Freezing

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:32

I've looked to find a million and one ways from which freezing can occur, but what are the most common?

Getting very frustrating now, sometimes my PC freezes up to 3 times in 30mins. Forced to hard reboot every time.

My specs are more than enough to run the games I play;

Gigabyte Z8AP-D3
i7 2600k @ 4.2Ghz
Nvidia GTX 560Ti
Corsair XMS3 8GB Ram

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:34

Poor PSU can cause freezing/Blue screens/random restarts.

Temperatures getting too much?

Unstable overclock, test with Prime95 for hours, run intel Burntest 20+ times.

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:37

Temperatures never been over 40 degrees since purchase due to the H60 water cooler, and it happens with the CPU overclocked and with it being stock.

BUT my PSU is a Xigmatek 500W, barely at the tip of running all my components.
But I genuinely thought if it was a PSU problem the system would blue screen and switch completely off. It stays running but "freeze-framed".

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:41

What did you use to measure the 40C?

Try running coretemp and a stress program (prime95) along side each other and leave it running for say 20mins to get toasty.

See if any of the workers stop on prime95 when running for hours, this is a good test of stability.

Are the memory timings/voltage and frequency correctly set in the BIOS?

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:43

Just an on-board temp gage on my case haha, but thanks I'll look into doing that.

Would it be the 500w PSU? Want to be completely sure before I buy one.

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:46

500W is about right,

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-review/7

They use a more power hungry socket 1366 setup than your Sandybridge.

What PSu is it? model code?

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:50

stulid said:
500W is about right,

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-review/7

They use a more power hungry socket 1366 setup than your Sandybridge.

What PSu is it? model code?

Hmmn so it should technically run fine with my PSU?

I don't think Xigmatek are the best of PSU manufacturers either. It was this, from that site too; http://www.dinopc.com/shop/pc/500W-Xigmatek-85p974.htm

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:53

It should, there are Xigmatex reviews out there, but it depends which one you have?

For example, two 500W Xigmatex PSU reviews from the same good test site,
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=158

Performance (40% of the final score) - what can a guy say about the PC502? I'll tell you what I'm going to say. Voltage regulation was merely average for a group design. It was above average on the progressive tests, holding to about 3% at worst, but the crossload performance was below average. Efficiency was rather good for a low powered design based on the older CM6800G, but this goodness is also counteracted by mediocre ripple and noise suppression that saw out of spec numbers on the 3.3V rail. And let's not forget that the unit went into protective shutdown on the overshoot transient tests. Based on the pure blandness of this unit's performance, I'm only going halfway on the score. 5

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=128

Performance (40% of the final score) - the Xigmatek NRP-PC501 turned out to be pretty much as I was expecting with a few pleasant surprises. Performance was nothing really exciting given that the unit is based on a group regulated design that tended to wet the bed when crossloaded, but at the same time this unit does earn some points for its exceptional efficiency and excellent ripple suppression. 8.5.

Also age can play a factor.

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:57

The system's about two weeks old, not sure where I could find the model number.
Will it be on the PSU itself?

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 01:58

Its on the PSU, so the PSU is also two weeks old?

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:02

OK just checked inside and its actually a coolermaster haha.

RS-500-PCAP-I3

is the model number, or 13 at the end. Pretty sure I ordered the Xigmatek, is it a branch of CM?

Yep the whole system is practically new.

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:06

It sounds like a Coolermaster, http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=3738&category_id=30

Two reviews, one failed it, the other thought it was ok,

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/02/16/entry_level_power_supply_roundup/14
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/arti...e-Power-Plus-500-W-Power-Supply-Review/728/10

Pretty sure I ordered the Xigmatek, is it a branch of CM?

Nope.

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:10

Is that a good thing or bad thing then?

I may just buy a better PSU anyway as I'll definitely be needing it in future.

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:11

Another question, is your PC plugged into some kind of extension/surge protector?

Elemunt said:
Is that a good thing or bad thing then?

Im slightly surprised you dont know what you bought

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:13

stulid said:
Another question, is your PC plugged into some kind of extension/surge protector?

Im slightly surprised you dont know what you bought

Into a multi-plug extension, WITH surge protection.

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:15

Plug it directly into the wall and test.

Also is it freezing even doing sod all? or under stress?

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:16

stulid said:
Plug it directly into the wall and test.

Also is it freezing even doing sod all? or under stress?

Under stress, playing games and rendering video's. Obviously not both at the same time

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:19

Try the wall thingy first. see how you get on.

Then try removing the GTX560ti and using the onboard GFX via the HDMI and do a video render again ( do you use a program with CUDA support?).

stulid · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:22

I also notice the cooler master has a single 6pin PCI-E connector and a GTX560ti needs two, that means there must be some molex to PCI-E adapter bodged into place? looks like - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-018-AK&groupid=1929&catid=153&subcat=

Elemunt · 19 Nov 2011 at 02:36

stulid said:
I also notice the cooler master has a single 6pin PCI-E connector and a GTX560ti needs two, that means there must be some molex to PCI-E adapter bodged into place? looks like - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-018-AK&groupid=1929&catid=153&subcat=

Not sure I can't really see at the moment. I'll have to take the wall facing panel off to take a look behind the mounting board as that's where they tidied all the wires.

I'll have to get back to you tomorrow on this mate, thanks a bunch though you're a saviour so far!