Gateway FX6710-01 Crashing thanks to WoW

[tuxedos]

http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/gateway-fx-6710-01/4507-3118_7-33346988.html?tag=mncolBtm;rnav. I have the stock PC, except with a 1080W PSU.

So I've had my Gateway for about two years now. I played World of Warcraft on it for the entire time. I would occasionally have it freeze up and make an annoying, repeating sound, while the screen was shut off after a few months. It would unfreeze and go about like nothing happened. Now, a year later, it begins to do the same thing. Except it completely freezes and doesn't come back up. This happens everytime I open up WoW and get to the loading screen, where it freezes and I have to restart the computer.

I have looked everywhere across the internet, and I can't find a solution. I replaced my 400 W PSU with a 1080W today and the problem persists. I've ran multitudes of heat tests and my ATI Radeon HD4850 graphics card sits at about 80 celsius while when I use the Intel Burn Test, my 4 processors get to 99 celsius, 87, 78, and 78 when I run it at very high.

I've asked every single one of my friends, local computer tech repairman, seemingly thousands of internet post, and I can't find a solution. Someone please help me

 

[tuxedos]

Update - I just applied thermal paste onto my processor and the freezing persists. All I can think of that could be the culprit is the motherboard or the RAM now. Possibly the OS?

 

[mavroxur]

Being that your CPU was running at almost 100c for extended periods of time, I wouldn't be surprised if it has been damaged. The Q9400 specifies a maximum temperature of 71c according to Intel's data sheet. I did have a weird WoW problem back in the day when I used to play, and it involved a patch that caused an incompatibility with anyone using Sound Blaster sound cards (like....almost all of them, i was using a SB Audigy 2ZS back then) that caused the repeating sound for like 5 seconds or so, then WoW would just.....close. No error or anything, and would hang on relaunch. You had to reboot to get back into the game. They eventually fixed it, but it sounds eerily similar to what I was having.


I'd double check your cooling solution (fan, HS, etc) and see why it's running so warm, and then try stress testing the CPU for an extended period. If it's stable during stress testing, but crashes in WoW, then your problem is probably with WoW.

 

[jerreece]

Keep in mind Intel Burn Test will heat a processor way more than a game will.

I would suggest uninstalling WoW and then reinstalling it from scratch.

 

[tuxedos]

I'm not sure if that will solve it, it had the same problem with a game called Minecraft. And it has also happened when WoW wasn't even on my computer.