*Hardware Malfunction* BSOD - 8800gts involved?

[valnuke]

I've had my PC (signature) for 3 years now, I just changed the HD/ram last year, with no problems.

Suddendly, really suddenly, it started giving this blue screen error.

*** Hardware Malfunction
Call your hardware vendor for support
*** The system has halted ***

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/222973
without additional errors.


It started happening every 3-4 hours in win7. Then after a 2-3 days it started happening every few minutes. And finally I couldn't almost login into win7 that it crashed. I noticed that it wasn't crashing in linux ubuntu (dual boot).

So I wanted to re-format and strangely I got the same error while booting from win7 installation cd! that was weird

at that point I thought it was a graphic card (nvidia 8800gts) problem, so I replaced it with another crappy nvidia card (geforce 8400gs from my other pc)
The system ran fine for hours, and I benchmarked a lot without problems.
I also noticed that my suspicious card was running fine in my other pc! so I had 2 working pcs.

At that point I put the broken(?) 8800 in my system again and it started working again. miracle
My system ran fine and I reformatted. all perfect
Then, this morning (1 week later) BSOD again. while posting a comment on youtube... restarted, another one, just using windows.


I really don't understand why this problem. i *THINK* that it's the video card but I don't understand why

1. it works fine on another pc with win7 32 (at least it did for 6-7 hours)
2. it works fine in linux ubuntu on this same pc (24+ hours)
3. it even crashed booting from win7cd...
4 it worked fine for 1 week after I removed/reinsterted it and now it started BSODing again.

I don't know what to do, I'm not even sure it's the gpu card. I paid it quite a lot 3 years ago and I wouldn't like to buy a new one just to find out that the problem lies somewhere else...


Sorry for the length, if you have suggestions they'll be much appreciated.

HW
Windows 7 Pro 64bit - Asus Striker Extreme MB - INTEL Core2 Duo E6850 3.0GHZ 1333 - XFX 8800 GTS 640mb video - Ram 4x2GB corsair DDR2 XMS2 - PSU Enermax Liberty 620W - HD SATAII 160GB Maxtor + OCZ Vertex2 SSD 120gb + 2x1500GB WD Caviar Green(RAID1)

 

[Mousemonkey]

Have you tried redoing the thermal paste on the GPU?

 

[valnuke]

Have you tried redoing the thermal paste on the GPU?

do you mean on my dual core processor? no I haven't done that, but the pc seems to work fine with other video cards...
if you mean on my graphic card, i don't know what you're talking about... i've never done it

 

[Mousemonkey]

The GPU is the main component on the the graphics card so that was what I was referring to and to redo it would require dismantling the card by way of removing the HSF's shroud and removing the HSF.

 

[valnuke]

The GPU is the main component on the the graphics card so that was what I was referring to and to redo it would require dismantling the card by way of removing the HSF's shroud and removing the HSF.

ok thanks, i just found a tutorial on how to do it... i guess i could try, i'd need to buy some thermal paste. anyway i don't think that heat is the problem... the temperatures are low

and i didn't think that this it was necessary after only 3 years...

 

[Mousemonkey]

Sometimes it's necessary a lot sooner than that!

 

[jedimasterben]

I know you say the RAM is new(ish), but have you run Memtest on it? I was having all sorts of errors on a spare machine, weird errors, and it turned out to be that the RAM needed a little bit extra voltage to continue operating at the stock speed/timings.

What drivers are you running on the GPU? Have you tried any alternate/older/newer drivers?

 

[jedimasterben]

Sometimes it's necessary a lot sooner than that!

Heck, it was necessary right off the bat with my 8800GTS (God rest its soul), I think they had missed the GPU at the factory when applying thermal paste!

 

[valnuke]

ram should be fine, i already tested the system with 1 module (changed them all) on all slots... same error. and also consider that it worked fine for 2 years+
memtest was fine

i've tried 2 drivers versions... same prob. anyway if it crashed even loading the win7 install cd i think it must be something else than drivers...

 

[valnuke]

Heck, it was necessary right off the bat with my 8800GTS (God rest its soul), I think they had missed the GPU at the factory when applying thermal paste!

but how a temperature problem can give these extremely random bsod? and only on win7? is it normal/possible?

 

[Mousemonkey]

Heck, it was necessary right off the bat with my 8800GTS (God rest its soul), I think they had missed the GPU at the factory when applying thermal paste!

They didn't miss my 8800's GPU's but I kind of wish they had when I saw the huge blob of TIM that had just been splotched on.