Hello all, I have been plagued by computer problems on my desktop for over a year now. I was hoping someone could help shed light on my (long and frustrating) situation.
Problem:
BSODs are frequent and happen randomly, with a different error code each time. Sometimes my computer will run fine for hours then after I exit a game will suddenly crash, or it may crash before the login screen is reached. Sometimes the mobo never beeps when starting up, meaning it's failing to post (fans and lights are running).
Another common, random crash I have is where my monitors turn into the image below:
I can try to boot it up and pull the minidumps if anyone feels they would be useful, or at least list the most common error codes.
My Setup: All parts ordered from Newegg Dec 2010/January 2011. My original goal was to build an effective price per performance PC.
Monitors:
1 x ASUS VH236H Black 23" Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitor w/ Speakers
Dual monitor is a 1920x1080 Vizio TV from Target in 2010
Case:
1 x Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Mobo:
1 x ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
PSU:
CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
RAM: original then the new set
1 x CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9
1 x G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model
HDD:
1 x Seagate Barracuda LP ST32000542AS 2TB 5900 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive
CPU: bundled with GPU
1 x AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT55TFBGRBOX
Graphics Card: bundled with CPU
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (100315L )
Troubleshooting:
I've done a breadboard setup and can get the machine to operate, then slowly add parts back and it might be stable for a day or two then rapidly deteriorate.
I have taken a multimeter and tested my PSU (it's good).
-I have swapped graphics cards with a friend; my system kept crashing, his remained stable.
-I have swapped RAM sticks with a friend and bought a new set; my system kept crashing, his remained stable.
-I installed an aftermarket heat sink, which seemed to cause issues as well (CPU FAN ERROR), and I went back to stock, which was stable for a few weeks after. I do not overclock or stress the computer enough to require more than stock cooling.
-I have swapped hard drives to see if it was possible a driver/software issue (unlikely with my crashes during boot); my system kept crashing.
-I have reseated and redone the thermal paste on the CPU a few times, cleaning each time.
-Along with breadboarding, I have checked for shorts around the case and reseated all the components numerous times.
-I have cleared CMOS and tried underclocking my setup, to no avail, which got my system to start booting properly again, but with stability issues still.
-I went to using just one monitor and one stick of RAM, which did not make a difference. Currently, my mobo will not boot if there are certain slots with RAM in them, but it might boot sometimes if a different combination of RAM/channels is used. (at one point, only one slot worked, then later only the second channel pair, then later the first channel pair)
-Running updates or having programs running or idling does not seem to make a difference, although there is a habit of working alright until I exit a game/program and then it suddenly crashes.
My mobo is the *third* one, the first two I RMA'd back to ASUS for various issues (which still exist, but I'm through dealing with ASUS)
Solution?
As far as I can tell, it's either a bad CPU or bad mobo (leaning towards mobo) (only two components I haven't been able to test in other setups, as all my friends are Intel). As far as I know, CPUs just burn up.
What I'd appreciate from you fine folks would be some confirmation/clarity before I go spend money on a new part that may or may not fix my issues, and any recommendations/advice is welcome.
The best solution is something I can fix, but with the extensive troubleshooting I've done so far, I think that's not possible.
Problem:
BSODs are frequent and happen randomly, with a different error code each time. Sometimes my computer will run fine for hours then after I exit a game will suddenly crash, or it may crash before the login screen is reached. Sometimes the mobo never beeps when starting up, meaning it's failing to post (fans and lights are running).
Another common, random crash I have is where my monitors turn into the image below:
I can try to boot it up and pull the minidumps if anyone feels they would be useful, or at least list the most common error codes.
My Setup: All parts ordered from Newegg Dec 2010/January 2011. My original goal was to build an effective price per performance PC.
Monitors:
1 x ASUS VH236H Black 23" Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitor w/ Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236059
Dual monitor is a 1920x1080 Vizio TV from Target in 2010
Case:
1 x Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133094
Mobo:
1 x ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131402
PSU:
CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
RAM: original then the new set
1 x CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2A1333C9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145315
1 x G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311
HDD:
1 x Seagate Barracuda LP ST32000542AS 2TB 5900 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148413
CPU: bundled with GPU
1 x AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT55TFBGRBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103851
Graphics Card: bundled with CPU
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (100315L )
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102908
Troubleshooting:
I've done a breadboard setup and can get the machine to operate, then slowly add parts back and it might be stable for a day or two then rapidly deteriorate.
I have taken a multimeter and tested my PSU (it's good).
-I have swapped graphics cards with a friend; my system kept crashing, his remained stable.
-I have swapped RAM sticks with a friend and bought a new set; my system kept crashing, his remained stable.
-I installed an aftermarket heat sink, which seemed to cause issues as well (CPU FAN ERROR), and I went back to stock, which was stable for a few weeks after. I do not overclock or stress the computer enough to require more than stock cooling.
-I have swapped hard drives to see if it was possible a driver/software issue (unlikely with my crashes during boot); my system kept crashing.
-I have reseated and redone the thermal paste on the CPU a few times, cleaning each time.
-Along with breadboarding, I have checked for shorts around the case and reseated all the components numerous times.
-I have cleared CMOS and tried underclocking my setup, to no avail, which got my system to start booting properly again, but with stability issues still.
-I went to using just one monitor and one stick of RAM, which did not make a difference. Currently, my mobo will not boot if there are certain slots with RAM in them, but it might boot sometimes if a different combination of RAM/channels is used. (at one point, only one slot worked, then later only the second channel pair, then later the first channel pair)
-Running updates or having programs running or idling does not seem to make a difference, although there is a habit of working alright until I exit a game/program and then it suddenly crashes.
My mobo is the *third* one, the first two I RMA'd back to ASUS for various issues (which still exist, but I'm through dealing with ASUS)
Solution?
As far as I can tell, it's either a bad CPU or bad mobo (leaning towards mobo) (only two components I haven't been able to test in other setups, as all my friends are Intel). As far as I know, CPUs just burn up.
What I'd appreciate from you fine folks would be some confirmation/clarity before I go spend money on a new part that may or may not fix my issues, and any recommendations/advice is welcome.
The best solution is something I can fix, but with the extensive troubleshooting I've done so far, I think that's not possible.
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