Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question

Serious issues with my PC, need help nailing the problem down.

Tags:
  • Motherboards
Last response: in Motherboards
Share
July 31, 2014 8:25:38 AM

Needless to say, I'm pretty sure it's my motherboard, since I'm posting on this forum.. Anyway, here's the problem:

Occasionally the performance of my PC would just drop to a point that every open window (the browser, windows explorer, even the task and device managers) completely freezing and taking ages to respond, if ever. Restarting usually helps, but not always...

Here's what does help: turning off my network adapter. The second I turn off the network adapter every frozen window responds and the PC goes back to normal, only, you know, without any internet connection.
First I though it's a virus or just tons of malware, but I scrubbed the PC clean, with every tool I could find suggestions to online - none found any serious problems or threats. Then a friend suggested it might be a problem with the motherboard itself - my original network adapter is an on-board Realtek RTL8168C(P)/8111C(P) (the MB is a Gigabyte EP45-UD3LR, which is 7 years old at this point). But when I got a new net card (Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet), the problem continued. Everything would slow down to a point the entire PC would hang up, until you turned that network adapter off.

Now, this sort of made me question if the motherboard itself is the actual issue, since it's a completely separate net card, connected by PCIE (tried two different ports with the same result)... However, right now I'm connected to the internet through my phone's hotspot, and there are no issues what-so-ever.

Anyway, that riveting story aside, I'm just looking for a confirmation that it is indeed the MB, and not a software issue. My brilliant solution to the problem is to buy a new motherboard (and with it almost an entire new PC worth of hardware), which isn't cheap, and I am planning on keeping my current hard drive... It would really suck if the problem returned on the new (and expensive) PC...

More about : issues nailing problem

a b V Motherboard
July 31, 2014 8:39:14 AM

In Device Manager - are you showing any issues with hardware? Are all of your drivers up to date?
m
0
l
July 31, 2014 8:43:25 AM

If the motherboard is 7 years old it probably is getting due for a replacement. The problem could be withing the PCI slot itself, your MB has 4 PCIe x 1 slots, could you try putting it in a different one?
m
0
l
Related resources
July 31, 2014 8:49:23 AM

No other hardware issues, all the drivers are up to date. And I did try different PCI slots, but the issue began with the on-board network adapter anyway... Is there like a program that can run diagnostics on an MB..? It just seems weird to me that both the on-board adapter and the PCI net card would cause the issue..
m
0
l
a b V Motherboard
July 31, 2014 9:33:47 AM

Hello,

Did you used the Windows driver or the Realtek driver? What CPU do you have? How much RAM? Please open Task Manager, let it running and see CPU/memory usage with/without LAN card activated.
m
0
l
July 31, 2014 10:37:32 AM

Realtek driver. Looked it up after windows failed to "detect new drivers" through device manager. But now I never use it, because the Broadcom card has this problem less frequently (it's drivers are also up-to-date, from the manufacturer's site). CPU is Intel E8400 dualcore. 8GB ram. And I did check the resource monitor (mostly focused on network usage, but I did look at CPU and memory) a while back, no irregularities. I'll check again, it's just now the PC has been working fine for a few hours.

That's another thing. The issue usually happens after I leave the PC idle for a while. Now, I say "usually", because there isn't really a pattern. But usually it happens after it's been idling for a little while, or when I'm on the internet (with several tabs open). But it really can happen any time (or not at all for hours, like now)...
m
0
l
a b V Motherboard
July 31, 2014 10:49:30 AM

Please test the memory (Memtest). Also, download HDtune and check the HDD; you should not experience any speed dips under 50MB/s. Use HWmonitor and check the voltages, especially for +12V rail.
m
0
l
July 31, 2014 1:37:06 PM

HDTune:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n194/XanderKage/Scre...
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n194/XanderKage/Scre...
(two hard drives, first one with the OS (Win7, btw), second one just general stuff).
It's worth mentioning (I guess) that for those benchmarks I left the PC alone. If I opened any folders while it was running, there were pretty big dips, way below 50..

HWmonitor:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n194/XanderKage/Scre...

Memtest found no errors (no screens, hehe).

Could the HDD be the problem? Then why does disabling the net cards "fix" the issue?
m
0
l
a b V Motherboard
July 31, 2014 2:52:14 PM

Sentient6 said:
HDTune:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n194/XanderKage/Scre...
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n194/XanderKage/Scre...
(two hard drives, first one with the OS (Win7, btw), second one just general stuff).
It's worth mentioning (I guess) that for those benchmarks I left the PC alone. If I opened any folders while it was running, there were pretty big dips, way below 50..

HWmonitor:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n194/XanderKage/Scre...

Memtest found no errors (no screens, hehe).

Could the HDD be the problem? Then why does disabling the net cards "fix" the issue?


Apart from the value for -12V and the non-existence of the main voltage, +12V, everything seems normal.

I asked to test the HDD because when using the internet the HDD is put to serious work (the browsers are doing their own updates and must also update the opened pages, and it means refreshing a lot of links, pictures, cookies, etc; also, the antivirus software is updating and/or checking all the traffic; the messengers or other sorts of web communicators can also be blamed).

Please also check your computer for malware.

If you still have some space left on the second HDD, try installing a new OS (disconnect the primary HDD), put all the drivers, install a good antivirus and see if the phenomenon replicates.

EDIT: clean the TEMP for each browser and delete all the cookies (it will reset also all your web preferences, so please note down the important stuff, such passwords and important links).
m
0
l
August 1, 2014 2:04:40 AM

I ran HDTune again (because last night my PC was working surprisingly fine, but it started hanging up again this morning), this was the result:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n194/XanderKage/Scre...

I ran it again, just to double check:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n194/XanderKage/Scre...

I don't even know any more. I ran an error check, it was all green.

I would need to format the drive and re-install the OS if I get a new motherboard anyway, right? I'm thinking of just taking the hatchet to the entire problem......

As for the malware and clearing temp files - first thing I did. It didn't help, and the browser doesn't even need to be open for the problem to surface...
m
0
l
a b V Motherboard
August 1, 2014 4:19:30 AM

Sentient6 said:

I would need to format the drive and re-install the OS if I get a new motherboard anyway, right?


Not necessarily; firstly, you can install Win on the second HDD if you have at least 20 GB of free space to see if the problem goes away (do not throw away the money on other motherboard yet).

The idea is: if you would buy the same motherboard it is possible that the problem persists with the actual OS. If you take a different mobo, it is quite sure that you will need to do a new Win install anyway. So the best is to install Win on the second HDD (disconnect the first one) and if the problem don't go away, only then go and change the motherboard.
m
1
l
August 1, 2014 7:31:06 AM

I see. OK, I'll try your solution and report back. Thanks!
m
0
l
!