since, Firefox updates came out and here's Firefox 29 and the issue is still here, which makes me think it's not a software issue but a hardware one (It's not only firefox scrolling that feel less fluid by the way but some other certain Windows "animations" as well).

I've also noticed how my boot times have slowed down, where it used to be almost instant, now it takes like 10-15 seconds on the Welcome screen, and once it gets into desktop and refreshes all my icons reload in a slow fashion (almost one by one).

My cursor also has the tendency to freeze/lag every now and then for like 0.5 seconds (like a stutter except it doesn't happen as often) and it would get worse if I compiled videos using Vegas, it would sometimes feel like it was about to freeze up completely.

Video games also got less fluid and would get laggy/freezey every now and then (not as often that would make it outright unplayable but enough to make you think that something might definitely be not right).

Now here comes the strange part.
Last month I remember I was browsing through the desktop, not doing anything intensive when my cursor started skipping/being choppy, and then it suddenly just froze completely. So I waited for like 15 seconds see if it will recover, decided to push the reset button and it did nothing. Strange.

So I'm here to ask what you guys think might be the problem. Is it actually my motherboard?

Specs:
Mobo: Asus Z87-A
CPU: Intel Core i5 4670K + NH-D14
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 8GB 1600 1.35V
GPU: EVGA nVidia GTX 770
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM

I've had this since summer last year and it worked flawlessly until this year.

I haven't overclocked. It doesn't overheat click me, I've memtested my RAM a little while ago and it returned no errors, ran checks on HDD and it looks fine. It also didn't BSOD at all so far.

Feel free to ask me questions. Sorry for the long post.

More about : system froze reset performance issues suspecting motherboard

a c 210 V Motherboard
May 16, 2014 8:10:32 AM

The first think I would do is boot into bios and make sure everything is set correctly. Starting with setting optimized defaults then setting up the memory with XMP and whatever else that should be set.
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May 16, 2014 9:10:40 AM

spooky2th said:
The first think I would do is boot into bios and make sure everything is set correctly. Starting with setting optimized defaults then setting up the memory with XMP and whatever else that should be set.


Done that alot of times. At one point I suspected it could be my 1.35V memory so I set the XMP profiles back and forth between the 1.35V profile and the default 1.5V one, no change.

Updated my bios as well last week together with a fresh Windows reinstall, nothing changed - boot up takes just about as long as it has before. I was just starting to get annoyed again how scrolling through Firefox lags. Everything that "scrolls" (not only firefox in particular) lags while it happens, and it's intermittent too.

Blows my mind, it used to work perfectly fine before :( 
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a c 210 V Motherboard
May 16, 2014 3:47:58 PM

Maybe browse thru your event logs and see what errors are happening a lot.
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May 16, 2014 5:22:35 PM

spooky2th said:
Maybe browse thru your event logs and see what errors are happening a lot.


I've checked those as well, sadly Event Viewer never really gave me a clue as to why the issues might be happening Pic 1, Pic 2 :\
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a c 210 V Motherboard
May 16, 2014 7:50:18 PM

Do you have the correct drivers loaded and not windows loaded drivers? Update your bios, maybe?
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a c 210 V Motherboard
May 16, 2014 8:00:20 PM

Could be a device or software like a utility that is causing the problem. Other than that, replaceswitch parts one at a time to see if you can remedy the problem. If you think it is the MB, maybe RMA it and see if another board works any better.
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May 17, 2014 5:08:31 PM

Yeah all the necessary drivers have been installed. Bios updates as well.
I've tried just about everything there is software wise that's why I'm kinda inclined for it to be a hardware issue.

Unfortunately I don't have extra parts to replace the ones in my computer for debugging. :\

Here's a summary just in case my OP is too detailed/long:
-experiencing poor persistent performance (intermittent laggy scrolling, cursor freezes for a split second every now and then, split second freezes/stutters in games)
-bootup takes longer, didn't get sorted not even after numerous windows reinstalls
-experienced a complete freeze last month (the one where the lights on your keyboard don't change when you press caps, and you can't reset only shut down by pressing the power for 5 secs)
-no BSODs or crashes of any kind apart from freezes and poor performance
-checked memtest, chkdsk, prime95 - no issues, voltages don't seem to have strange behavior either
-updated bios, drivers, rolled back drivers, uninstalled some drivers - no change
-tried resetting bios, changing bios settings - no change
-no overheating

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