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Random Crashes!

E

evilchinesefood

n00b
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
16
Ok I'm new here guys so hello. I recently built a brand new computer. 5th build. This time I had little more money than previous builds so I was able to get more exactly what i wanted.

Problem arises with it though. It randomly freezes at start up (Windows loading screen and sometime right after all the programs are loaded and ready for use) and then It freezes when I try and run OCCTP or Prime95, normaly first 10 secs or so. Sometimes there are lines on the top of the screen and other times there are messed up pixels. Other times theirs nothing.

Build
AMD Phenom 2 X4 955 Quad-Core @ 3.2ghz AM3
COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
ASUS M4A785TD-M EVO AM3 AMD 785G
Mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 896MB EVGA
CSB X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series
500GB 7200RPM / 320 GB 7200RPM Storage Drive
Windows XP SP3

Programs Running
Norton 2010
Mozy Online Backup
Skype
Steam
Gmail Notifyer
ASUS EPU Engine (I think this is the problem)
Bluebirds
Nvidia Control Pannel

Now with ASUS EPU Engine it came set for performance mode and that is how i have had it set, cpu runs about 37c and 43c under load. When i switched it today to Power Saving (Which turns voltages for Vcore and VDDNB down slighly) it runs about 31c idle and about 34c Under load. THe problem appears to be fixed when its set for power save mode, but my sound seems to crack a bit. Lots of pops and scratches in the sound. Doesn't sound good on the speakers. When its up it does not do this.

GPU Temperatures are about 45c Idle and 49c load. Nothing is overclocked all factory defaults. BIOS is update and all drivers are up to date. Windows is up to date too.

NOW:
My computer froze and I had to restart except this time when i restart i cant see anything. So i took the side off and tried plugging the DVI cord into the mobo connector. No luck, Took the GFX card out and tried again and it boots right up.MY computer is also running almost 15c lower too with the side off. I have a COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000. Is that normal for it to drop that much? Any ideas, GFX card the problem or is it just gone bad?

EDIT: Well i tryed some more with it. I uninstalled my NVIDIA drivers and tried again. I also tried the other dvi ports on the card. Both turned up nothing. The screen is getting a signal because it says there is a signal on my monitor. Otherwise nothing happens.

This was my post to evga about my graphics card problem. They never answered. Im hoping you guys can help me! IM getting desperate and uneasy.
 
My suspicion would be bad RAM or bad power. Try booting an Ubuntu LiveCD and run that for a while, just to rule out any kind of driver issue. If that fails too, which I suspect it will, run memtest86 on each module individually and see if you've got some bum ram.

This kind of thing is almost always hardware.
 
I have pretty much ruled out ram. I ran memtest about a week ago all night long with 0 errors. 12 complete passes.
 
Have you done any tweaks?
Set ram voltage, set FSB to manual, set ram timings? Anything?

Power supply, make and model.
 
So you've tested all your hardware? RAM? GPU? CPU? HDD? PSU? If so, and nothing comes up, then its probably a software problem. Can you boot into safemode?

evilchinesefood said:
...
Programs Running
Norton 2010
Mozy Online Backup
Skype
Steam
Gmail Notifyer
ASUS EPU Engine (I think this is the problem)
Bluebirds
...
Click to expand...

Remove Norton; typically requires an uninstall tool from the symantec site. Disable all of those other programs and see if your problem still exists. If not, enable them one by one until your problem returns. If so, re-install windows.
 
No its not norton. Problem was there before norton. The problem was actually there when i first installed windows. So i doubt its software unless its windows. The thing that is triggering all of these problems comes from EPU Engine 4. Im almost positive. When its on performance is when it crashes. The only difference on it is there are no voltage downgrades on the vcore and VDDNB. When its in power saving mode runs smooth but games run slow, turns down voltages 'Slightly'.

ITS NOT
RAM, PSU, OR GPU

COULD BE
Motherboard or CPU
 
evilchinesefood said:
No its not norton. Problem was there before norton. The problem was actually there when i first installed windows. So i doubt its software unless its windows. The thing that is triggering all of these problems comes from EPU Engine 4. Im almost positive. When its on performance is when it crashes. The only difference on it is there are no voltage downgrades on the vcore and VDDNB. When its in power saving mode runs smooth but games run slow, turns down voltages 'Slightly'.
Click to expand...
Then remove it? I've never liked these kind of programs to begin with, and I wouldn't be surprised if they made the hardware buggy.

Like I said, try a Linux LiveCD, it's a fairly reliable and easy way to verify if it is a hardware issue or not. Also, I hope you've swapped out your PSU with a known-good one, because there's really no other way to be sure.
 
so diable it. :rolleyes:

Heh, damn i type slow today. Yes, as keenan said, disable, and try a live CD. It doesn't have to be a linux distro, you can try BartPE or some other live windows OS... as long as its a live OS. :p

I also agree, those apps are typically shitty. If you want to OC, do it manually.
 
i read through the list of things you have done, but what I do not see is any mention of bios? Are you running the shipped bios version? Maybe update to the latest bios? The latest version for your mobo is 0902. There is now 7 bios versions released and everyone before this one promises to "Improve the system stability and performance for certain memory " and the likes. If you have not done so already I would highly suggest that you update the bios to the latest one. Here's a link to their site.
 
Last edited:
Ok i apologize i have updated bios didn't mention it. The only reason i have that program installed (EPU Engine) is i though it was required. Its a driver not some software. Its ASUS EPU Engine. Also ill try live CD shortly. PSU is good as far as i know. Its about 6 months old. I bought it for my last pc build and pulled it out for this one. Its a PC Power & Cooling Silencer which is a very good brand.

I have removed the GFX card, the Sounds card and taken the side off. I took off the Nvidia drivers and Creative drivers. Reinstalled the onboard sound and gfx drivers. I crashed still. This time though it didnt freeze it just auto restarted.
 
Have you tried a fresh install?

Try running the system without all the extra software, and put it through a load test, if it passes without any hiccups, install a piece of active software like norton and do the test again, then add another software package, and so on...

Yeah it's long winded, but it will give you a definitive answer if your software is at fault or not, have you ran a diagnostic on the hard drive at all, just trying to rule out any possibilities?
 
enginurd said:
It doesn't have to be a linux distro, you can try BartPE or some other live windows OS
Click to expand...
True, but its an easy way to eliminate Windows itself as the issue.

The only reason i have that program installed (EPU Engine) is i though it was required. Its a driver not some software.
Click to expand...
If it installs a driver, it's just for the hardware that allows it to control the clocks and voltages and whatnot. Certainly not required. When these things go wrong I'm never sure whether to blame the software itself, or the whole idea of changing this stuff on the fly on a running system. Either way, it's failure prone.
 
EPU is gone but still crashes. So im guessing once the liveCD is done run it. Any other things it could be? Every time I try a load program like Prime95 or OTCCP it freezes. That mean anything?
 
Its freezing even more now. Its freezing almost every 10 mins. It deff got to be hardwhere. There getting more intense. Now it has line not only on the top of the screen but all over it. There red and green lines that shake and jump around in a certain area.
 
evilchinesefood said:
Its freezing even more now. Its freezing almost every 10 mins. It deff got to be hardwhere. There getting more intense. Now it has line not only on the top of the screen but all over it. There red and green lines that shake and jump around in a certain area.
Click to expand...

How long did you run furmark for? Sounds like your vidcard is dying.
 
I would agree! But the is no video card or sound card installed! I took them out and wiped the drivers then installed the onboard ones
 
when you updated the bios did you remember to load updated defaults so the new bios runs? It sounds silly but this far in you cant overlook anything. Hang in there, we will get it figured out.
 
yes and no. I dont know how to read it. :) Under applications there is alot of errors mostly from SQL server and lots in system from Service Control Manager.
 
when you flash the bios, you retsrat and go back into the bios, there will will be an option to load optimized defaults. Chose that and your good to go. If you do not do this you will be running on the shipped bios.
 
Ok well nock on wood i think its semi fixed. I updated bios again, I turned of 17 process, and messed with the ram. It seems to have stopped. I ran prime 95 for 5 mins a not freezes. The only thing is now its a new problem. Now prime95 runs but it will cut off completely. No warning the computer shuts off. Its not like before where it happens alot its more direct.
 
seems to be running alot cleaner now. It does still randomly cut off like i mentiond above. The big difference here is its not as frequent (ATM) and it cuts off and restarts instead of freezing. Any ideas?
 
do you have the voltage set correctly on the ram? I know you said its set to default but maybe you should set it manually in the bios to ensure its getting the correct voltage.
 
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