Niggles on an I7 build?

FatRakoon

FatRakoon

FatRakoon

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I cannot get a happy install on my I7

The basic specs are:-
Saphire PureBlack Motherboard
I7-970 6 core @ stock
6x4GB GSKILL
Windows 8.1 but currently back onto Windows 7 - 64Bit of course
SoundBlaster 3D Recon

Now, it happened with 8.1 and at the time I did use a downloaded ISO to play with, and so I asumed it was the ISO and so I installed off my proper disc btu that made no difference. After some messing about, I actually gave up and went back to Win7 just in case there was some issue with Windows 8, but Windows 7 did the same thing.

I did go even further back to XP64 and that seems to be fine, but that just erked me and so I am back onto Windows 7 right now.

Now, whats happening, is that some apps, and quite a few of them actually, take absolutely ages to start up.

Big ones are Nero and UltraISO. These two I use a fair bit, and they take so long to start up that I did in fact think they simply would never start. I went into the TaskManager and saw half a dozen of them and I removed them all and double clicked again, but it still didnt start up. I forgot about it, got on with looking through my system tools for another burner and ISO app, and some 15 or 20 minutes later, UltraISO started up.

15 or 20 minutes later????? Come on!

I shutdown and restarted the PC and after a wait to make sure everythign was fully in, I double clicked on NERO and timed it...12 minutes to start up
Did the same with ultraISO and timed that and that took 14 Minutes.

I have noticed this happen on a few apps, and I was wondering why the hell this could happen?

The only thing Ican think of, is the RAM, and so I ahve done a number of things such as try less ram, swapping slots, and even trying different makes of RAM, but nothign seems to make any difference?

Any clues as to what I can try?
 
Not the HDD no.

What I did, was swap out my AMD for this I7 because this I7 was in the loft being ignored and I just fancied a laugh cos the I7 has 6 cores and 6 RAM slots and I am doing a lot of Virtual Pc messing about and so I felt it would be a better setup for my needs right now.

The Hardware was great in the AMD and the issues happened pretty much the moment I went with this PC.

Now, a couple of weeks ago, the Drive D: HD was indeed playing up, and it had done before but a reformed gave it a new life, but I bought a new HD to replace it, and I decided that since Im here, Ill do the others too.
C: is an SSD, D: is a 1TB, E: is a 2TB, F: is a 320GB and T: is another SSD.
These are sizes that I like them at and so I got all new disks and so the HD is not possible to be the issue.
 
Are the applications you're using on the SSD or HDD's?

Were the other HDD's removed when installing the OS so just the SSD was connected? Windows can put files on other drives by mistake/some reason when they're also connected during install of the OS.
 
Whenever I do a fresh install, I always remove any and all extra hardware, plus HDs of course. I also kill off the partition info entirely so I always start with one HD and no partitions.

But yeah I get really piddled off when Windows often wants to put extra partitions onto other drives.

I assure you, the issue is NOT with the HDs

Just some apps, and I mention Nero and UltraISO because they pause for sooooo long.
 
Are you using nvidia card? Ive seen that problem with the nvidia network service (cant remember the exact name, something to do with geforce experience.

It just seems to stall out tons of stuff for some reason.
 
I'd retry the AMD system to rule out the OS, HDD & RAM.

Is the Intel chip or board damaged? A slight bent chip? Over tightening the CPU heatsink can cause issues with memory.
 
Ok, right... I am indeed running a nVidia card.

I will definitely try the ATI instead... I think I prefer the ATI anyway, so Iwill just chuck it in regardless.

The AMD instead. Yes absolutely.

I have a small issue at the moment however, in that the AMD setup is now installed in the Thermaltake Mozart TX case, and as you may know, thats a big bugger of a case, and thats now chucked up into the attic. While this would not pose much of an issue, I am currently wheelchair bound, and unless I can get a mate to bring the who;e case down, its not an option, and so I trust anyone else enough to bring the AMD guts down? Not on your nelly.

When I swapped the AMD for this Intel setup, I got 2 mates to bring the Mozart down, I did the swapsies, and then a couple of days later, I got them to take it back up.

So basically yes, I will swap the AMD back regardless too, but if I can stop these pauses, then this Intel is good enough for me anyway.

As another not, I am trying to plop an ISO of Sabayon onto a USB drive, and or the last 10 or so minutes, its just sat there with the CLI window telling me that its closing all Explorer windows and prior to that, I tried to copy a few files from a Nokia Lumia 635 onto my Desktop and it seemed to hang on that too, but again, I just left it and about 20 minutes later, both the music files were copied... They are 13MB between them.

Im sure you will agree, thats poor.

Ok well for now, the Media PC has a half sized ATI 7770 and so I will plonk that in, and if it seems to help the issues mentioned by RobCrezz, then I will get a better one down ( I can get the kids to do that much Im happy to do that ), but if not, then maybe its time to accept that I have no choice but to make a few phone calls again eh?

Thanks guys. I will update as and when I know or dont know more.
 
LOL. Im on the Laptop here, running a live Linux install while Im watching the PC, and for a giggle, I just open task manager and killed off EXPLORER, and the instant I did that, the USB Writing program continued and its burnign the ISO onto the FlashDisk.

So, its explorer that was the issue? What could cause that, if it does the same no matter what O/S I put onto it?

Could the Mobo have an issue perhaps? Drivers? - I have tried both Windows' own and Downloaded the latest,, so I dont know?

Have I installed an app that simply hates this PC?

Hmm...More testing I think, but first... Let me take a selfie... And then the ATI Card swap.
 
Right, I think its WAS the nVidia issue...

I have chucked in the Saphire ATI 7770 VaporX so thats a nice enough card, I had to move the USB 3 card down cos the fan is too close to it ( The GTX had oen fan further down ) and the first thing I did, once I had removed the NV drivers and installed the ATI ones, was run NERO and it came up nearly instantly.
I then quit it and ?I saw teh fiorst BSOD I have seen in years! - LOL
But after a restart again, its been fine, and I tried UltraISO and that too comes up instantly.

So far, so good.

Unless somethign happens now, I am going to assume that the issue is fixed and so, what I will do, is put it back up to Windows 8.1 when I can be btoehred too!

So if you dont hear from me on this thread, you know why.

Many many thanks guys... Id have NEVER have hought it was the GFX card???
 
Yeah it doesnt mean you cant use a nvidia card, just one of the services (network service for updates) just stalls some things out. I just run msconfig and remove it from startup, that solves it :)
 
The ATI card is the Saphire VaporX 7770

The nVidia card is the Zotac 470 GTX

I have two of both, so in the AMD Setup, I could run SLI or XFire.

This Mobo with the Intel, while it does XFire, teh gap is just too thin and I darent use both cards.

That said, since I have little use of my hand since the accident, the only games I play are Dawn of War now and the 7770 is more than capable of playing it at top rez etc, so the ATI is just fine, plus the ATI is a whole lot better withj power consumption as well.

I never came across the issue before, but it makes no odds. I am going back to my AMD anyway... I prefer it, and I feel that its a bit quicker, plus there is other little reasons such as better USB and so I dont need to have an extra PCI card in it, and more SATA slots, and on board RAID, and.. and ... and... The Mobo is just a better all round board than this one.

I have seen a newer CPU for this though, so I wil do a bit more messing first before I make any hasty decisions. LOL
 
Small update.
All the apps that did start up badly are now working fine.
I have now been getting BSODs a few times and never did previously.
A mate is coming over tonight and he is going to get the Mozart downstairs for me with the help of the kids and I am going to go back to the AMD setup.
I am getting the 9590 CPU and giving myself a little upgrade anyway, so why not?
 
BSODs are fewer now, but its still not right.

For example, this I just noticed yesterday, but when I start her up, the bottom corner showing the list of apps that are in, only shows me

BLUETOOTH, NETWORK, SOUND and the ISSUES FLAG ( Which is only for logitek updates )

I timed how long it would take for the rest to pop up. They took 7 minutes and 13 seconds to start appearing.

They are NOD32, ATI Catalyst, WinAmp The USB thingy, and Virtual CloneDrive.

These have NEVER done that except on this PC... I am unsure it did it on the last install to be fair?

Also, another issue I have just found out today, is that this PC cannot see any mobiles that I connect to it.

I did have that issue a short while back, and its come back again now.

I can see the Blackberry's SD Card.
I can see the Samsung Tablet and Phone when I use MobileGo, but they dont appear in the list of drives
And the Windows phone is also awol too, but again, I hear it connect and disconnect, and the Device manager sems to be fine with them too!

---

During a crash earlier on, I saw that it has an issue with MEMORY MANAGEMENT?

I have now done some RAM tests.

I am using GSKILL RIPJAWS

I have 2 kits of 4, I was using 4 of one kit and 2 of the other kit.

I then decided to play with only 3 sticks from teh same kit in the 3 black slots and then the 3 blue ones.

I have tried 3 or one kit and then 3 of the other

I have at this time got 3 of one in the black and 3 of the other in the blue.

I have also tried Hyperthreading off all day today, and for kicks, I even tried lowering the cores to 4 2 and even 1 just to play about.

I saw no differences at all to any of the issues I am getting.

Its back up to full on everything.

----

I have, just for the possibility of it being an issue, swapped out all my SATA Cables for new ones. I have also changed the IDE Drive that is connected to the IDE port, and I am now using a SATA Adapter.

Other possibilities that I am yet to try out...

1 - The Marvell Sata controler. I am booting with that on the SDD
I may disable that, and use the normal SATA instead...
I may have to add another Card and I have a SATA+USB Card that wil be perfect

2 - I have a matching set of 6 Kingston RAM but they are 2GB Sticks...
Half the RAM sure, but 12GB is still plenty and if it actually solves the problem,
then at least I will have answers.

3 - Go back to the AMD
I never had any such issues when I was using this I7 in the LAN Room.
Admittedly, it was just sat there chugging Folding At Home and playing the odd game
now and then, but it was rock solid since the day I bought it... With Kingston ram
though? Hmmm....
 
Hmm... New install. So far, so good.

Sata cables back to the originals ( Purely because the length of them is spot on and they are colour coded Orange = Boot SSD, Grey = HDs, Red = DVDs etc )

Turned off Marvel controler to install

All 4 HDs are running off the normal SATA port in AHCI mode.

One DVDRW is using that odd Sata port, and the other two, are using the Marvel port.
I have searched for a number of marvel drivers and I have used one from an ASUS Mobo that I have... Its Certainly gor rid if the Missing Driver message in the DEVMGR.

The Whole system is certainly a little bit slower in accessing the Files over all, however, I have not had any glitches or slowdowns on specific apps, everything seems to be loading up fine.

I have not had a BSOD yet, irritatingly, I never once saw a BSOD on the AMD, but I have not lasted for more than a day without one on this setup until now.

I did get a funky issue where I was installing some apps and it kept failing to find the files that it had just extracted ? - I have also found a number of folders in C: that are read only and I cannot access them, but I am sure that they are not supposed to be??? Whether those 2 are linked I dont know, but those same apps that failed to load yesterday, loaded up fine this morning, so...? Still Read only on some folders though?

Well, ok, all my usual apps are in, and so far things are looking good. The AMD is still here begging to be thrown in, but I will make the decision as to whether to use it or not by the time the LianLi case turns up... If this stays as it is, then I will stick with this for a bit, but any issue at all, then the AMD is going into the LianLi and Iw ill be going back to AMD as my main PC once again.

I think its just me and Intel because I also had issues with my Flaming Blade Mobo too!
 
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