A challenging problem!

[Shinanigans]

Spec:

Intel Core Quad CPU 2.40GHz

500gb Sata HD

USB 500gb External HD

4 gb of ram

Creative Xfi Sound card

Gigabyte GA-N650SLI-DS4 Mobo

AMD 6800 1gb series

Win 7 Home Pre SP1 64bit

 

 

Ok this is a strange one, I have a reasonable amount of experience with PCs etc as I have built a few in my time. My pc, the above mentioned, was running perfectly till i started getting random Graphics Drivers failing on me (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2665946 this helped but doesnt solve the issue). So I got a new card (the one mentioned above) but the issues remained.

 

After a re-format or so I started getting a new error where by random and seemingly unrelated progs would fail to respond 10-15secs after opening. Vent, Skype, Mumble, Diablo 3 are all effected by this annoyance. Windows cant find a fix for it nor a reason for it. Frustrated at this I spent 3 days running tests. I removed the Gra card and ran the mobo one then a spare i had, I changed the sound card to the mobo one and back again, I changed ram sticks in and out with all combos of what I had to hand, I took the whole thing to bits to clean it. Iv reformated a few times since this error started + changed HD twice and updated my Bios. Issues still remains.

 

LASTLY a fun new error has started in the last week or so. Imagine a pause button for your pc and someone will randomly start pressing it every 1-2 secs. This cuts everything off and effects everything on the pc (mouse, sound, interface etc etc) to the point where i NEED to restart

 

 

Any input would save whats left of my hair.

 

Cheers

[Synapse]

From what I can work out the possibles are memory, motherboard or PSU. Hard drive has been swapped, Windows reinstalled on different drives, video card swapped.

 

Have you changed the hard drive data cable?

 

Can you borrow a PSU, to see if the faults go away. Or test yours - you'll need to test it under load or use a PSU tester.

 

Run a Memtest, http://www.memtest.org/ with all your modules fitted, if a fault comes up, do them one at a time to find the offending module. Could do to check your PSU before this.

[Shinanigans]

"Have you changed the hard drive data cable?"

I have done so 3-4 times now.

 

I ran Memtest a few days ago and it came back clean, iv also swapped in and out every stick of ram in every combo i can muster.

 

Im starting to think its heat related or CPU related. My CPU idles at 80c .. not f, c. Gonna see if i can get a chance to buy some Comp Air and Gel tomorrow n muck about with it.

[Synapse]

My CPU idles at 80c .. not f, c

Gulp!

 

Is that reported by the BIOS?

 

Is the fan running up at full speed?

[Shinanigans]

Its reported by HWMonitor and im not sure how to tell if the fan is at full speed or not =/

[Synapse]

Have a look in the BIOS to double check the CPU temp. If you go in to the BIOS from a cold boot, leave it a few minutes for the temperature to stabilise before you decide what the CPU temp is.

 

Normally, as the CPU temp increases, the fan on top of the heatsink speeds up to maintain a cool CPU. I am assuming the fan is spinning - it would be good if you can check. So, if your CPU temp is high, the fan should be spinning flat out, and will probably be a little noisy.

 

Also, when you check in the BIOS there is normally a readout of fan speed, at low temps it will be about 1000rpm, at high temps maybe 4 or 5000 rpm.

[Shinanigans]

BIOS says CPU 39~41c, fan speed 1700~1800 rpm.

 

I did the clean out with a can of air and the dust was immence! Sadly i couldn get my CPU fan off, it felt stuck to the CPU/Mobo. I couldn see any other screws etc attaching it but it wouldn come away.

[Synapse]

Take you BIOS readings as correct, they sound right, and you have blasted out the dust. Leave the fan as it is.

 

Memtest throws up no issues, so I think we can rule out memory faults.

 

Failing PSU's can throw up faults similar to this, it does need testing or swapping.

 

To rule out any hard drive issues, I would at some point run the hard drive manufacturers test program, normally run from a boot CD. Perhaps seems a little over the top, but it does test a drive, comms cable and controller to some extent.

 

Also, might seem a bit random, but BIOS settings like 32 bit transfer being disabled throws issues like this. A this stage it is worth checking all the BIOS settings.

[Shinanigans]

I checked all my Bios options and didn see anything about a 32 bit transfer, would it have a diff name? ill try the PSU swap out when i get a chance but its a pretty heavy duty 1000wat PSU.

[Shinanigans]

so far tonights gaming has only had 1 Graphic Card error (blank screen, driver fail, lose of textures) so thats an improvment

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, the power supply could still be faulty, we are still seeing capacitor failure which dates back from around six years or more since, when some manufacturers were using the wrong electrolyte. Those capacitors are still not fully out of the system as something like a large PSU such as yours, could well have been in a warehouse for a year or two before you bought it. Does it have a year of manufacture on the label? some do some don't.

 

Nev.

[Synapse]

What is the make/model of the board?

 

You could try checking your PSU using this test

 

http://kenspchelp.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10

 

It won't check the PSU under load, which is the ideal situation, but it is a good alternative.

[Shinanigans]

update: installed a new 750w PSU and the failing drivers are still an issue =(

[Synapse]

Not so good news, can you post the make and model of your board please.

[Shinanigans]

http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2514&dl=1#driver

[Synapse]

I checked all my Bios options and didn see anything about a 32 bit transfer

 

Found it, although it is for IDE drives only. Called IDE DMA access, it won't affect your SATA drive.

 

Did you try swapping to a different SATA port?

[Shinanigans]

yeah i did when i was chopping and changing hard drives about, changed the cable as well