PC stuttering and freezing, requiring manual restart

Hi all. I have an ASUS P6T and it uses the RealTek onboard audio hardware. However, I've been having some problems with it. In some games, including some heavy ones like Crysis and others like Dungeon Fighter Online, there will be periods of entire stuttering, both of sound and graphics. Sometimes I might get flickering in some graphics too. Steadily it will get worse and worse until eventually the entire PC freezes. The screen is frozen, the audio loops the same millisecond of sound, and nothing works. I have to cut the power.

I have a sneaking suspicion it has to do with the RealTek system, even though this problem affects my whole system. It doesn't happen all that often, but it's enough for me to consider buying a replacement part. The problem also might be indicative of not enough power, but that shouldn't be an issue as I have a very large PSU.

I recall having a similar problem with my previous system, which also used RealTek onboard audio (MSI K8T Neo if I recall correctly).

I have been updating the sound drivers but to no avail. Does anyone know what might be the problem?

Generally, problems like this (freezing/audio loops) are problems with RAM. I had a similar problem, it turned out to be a defective GPU. If you want to be sure it's not your onboard audio, disable it, then run the game again.

You should also use MemTest86+ to test your RAM.

Things to look for:

1. GPU temps - Download and install SpeedFan, GPU-Z, or HW Monitor to find out what the temps are. Ideally, you want this temp to stay below 60 C on load; however, depending on the ambient temp, 65 C isn't too bad. Any time you keep your GPU temps at 70 C or higher, you risk damaging the GPU.

2. CPU temps - Similar to GPU temps, use HW Monitor or SpeedFan to determine the CPU temps. This too, should stay below 60 C.

3. RAM errors - MemTest86+ will determine if there is a problem. Keep in mind that this test is independent of any OS, so don't worry about compatability. Also, test one stick of RAM at a time. Run the test for about 8-10 "passes".

I know how you feel. My experience like this was also very random. I tested RAM using MT86+4.0 (at the time) for 8+ hours; RAM was ok. Stressed my CPU using Prime 95. This ran for more than an hour, still no freezing. I even tested my GPU using FurMark, which does similar testing to the GPU that Prime95 does to the CPU. To my dismay, all tests were fine. However, what made me really believe that it was a GPU problem was the fact that upgrading or downgrading the driver would give me the same or worse results.

Now, I'm not saying that your problem is conclusively GPU, just throwing out suggestions that seem more relative as the cause of the freezing.

If there is a Window(ed) Mode to your games, I suggest you try using that while running the temp monitoring software in the background. FurMark, if you wanted to use it, will use your entire display, I.E. no adjustable window, but it will also give your GPU temp. I've seen my (current) GPU reach as high as 85 C while under load of FurMark, but I live in a warm climate.

Indeed, but my suggestion wasn't to see if your system could handle the load, but rather to see what the temps were at the time of freezing. You could have intermittent failure in one or more of your fans (Case, Heatsink, GPU, PSU).

Post back with the results of MT86+ and any other software test results. I'm very curious as to the temps your system runs at when it is normal, and when it freezes.

By the way, this freezing, does it occur only when playing a game?

A quick update.

I installed Riva tuner and I increased my GPU fan speed to 65%. This keeps the GPU at around 60-62. I have noticed less stuttering (though occasionally there is some) and no crashes. I'm a bit confused about this because when I was using the stock card settings, it would automatically increase the fan speed as needed. It was at around 73 degrees before, which isn't really that hot, certainly nothing that would cause freezing, I would imagine.

I have been running into a separate problem. The mouse will freeze for a second and I hear the Windows chime that a USB device was disconnected, then it would resume. I have a USB mouse on Windows 7.

Apparently this is a known issue with no fix from Microsoft: http://social.answers.microsoft.co [...] ee5486d91e

Hi T_T,

I understand about the temperature issue. I'm just surprised that 73 degrees is too hot. I'm sure it goes much higher than that in Crysis (at which point the GPU factory limit is reached and the fan speed is increased). If indeed GPU temperature is the culprit behind my stuttering and freezing, then it seems 73 wouldn't be so hot to cause problems.

That being said, I am still experiencing some stuttering here and there, but I haven't had a full system lock yet.

The mouse issue is a new one. It's only been happening for the past week or so. However, it's gotten REALLY bad lately. I'm going to be updating all of my motherboard drivers and BIOS. The mouse I have (Logitech MX510) does not have any driver software for Windows 7).

I ran the latency check program from http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml. When the mouse stutters, the latency jumps to around 500 microseconds, then it goes back to it's normal <100 microseconds. I didn't see any jumps in the thousands like some of the screenshots were reporting.

The stuttering seems to happen the most during a game. I suspect it has to do with high internet communications. When I close the game, I get the occasional stutter, but nothing as bad as before.

Last resort with that is to try a USB -> PS/2 converter. I can't seem to find those online, though there are plenty of PS/2 -> USB converters.

Of course, the VERY last resort is to go back to Vista

I see I just suck at finding stuff online...

I think I wasn't clear before. I meant to say that I have run Crysis in the past, max everything, with no problems at all. During that time, I wouldn't be surprised if the GPU exceeded 73 degrees and the fan speed increased.

The game I am currently playing is nowhere near as GPU-intensive (Vindictus) and the GPU sits at 73 degrees if I don't manually increase the fan speed), and yet I am getting stuttering and freezing. I have also experienced this in League of Legends, which is even less GPU-heavy, but I don't have any temperature readings for that at the moment.

That's why I think this issue is not related entirely to GPU heat, though manually upping the GPU fan speed seems to be showing something else. To be honest, Vindictus has HORRIBLE netcode and maybe that's causing some sort of problem with my network adaptor. LoL is pretty good, though.

Hopefully when I go through all of the motherboard updates things will smooth out. First time BIOS update here!

I'm really leaning toward a failing GPU now. The only reason why i'm not positive is because a failing GPU would show itself in the OS, too. If the graphical failures only occur in Vindictus, then it is likely the problem of the game, not your GPU. On the other hand, what was the result of stability testing your GPU using FurMark?