- Nov 19, 2014
- 5
- 0
- 4,510
Support Problem: May I kindly request assitance?
System had been working w/o error for one year with NVidia GeForce GTX 680m upgrade running both Windows 8 and later Windows 8.1 Ultimate 64-bit. Two months ago, I replaced original Hard Drives with 2 Western Digital Scorpion Black 750 GB Hard Drives and 1 Seagate 1 TB Hard Drive.
The system performed another three weeks without error. After about three weeks, the system started flickering then freezing requiring a hard shutdown during game play ONLY. I cleaned the system replacing all thermal pads and re-applying thermal compound where appropriate. The system continued flickering and freezing requiring hard shutdown.
I replaced the NVidia GeForce GTX 680m w/ the original NVidia GeForce GTX 285m thinking the problem might be the upgrade video card however, the problem persisted. I concluded the problem might not be the video cards so I replaced the 680m in the system, but this time, the system produced a Black Screen with flashing onboard lights and beeping sound. Unfortunately, I failed to count the number of beeps. Intermittently, the system would Post and was able to return to Windows until this was no longer possible. The system would no longer Post with the 680m.
Again, I placed the 285m in the system. The system Posts normally and returns to Windows. However, the system continues to freeze randomly at writing docs in Word, using Excel or PowerPoint, Acrobat, Firefox or watching a video.
The symptoms are as follows:
1. Random freezing leaving the document I was viewing prior to the freeze fixed on the screen. Hard restart required.
2. Random freezing with flickering blue screen, or red, or gray or green. The colors are never displayed simultaneously but unique to each individual freeze. Hard restart required.
3. Random freezing with flickering colored screen that also produces a continuous beeping sound.
4. Random freezing with flickering black screen along with continuous beeping sound.
These symptoms are sporadic occurring one minute after turning on the system, 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or several hours after successful operation. There seems to be no pattern to the problem.
Attempted Remedies
1. Used Ultimate Boot CD to wipe hard drives clean. I clean installed Windows 8.1, update drivers only w/o installing any software and the system never froze.
2. Upon replacing software, the freezing resumed.
3. Diagnostic steps were taken within Windows and/or with diagnostic software. Each test was successful never revealing errors or hardware failure. Here is what I’ve attempted:
a. Memtest86 v 4.3.7 – 12 passes no errors
b. DiskCheck – no errors
c. CPUinfo – revealed no errors
d. Data Lifeguard Diagnostic – no errors
e. Windows memory diagnostic test – no errors
f. ClanScan Antivirus in DOS and Kaspersky Pure 3.0 in Windows – no virus detected.
g. Monitor Test – no errors
h. Parallel Port Test – no errors
i. Video Memory Test – no errors (with NVidia 285m).
j. CPUstress v 2.5.2 – no errors
k. PC-Config – no errors
l. Booted into Safe Mode – No errors observed
m. MSCONFIG, Selective Startup – disabled Windows Services and all startup programs restarting programs a group at-a-time but could not get system to freeze.
System Specifications
Sager NP9280 Built on Clevo D900F
Intel i7- 980x CPU @ 333 GHz
NVidia GeForce GTX 285m upgraded to NVidia GeForce GTX 680m
System RAM 12.0 GB
BIOS: Phoenix (OEM) version
Operating System: Windows 8.1 Ultimate 6.03.9600 w/ Media Center 64-bit
Replacement Parts
Motherboard was replaced 1 year ago
3 Hard Drives (2 months old) tested w/o errors
RAM is factor purchased originally with the system tested with mem86 with 12 passes no errors
Inverter replaced (original inverter works also w/o errors) (manufacture replacement)
New keyboard w\ ribbon replaced 1 year ago (manufacture replacement)
New Power Supply replaced 1 year ago (manufacture replacement)
Bios Revision: 1.00.09cSLS3
KBC/EC Firmware
Revision: 1.00.04SA
Kind Regards
System had been working w/o error for one year with NVidia GeForce GTX 680m upgrade running both Windows 8 and later Windows 8.1 Ultimate 64-bit. Two months ago, I replaced original Hard Drives with 2 Western Digital Scorpion Black 750 GB Hard Drives and 1 Seagate 1 TB Hard Drive.
The system performed another three weeks without error. After about three weeks, the system started flickering then freezing requiring a hard shutdown during game play ONLY. I cleaned the system replacing all thermal pads and re-applying thermal compound where appropriate. The system continued flickering and freezing requiring hard shutdown.
I replaced the NVidia GeForce GTX 680m w/ the original NVidia GeForce GTX 285m thinking the problem might be the upgrade video card however, the problem persisted. I concluded the problem might not be the video cards so I replaced the 680m in the system, but this time, the system produced a Black Screen with flashing onboard lights and beeping sound. Unfortunately, I failed to count the number of beeps. Intermittently, the system would Post and was able to return to Windows until this was no longer possible. The system would no longer Post with the 680m.
Again, I placed the 285m in the system. The system Posts normally and returns to Windows. However, the system continues to freeze randomly at writing docs in Word, using Excel or PowerPoint, Acrobat, Firefox or watching a video.
The symptoms are as follows:
1. Random freezing leaving the document I was viewing prior to the freeze fixed on the screen. Hard restart required.
2. Random freezing with flickering blue screen, or red, or gray or green. The colors are never displayed simultaneously but unique to each individual freeze. Hard restart required.
3. Random freezing with flickering colored screen that also produces a continuous beeping sound.
4. Random freezing with flickering black screen along with continuous beeping sound.
These symptoms are sporadic occurring one minute after turning on the system, 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or several hours after successful operation. There seems to be no pattern to the problem.
Attempted Remedies
1. Used Ultimate Boot CD to wipe hard drives clean. I clean installed Windows 8.1, update drivers only w/o installing any software and the system never froze.
2. Upon replacing software, the freezing resumed.
3. Diagnostic steps were taken within Windows and/or with diagnostic software. Each test was successful never revealing errors or hardware failure. Here is what I’ve attempted:
a. Memtest86 v 4.3.7 – 12 passes no errors
b. DiskCheck – no errors
c. CPUinfo – revealed no errors
d. Data Lifeguard Diagnostic – no errors
e. Windows memory diagnostic test – no errors
f. ClanScan Antivirus in DOS and Kaspersky Pure 3.0 in Windows – no virus detected.
g. Monitor Test – no errors
h. Parallel Port Test – no errors
i. Video Memory Test – no errors (with NVidia 285m).
j. CPUstress v 2.5.2 – no errors
k. PC-Config – no errors
l. Booted into Safe Mode – No errors observed
m. MSCONFIG, Selective Startup – disabled Windows Services and all startup programs restarting programs a group at-a-time but could not get system to freeze.
System Specifications
Sager NP9280 Built on Clevo D900F
Intel i7- 980x CPU @ 333 GHz
NVidia GeForce GTX 285m upgraded to NVidia GeForce GTX 680m
System RAM 12.0 GB
BIOS: Phoenix (OEM) version
Operating System: Windows 8.1 Ultimate 6.03.9600 w/ Media Center 64-bit
Replacement Parts
Motherboard was replaced 1 year ago
3 Hard Drives (2 months old) tested w/o errors
RAM is factor purchased originally with the system tested with mem86 with 12 passes no errors
Inverter replaced (original inverter works also w/o errors) (manufacture replacement)
New keyboard w\ ribbon replaced 1 year ago (manufacture replacement)
New Power Supply replaced 1 year ago (manufacture replacement)
Bios Revision: 1.00.09cSLS3
KBC/EC Firmware
Revision: 1.00.04SA
Kind Regards
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