Random System Freeze/Lock-up Requiring Hard Reset (PLEASE HELP!)

omagon · Sep 9, 2015

Hello,

I recently built the PC I am currently experiencing this issue on. I have built several gaming PC's in the past, have never experienced any consistent issues such as this.

The PC Speccs are as follows:

CPU- AMD FX-9590 Vishera 8-Core 4.7GHz Cooled with a: CORSAIR Hydro Series H75 Liquid CPU Cooler 120mm
MOBO- ASUS M5A99FX PRO R2.0 AM3+
GPU- 2x EVGA GeForce GTX 970s in SLi (4GB GDDR5)
Power Supply- COOLMAX CUG-950B 950W ATX12V v2.3 EPS12V v2.91 SLi Certified
RAM- 16GB HyperX DDR3 SDRAM
HD(s)-1x Western Digital 1TB 32MB Cache, 1x Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache
OS- Windows 10

I built the PC in mid February of this year, 2015. This particular issue started happening consistently (daily basis) in June but has happened intermittently from the beginning. While gaming, my PC will all of a sudden, at random, lock up completely. All sound stops but I don't lose power. All the lights on my tower remain on, fans remain spinning, an all my peripherals appear to still have power. Even my phone that I keep plugged in via USB continues to charge.
I try Alt+f4, Ctrl+Alt+Del, and Alt+Tab, but nothing responds. The PC just stays like this until I'm forced to do a hard-reset at the tower.

I've tried just about everything I can think of to resolve this problem. I thought since it only happens when I game that perhaps it's a cooling issue and my system is overheating. However, I've ran a slew of programs to monitor heat and none show anything abnormal.
Many articles suggested malware or spyware might be causing the lock-ups. So I've chosen to clean my system of anything I can find on a daily basis but the issue still persists.
At one point I was able to eliminate the problem completely for nearly 3 weeks by changing my power settings from 'Power-Saver' to 'High-Performance'. Unfortunately, the issue came back. Asus Suite II regularly reports power fluctuations which leads me to believe it might possibly be a failing Power-Supply but I'm just not sure.

Windows Event Viewer lists a myriad of different application and system errors each time it happens. Recently however, the only errors being recorded by event viewer are those pertaining to the forced reboot of my computer. No application errors that are coinciding with my lock-ups.
It's worth noting that this system started out running Windows 7 Home Premium and just recently upgraded to Windows 10. The problem existed regardless of OS.

I would appreciate any and all advice on how to narrow down what's causing this problem. I'm not exactly a novice when it comes to Computers, but I'm also no Expert, so please assume I know nothing when explaining possible solutions or investigative methods and please be as descriptive as possible. I am willing to try anything to fix this problem as it is absolutely maddening. This problem happens multiple times a day with no obvious pattern.

terry4536 · Sep 9, 2015

There are several things that could cause this type of problem. The most likely possibility is a either a driver issue or a system resources issue. I would suggest re-seating the RAM and running Memtest. I would update the graphics driver. If the CPU or GPU are overclocked, I would also try the system without the overclock. And
then reevaluate the system.

Also you can try it with just a single graphics card.

Here are two general troubleshooting checklists.

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-1893016/post-system-boot-video-output-troubleshooting-checklist.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-2041564/troubleshoot-boot-display-issue.html

terry4536 · Sep 9, 2015

Another possibility (but less likely) is that the power supply isn't putting out the watts that the power supply is rated for. If the power supply was inadequate, it would cause problems for the graphics cards while still providing sufficient power for the rest of the system. Removing one of the graphics cards would lower the power draw. If the system runs fine with just one card, then I would look at the PSU as a possibility.

omagon · Sep 9, 2015

terry4536 :

I unplugged and removed one of my cards and am going to see if that makes a difference.

omagon · Sep 10, 2015

So that was a no go. About an hour into playing a game after removing one of my GPUs I experienced another complete lock-up.

I've checked all my hardware to make sure it's all plugged in correctly and seated properly and it all appears to be.

I just wanted to add that yesterday, I experienced this lock-up problem twice while watching a downloaded video. That's the first time it's ever happened outside of a game.

omagon · Sep 10, 2015

Ran Memtest this morning. No errors.

I did notice that my RAM was set at 1333mhz in my Bios, not the 1600mhz that it should be. I manually set it to 1600. I dont know if that has anything to do with my issue but figured I'd mention everything I notice.

terry4536 · Sep 10, 2015

I just checked the motherboard, and it supports DDR3 2133(O.C.)/1866/1600/1333/1066. It would be compatible at that frequency as well.

Do you have a case speaker? If so are there any beep codes on startup? If not here is an online example.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812201032&cm_re=case_speaker-_-12-201-032-_-Product

This doesn't seem like a simple hardware issue. The motherboard doesn't have an integrated video option. So you can't try that option. Do you have a different working graphics card that you can switch out to test that compatibility? Also, do you have a different set of dual channel RAM available to evaluate the RAM? Have you checked the installation of the processor?

Have you updated the graphics drivers? Have you updated the motherboard drivers? Have you tried clearing the CMOS? Have you re-flashed the BIOS? Have you done a fresh install of the operating system since adding the second graphics card? (apart from Win 10 update)

omagon · Sep 11, 2015

terry4536 :

There aren't any beep codes on startup, but to be honest I don't think I have a case speaker. As far as I know there wasn't one included with the case when I installed everything.

I do have the graphics cards from my previous rig that I could swap out and try.

Unfortunately I do not have another set of dual channel RAM to try out.

A little over a month ago I cleaned, reseated, and applied new thermal compund to my CPU because I was worried that it was overheating causing this issue. It tends to get pretty hot sometimes and I'm not 100% sure the cooler I have setup to it is sufficient. However, according to the program I use to monitor its temp (speccy) it stays at normal temps under-load. Asus Suite II sometimes gives me a temperature warning when it gets to 65ºC. When I first built my Computer my CPU was Overclocked by default in the BIOS settings. Every time I ran any game it would instantly crash my system, causing BSOD. After setting my power settings to default in the BIOS that problem ceased, but this one cropped up some days later. Not sure if their related.

I have updated the Graphics Drivers.

As Far as I know I'm using the latest drivers for my Motherboard. I've gotten all the latest drivers for LAN, Audio, and even BIOS off the ASUS website. The BIOS haven't had a new version since April of 2014.

I don't know how to clear the CMOS or even what that is. Sorry, I'm still somewhat of a novice.

I have not re-flashed the BIOS and am unsure how.

I have done a fresh install of the operating system since updating to Windows 10. I have had the 2 cards installed since day 1. This issue was present before upgrading to Win10 while using Windows 7 Home Premium

If you're willing to explain the process, I'm more than willing to clear the CMOS or re-flash the BIOS. I just need a little instruction. Thanks for all your help

omagon · Sep 11, 2015

*UPDATED INFO*

After going all day without a single lock-up, my system decided to once again freeze on me while playing.

I immediately checked the Event Viewer and here is a list of the errors it recorded that coincide with the lock-up.

Application Error
____________________________________________________________________
EventID: 1000
Task Category: (100)

Faulting application name: svchost.exe_stisvc, version: 10.0.10240.16384, time stamp: 0x559f38cb
Faulting module name: unknown, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000000000000
Faulting process id: 0x940
Faulting application start time: 0x01d0ec4c38342dd6
Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
Faulting module path: unknown
Report Id: a2444a0b-31f5-4332-ab54-5b4bed5f45be
Faulting package full name:
Faulting package-relative application ID:
____________________________________________________________________

System Error(s)
____________________________________________________________________
EventID: 7034, Service Control Manager
Task Category: None

The Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) service terminated unexpectedly. It has done this 1 time(s).
____________________________________________________________________
EventID: 10016, DistributedCOM
Task Category: None
The application-specific permission settings do not grant Local Activation permission for the COM Server application with CLSID
{D63B10C5-BB46-4990-A94F-E40B9D520160}
and APPID
{9CA88EE3-ACB7-47C8-AFC4-AB702511C276}
to the user NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE SID (S-1-5-19) from address LocalHost (Using LRPC) running in the application container Unavailable SID (Unavailable). This security permission can be modified using the Component Services administrative tool.
____________________________________________________________________

There were also a couple errors related to the forced reboot of the system but I obviously caused those.

terry4536 · Sep 11, 2015

The "Faulting application path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe" refers to Windows services. Below is an explanation of the executable file. Unfortunately it doesn't refer to a specific application.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/what-is-svchost-exe#1TC=windows-7

You can go to Administrative Tools to see the Windows Services, but don't change anything.

Given that you have experienced system shutdown due to an overclock and temperature error messages that is an area to look into. What does the CPU temperature idle at? There is a feature in Asus Suites under tools called Sensor Recorder. I would use that to monitor the temperatures while you are gaming. It will give you an idea of how hot your processor is running.

If you do not hear a single beep during normal bootup, then it probably doesn't have a case speaker installed. I would get one. The one I listed is around $7 at newgg.com. You may be able to find one locally. Your motherboard manual should cover the installation of the case speaker.

Unless the processor is running very hot your closed loop cooler should be able to handle it. Have you checked the cooler to see if it is running normally?

Here is a reference to the beep codes. They are specific to the BIOS of your system. I would guess that it is an AMI BIOS.

http://www.bioscentral.com/beepcodes/amibeep.htm

terry4536 · Sep 11, 2015

Depending upon the motherboard, you may have a button or a jumper on the motherboard to clear the CMOS. Clearing the CMOS returns the BIOS settings to the default. That is usually done in order to recover the system that is having boot problems.

Re-flashing the BIOS is just updating the BIOS. It is possible that the BIOS has become degraded (causing your problems). The manual will have instructions on clearing the CMOS and updating the BIOS.

omagon · Sep 11, 2015

So last night after further searching on the web for possible solutions I decided to download Prime95 and stress test my CPU. Almost immediately after starting the program my system locked up. The problem is I can't make heads or tails of the information Prime95 displays... I reset my system at the tower and when the desktop came back up Prime95 resumed where it left off automatically. My system once again locked up in less than a minute. I reset again in an attempt to shut down Prime95 before it had a chance to start, but this time my system locked up instantly after getting to desktop. Finally, I was able to disable prime95 and get back to the desktop, no lock-up.

After all this I decided to run Furmark and stress-test my GPUs. I was able to push both my cards to their limits without a single issue popping up.

A friend of mine sudgested testing my cards in a different PCIe slot since when running one card I always use the same slot. So I removed one card and setup the remainder in a different PCIe slot. Unfortunately it was too late in the evening for me test it out. I set Windows Defender to run a scan and went to bed. When I came back this morning my computer was locked-up, and according to the time on the screen it locked-up about 75% through the Windows Defender scan and had been this way for about 5 hours....

I just don't know what to think. The Prime95 test leads me to believe my processor is the issue, maybe overheating, but I'm just not sure.

terry4536 · Sep 11, 2015

When you overclock a processor, you incrementally increase the voltage to the processor. Then you run a stress test. If the stress test passes, you know that it is stable at that voltage. Then you incrementally increase the voltage again and repeat the process until it fails. That establishes the ceiling for the processor. Subtract the initial voltage from that maximum voltage, and that gives you the voltage range for your overclock with the current system. Then depending upon how extreme you want to be, you set the voltage to the processor up to a maximum of 90% of the ceiling voltage just established.

My point is that the voltage to your processor is too high for the current system. Generally when this occurs the temperature is high as well, and the problem can be remedied by increasing the cooling (at least to some degree). You said that you removed the overclock. I would check that voltage with the normal spec of the processor.

You can contact AMD customer support. If the processor isn't stable at the normal operating voltage, you may have a case for a warranty replacement. Because processor is sold as stable at 4.7 GHz, it should be stable at that frequency. They can advise you on a stable voltage in the meantime.

You can look at this article as a reference for your processor.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/amd-fx-9590-9370_8.html

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