PC freezes sometimes

Kraiden

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Sep 10, 2011
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18,510
Hello,

My PC freezes now and then with a soundloop. It happens mostly while watching a video or listen music.
It has never happened while playing a game, and I game a lot.
I have this for a couple of months now and it started happening when I upgraded my PC parts.
Parts that I upgraded:
Motherboard: GA-P67A-D3-B3
Processor: i7 2600k (Runs suddenly at 3.5Ghz while it's a 3.4Ghz CPU, very weird when I never overclocked)
Memory: 2 sticks of Corsair 4 GB DDR3-1333 CMX4GX3M1A1333C9
HD: Samsung HD103SJ
OS: Windows 7 64-bit

The rest of my setup:
Soundcard; Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Fatal1ty Pro
GPU: Sapphire ATi RADEON 4870 Toxic Edition 1GB DDR5
PSU: 700Watt Be Quiet!

I have all settings default in the BIOS.

I tried a lot of things:
* Ran Memtest86+
* Switched memory slots
* Did Stresstest on CPU and Memory with prime and realtemp
* Did disable my onboard sound card which is from RealTek as I read there was some issues with drivers and could crash the system, from this point on I suddenly didn't get any freezes anymore with my PC for 3 weeks until my PCI slot of my motherboard where my soundcard was in broke. I heard a distortion noise and then my sound went dead, I put the soundcard in my other slot and it works again now for a month.

I still get freezes every now and then, sometimes it's a freeze everyday, sometimes once a week.
When my PC freezes I get no blue screen, just my mouse freezes and I can't press any keys. The only options is to turn off or reset my PC. While the PC froze I also hear a static noise, sometimes beeps, but the noise is mostly always different.

I don't know what to do anymore, I have no knowledge of voltage settings or anything but the memory settings are all on default and the voltage settings of my memory and CPU also.

Any tips would be appreciated.

Thank you.
 

Kraiden

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Sep 10, 2011
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18,510
Hmmm, now it froze today the first time ever since I played a game.
When it froze my pc starting beeping, but the beeps are always different when I get a freeze, it's random and it's not warning beeps I think as it's just from the static noise during the freeze.
I updated my BIOS to the latest version today though.
 

chippies

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Dec 21, 2008
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Just curious, what happens if you take out the Creative sound card and just use the onboard one?

As for the 2600K running at 3.5GHz instead of 3.4GHz, thats just turbo boost kicking in because the CPU temperature isn't high enough to cause problems. My 2600K runs at 3.8GHz almost all the time - still need to see if it can do that in a 35 degree heat wave though :)
 

Kraiden

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Sep 10, 2011
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18,510
I did try that. Removing the sound card doesn't make a difference.
PC just froze again during chkdsk before windows even booted up..
 

chippies

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Dec 21, 2008
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That motherboard doesn't seem particularly reliable - PCI slot fails and disabling the onboard sound card solved the problem for a while. Maybe send it back for repairs or replacement under warranty, if that's an option?
 

Kraiden

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Sep 10, 2011
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Thing is, I'm in my exams right now so I need my PC everyday.
I bought this motherboard from a webshop and if I want it replaced I have to sent it to them and then they need to test it if it's really faulty, and it could take 2 weeks before I get a new one back they said. So then I'm 2 weeks without a PC which isn't a option for me at this time.