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PC freezes. I think memory is the issue

Tags:
  • Windows 7
  • Linux
  • Blue Screen
  • Hard Drives
  • Memory
Last response: in Memory
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September 6, 2014 1:06:26 PM

Issue is that my PC freezes. Sometimes it is after 5 minutes of use, sometimes 5 hours

I had windows 7 installed on a HDD and it was crashing with blue screen errors. After trying to diagnose the issue I ended up replacing it with a 250gb SSD. I loaded linux on it, and now the computer will still freeze after a few minutes of use.

Next step I have tried is to diagnose memory. I have 4 DDR3 memory sticks of 2GB each. I have tried removing them individually and testing and I still get this issue with all combinations. I tried running memtest x86 (on linux) and it always freezes at some point in the memory scan process (it also froze and never made it though on windows memory diagnostic)
Does the fact that it can't make it through a memtest mean the problem is the memory? Would it cause computer to freeze like this?

Another (maybe related) issue, is when I start up my computer, it sometimes does not load my bios, it just hangs and does nothing.

More about : freezes memory issue

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a b $ Windows 7
a b } Memory
September 6, 2014 1:22:57 PM

Yes, if memtest gets hanged up it's most likely to be a memory issue, that test is designed to stress only memory so that's practically the verdict.

However if you wanna be 100% its the RAM and not the mobo (that's always another possibility with any issue) you could test your memory modules on another known working machine, but most likely the problem is your ram modules.
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a b $ Windows 7
a b } Memory
September 6, 2014 1:26:30 PM

I would be checking the RAM voltage and timing in your BIOS.
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a b $ Windows 7
a b } Memory
September 6, 2014 1:32:46 PM

be sure to update the BIOS and set it to defaults. The update will pick up fixes to the default memory timings and corrected clock/voltage settings for your motherboard. (disable any overclocking)
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September 6, 2014 1:41:05 PM

anonymous1 said:
I would be checking the RAM voltage and timing in your BIOS.


They are all set to default / auto values
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September 6, 2014 3:38:42 PM

I'm wondering if I should bother investing in new RAM especially if its a mobo issue. The computer is 4 years old anyways. Can I even update the BIOs from linux? it seems the manufacturer (gigabyte) only offers windows executables...? I can't reinstall windows on my new hard drive because the PC came out of the box without install cds
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a b $ Windows 7
a b } Memory
September 6, 2014 5:56:53 PM

You can flash directly from BIOS, simply download the appropriate files and follow the instructions that are posted in Gigabyte's website.
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September 7, 2014 11:59:22 AM

RaDiKaL_ said:
You can flash directly from BIOS, simply download the appropriate files and follow the instructions that are posted in Gigabyte's website.


Do you know if its possible to flash the BIOS from a DVD? Assuming I format it like it wants?
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a b $ Windows 7
a b } Memory
September 8, 2014 8:49:36 AM

If your voltages and timings are set to AUTO... do they match what your RAM is manufactured to?
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