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Random System Lockup

R

Raptor354

n00b
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
14
Issue:
The system locks up at seemingly random times. Anywhere from every 20 minutes to 5 days or more. There is no BSoD. Only thing that happens is everything locks up right where it is (numlock, cursor, screens, etc).

My configuration:
Windows 7 Professional
Gigabyte P67X-UD3-B3 Motherboard
Intel i5-2500K @ 4.1 GHz (41x100MHz)
16GB (4x4GB) DDR3-1600 G.Skill Memory
1 - 64GB Crucial C300 SSD (boot drive)
6 - 1.5TB WD Drives (4xWD1501FASS, 2x WD15EARS) in RAID5
2 - EVGA GeForce 440s
Corsair CMPSU-750TX Power Supply

Testing:
Running the system at 100% CPU for 8+ hours (compressing large folders) without any issues. CPUs hold steady at 45-50C under full load. Memory usage is around 6-7GB.

Have run MemTest86 on all 16GB, and an entire pass finishes without any errors. However, this system ran for 3 months on 8GB of memory (2x4GB) without any errors. Another 8GB was added (another 2 sticks), and problems started happening a few days later.

The RAID array is synced and in full working order.

Have had the system lock up at no load, with CPUs at 38-40C.

All major components, including motherboard components such as the chipset, are not excessively warm.

System log shows no irregular entries, except those which say the system has unexpectedly shut down. There are no debug codes contained in the error.

Question:
Where to look next for the lockup issue?
 
The memory is running at the rated 1.5V. However, the CPU was set to a little high. I set it back to the default value and I'll get back with you folks if any more problems pop up.

As kind of a side-note, what do other people have their 2500K processors OC'd to, and at what voltage, multiplier, base clock, etc?
 
Try running Memtest on each stick of RAM individually for at least 15 passes as sometimes testing them altogether produces a false negative.
 
I apologise for the delayed response. We're busy backing up the computer in question.

When the backups complete, I will put the offending memory into the computer one stick at a time and test it. I noticed a review on Newegg complaining about a similar problem, and the manufacturer recommended the same thing Danny Bui recommended. That's what I'll try next. (Might 15 times be a bit excessive? Why wouldn't the error show up on the first try, anyway?)

hossdaddy: the BIOS has never been updated, and a new version has come out since the board was bought. However, there's nothing in the change log about this kind of issue. If the Memtest comes up empty, I'll try that.
 
Raptor354 said:
I apologise for the delayed response. We're busy backing up the computer in question.

When the backups complete, I will put the offending memory into the computer one stick at a time and test it. I noticed a review on Newegg complaining about a similar problem, and the manufacturer recommended the same thing Danny Bui recommended. That's what I'll try next. (Might 15 times be a bit excessive? Why wouldn't the error show up on the first try, anyway?)
Click to expand...
Just the way it is: Occasionally RAM errors won;'t necessary pop up right away. I've had RAM show errors on the first try but I've also have had RAM show errors after 12 hours or so of testing. So it's actually very variable
 
Here's some results:

Ran Memtest for at least 12 hours on each stick for more than 25 passes each, and we even did a few tests on the known good sticks. No errors on any stick anywhere.

However, while we were running Memtest, we looked up the rated timings of the memory, which are 9-9-9-24. However, most of the modules were running at 6-6-6-20. We manually set the modules to their rated timings and are giving this a shot. Might that have caused the problem we were having?
 
The computer just locked up again, even while running at the rated memory timings. So now the only untried fix is to update the BIOS. Does anybody have any other suggestions?
 
Raptor354 said:
The computer just locked up again, even while running at the rated memory timings. So now the only untried fix is to update the BIOS. Does anybody have any other suggestions?
Click to expand...

Don't use the second 8GB kit for a week or two? You seem to have isolated it pretty well to those two sticks. The memory timing issue could definitely be it. I doubt it's the BIOS since it was running well before, but it's possible, especially as you have all four banks populated now. But if Memtest isn't coming up with anything you need to take out the suspect RAM and try it for awhile, then put the suspect RAM back in to see if they start causing problems again.
 
tonytnnt: we pulled the suspect sticks for a few days while we were backing up important data. It was rock solid (even with the CPU OC'd to 4.1GHz) for 3 or 4 days, and it usually locks up within a day if it's going to. We put the suspect memory back in and a few hours later it had locked up. That's when we set the timings properly. Still locked up.

So would something else to try be: try only the suspect sticks in the known good slots? (To test whether there's a problem with the motherboard)
 
It might be too early to tell, but we put the suspect sticks in the known good slots, and the computer is still running two days later. If it runs like this for a few more days (and the bad sticks don't work for long in the other two slots), I think it'll be safe to say the mobo is at fault.
 
Update: the suspect memory is running in the mobo slots that weren't used when the original memory was in there, and the computer has been running for most of a week now without a problem.

We've updated the BIOS and will try the full 16 GB in a few days.
 
Hello all,

So, we think the problem is fixed. As far as we can tell, it was the BIOS update that did it.

For all of you who are having a problem with this and are running version F2 of the BIOS on the P67X-UD3-B3 motherboard, update to version F5 and your problems should go away. Once again, I didn't see anything about memory in the change logs, but it seems to have fixed it.

I'll be back if there's any more problems. In any case, thanks for all your help.
 
Good to see that your issue has been resolved for now.
 
Raptor354 said:
Hello all,

So, we think the problem is fixed. As far as we can tell, it was the BIOS update that did it.

For all of you who are having a problem with this and are running version F2 of the BIOS on the P67X-UD3-B3 motherboard, update to version F5 and your problems should go away. Once again, I didn't see anything about memory in the change logs, but it seems to have fixed it.

I'll be back if there's any more problems. In any case, thanks for all your help.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you fixed your problem. I had the same issue about 8 months ago. I would get random restarts at weird times during the day. My rig would just restart for some reason I couldn't figure out. Thought it was the memory and it wasn't, it was the BIOS once updated that the problem went away.

I'm glad you pointed this out. Because if I do go for the i5 2500k and a new mobo I'll definitely be updating the BIOS out of the box. Thanks for the information!
 
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