System Rebooting/Freezing

cliff_nj

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I recently built the following system:
Processor: E8400 3.16GHz
Cooler: Zalman 9700
Motherboard: P5Q Deluxe
Memory: Corsair Dominator Twinx 2x4096 PC8500-C5DF
Power Supply: Corsair HX1000
Video: MSI GTX280

The system reboots at times.. no blue screens.
I am having a hard time figuring out what is causing the issue.

One time it was during a file transfer from drive to drive.
The next it was while browsing the web.
Anyone have any ideas as to what might cause this?
All the parts are brand new...
It did this under XP and Vista...
 
Your are using PC28500 1066MHz. RAM. BIOS will default the RAM voltage to 1.8v which is underpowering the RAM you have. In BIOS adjust the RAM voltage to Mfg. specifications, 2.0-2.2v.
 

cliff_nj

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If it has anything to do with the NB/Memory voltages do you think Memtest86 would catch it?

I have an eerie feeling that it may have something to do with the MSI video card/drivers.

I had a similar problem once before that happened with a different system during game play, but that turned out to be Power Supply. I have a hard time believing this could be Power Supply since I have a 1KW supply. But I am wondering if it has something to do with the card/drivers.


 
Yeah, I would suspectthe RAM or possibly a driver, video card specifically. Is your GTX280 cooling properly? If the video RAM gets too hot, it could cause the system to crash. If you happen to have some other RAM around you might try it. Maybe run the system with 1 DIMM of what you have and see if it crashes. Memtest would detect a bad DIMM. My system has not crashed in many months since I set the NB voltage manually to 1.4v. You can go near 1.5v, but 1.4v worked to solve my issue.
 

cliff_nj

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I tried the settings for the NB and it still froze.
I tried a different video card, different memoryand Power Supply. Nothing...
The rebooting and freezing got worse and worse.
I checked the CPU temp and it was at 45C.

I tried a new install on another Hard Drive... and it seems to be calm.
I hope I am not fooling myself.. I have a hard time thinking this is a Hard Drive issue as I was not getting read errors or anything but it seems to be working?
What do you think?
I am really at a loss here. Maybe it was the drive but I had never seen a hard drive do that before..
 
Yeah, the two hard drives I had go out crashed down completely before showing much of a sign like that. So, it looks like it was the hard drive or the OS installation itself. Because you didn't reinstall the OS on the same hard drive you are thinking is bad. Why don't you try downloading and installing Lifeguard tools from WD and run a test on the bad drive. And hey you found and fixed it, so that's great.

http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=601&sid=1&lang=en
 

cliff_nj

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Correction.. I THOUGHT I had it fixed.
It started off fine.. all of a sudden it locks up and thn gets to the point where you can do nothing because as soon as you try to do anything it restarts. I have basically changed out everything short of the processor which I will try next.
I am completely perplexed by this.
 

Grimmy

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You say its all brand new hardware. So I'm assuming the xp and vista are fresh installs.

Did you check to see if you have the latest bios, and MB chipset drivers?

If you running it stock, the only voltage to be adjusted would be perhaps the memory. I don't believe you really need to touch the NB voltage, unless your OC'ing.
 

cliff_nj

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I will check the BIOS and drivers. I am not OCing. I would like to but before I can get there it needs to run stable at stock.. which it is not. All installs were fresh installs. After the fresh install they start working fine, but after a few reboots and some use everything starts freezing on windows log-on or just a reset in the middle of doing something like trying to open Mozilla. I have some older parts I have been using to swap out and find the offender but no luck so far.
 
I was looking through the reviews of the MB at Newegg (I know, one guy can't put the fan on because of those tall things ASUS put near the socket). Most reviews are positive, but apparently there are a few who do get a 'flakey' unstable unit. So, can you try your video card in another system to insure it operates stable. And you siad the RAM is known to be good in other systems? Anyway, maybe time to suspect the MB is the culprit. Especially if everything else checks out in other systems.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=13-131-297&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&SelectedRating=-1&PurchaseMark=&VideoOnlyMark=False&Keywords=&Page=1
 

cliff_nj

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It has to be either MB or processor. I have a spare processor I can toss in it today and see if it continues. Otherwise I have a Motherboard I may be able to try out too. And if none of that works I will be backing over the pile of it all in my driveway and finding a new hobby.
 
There you go. I just had a system lock up and I swore it was the MB. Even contacted the Mfg. for a RMA. Their support asked if I had a spare processor. I did. I tried it and the system ran like a champ. My system had completely locked up. Like I said, I thought it was the MB. Luckily, Newegg let me RMA the porcessor and it's running in that MB now.
 

cliff_nj

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Badge and Grimmy I just wanted to thank you for your help. It turned out to be a flaky CPU. System is up and running stable now. Thanks fr you NB suggestions Badge as I am now OC'ing and upped the NB voltage and I am running nice and stable.