windows 7 - Computer will freeze/ lock up after doing relatively stressful things
2014-07
GrowingCode247
I'll first start off by saying that the issue GENERALLY doesn't occur unless I'm doing something remotely stressful for my computer. This issue used to occur whenever it felt it was necessary, however has not occurred completely randomly for a while now (thankfully)
My computer's specs:
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 960T
GPU: GeForce GTX 760
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Resolution Used: 1680x1050, 59Hz (strange number for refresh rate?) res is highest for monitor
Nvidia Driver version: 331.65
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit)
Sometimes I will be able to go 2-3 games (about an hour, depending) and sometimes it will go maybe one game (20-30 minutes) and then my computer will run sluggishly and leave me unable to do much of anything.
I can sometimes interact with programs at a very basic level (maximizing, minimizing), and I usually cannot close them in any way, not even through Task Manager.
The highest temperature my GPU reaches is 76C, with the average being around 73C. During the time the temperatures are around 73C, my GPU's RAM usage is anywhere between 1250-1300 (out of 2GB).
My CPU's temperature never goes over 60C, thankfully.
The PSU should be fine. It's very mildly dusty but I feel as though that would not be causing this problem... I will clean it out as soon as everything else has been ruled out. Honestly I have no clue how to test the PSU for problems - same goes for my Motherboard.
I cannot really think of what could be causing these freezes otherwise.
Event Viewer details:
EventID: 1 - VDS Basic Provider (I've no clue what this is)
EventID: 3 - Kernel-EventTracing (Again, lost)
EventID: 8003 - bowser (this seems fishy)
and the one critical that I know others have been dealing with as I've browsed some other responses on the web: EventID: 41 - Kernel-Power
any help to solve this problem would be GREATLY appreciated.
dccet
I would suggest first you make sure if its a software issue or Hardware.. Go software troubleshooting first : Its a long list to pin point generic slow down as you posted could be any one of the installed application or driver may be the culprit.
How old is you Windows installation and if you use it for gaming i suggest you go for a windows re installation after backing up your data Its relatively easy.
If unwilling to format than i suggest go for VHD boot windows 7 without formatting your main installation, i.e Dual boot which you can revert afterwards
Before that i would try running disk clean, disk-check and memtest if not done recently ( may be prime95 test here afterwards) and i hope you are not overclocking
If you still need to go for a hardware troubleshooting than i suggest you start with processor : prime95
GrowingCode247
After perusing the BF4 Reddit some more, I came across a few people that responded to a post there and they said that they were having the same problem as myself. One of them had the same specs as my rig (CPU, GPU, MOBO), the other did not. I went ahead and assumed that since everything was the same with the one person except for my PSU, I decided to switch it out.
Turns out it was indeed the PSU. I have not had my computer hang up even once since switching the PSU out. Not from BF4, not from anything else.
Thanks for your guys' input! Will definitely come here for help in the future :)
** Turns out the issue was a lack of proper voltage getting to my parts (probably mainly my GPU) and just made my computer run sluggishly until I couldn't do anything.
I had a Diablotek PSU originally... Definitely do not recommend and am going to stay away from Diablotek in the future!
Nichdel
The problem has only occurred during gaming. The three games I've seen it happen on are osu, Minecraft, and The Sims 3. The games run completely fine, even at highest settings. Without warning, the computer does as described in the title: It becomes completely unresponsive, the last sound playing loops briefly then stops, and the screen continues to show whatever was last on it. My only solution is to turn the computer off and then back on.
The specs are:
- Windows 7 64-bit
- A785GM-M ECS Elitegroup Motherboard (Which has built-in Radeon 4200 GPU)
- A discrete Radeon 5450 GPU
- Athlon X3 at 3.0 (Not unlocked or overclocked yet)
- 500GB Harddrive
- 550 Watt PSU
- 4GB RAM
I've run memtest, ruling out any sort of memory problem (not that I really suspected one anyway). I often have many things running, but as stated before the games run fine so I don't believe stress is an issue.
Personally I believe the machine either needs cleaning, the PSU isn't providing enough power under stress, or the Discrete GPU is defective.
I will be cleaning the computer out today, but because the freezes are random I can't definitively prove if that solves the problem in any short amount of time. So, before I consider buying a PSU or GPU (both relatively expensive items, though my GPU is still under warranty I believe) I ask for additional opinions on the matter.
Shinrai
It sounds like it might just be running a little hot to me...the fact that you indicate you think it needs cleaning tells me it's probably very dusty, which can make thermal problems a real nightmare. I'm willing to bet a good cleaning will help.
Beyond that, this could very well be a hardware problem - I'd swap the GPU for another if you can find it. This could also be faulty RAM, even though it passes memtest (which is good but not 100% foolproof). I think the PSU is unlikely to cause this-and-only-this-behavior.
Other thoughts: it doesn't sound like a software problem but make sure you have the latest driver installed. Also, make sure the BIOS on your motherboard is updated; there could potentially be a relevant bugfix!