PC stops or freezes random

[ignis]

Been going on a few months.....  PC will suddenly have a screen freeze, sometimes will just suddenly not respond, other times a loud buzzing. makes no difference what is on screen, maybe a single 'word' doc, reading the News this morning, last night was on Kodi watching TV.. mostly 3 or 4 times a day..

 

Just wondered could it be the oldish Graphics Card ?  don't want to spend around 6,000 baht if it is not that.

 

Anyone any idea's ?   my PC is a FX 8350.....  with a R 7 Graphics Card......  16 GB Memory.....  all driver on everything are up-to-date...... switch off and straight  back on works perfect again   [Motherboard has NO built in Graphic on it] 

[shady86]

Might be ram or power supply problem. If you have more than one stick, you can take out first to test.

[worgeordie]

Maybe needs a good clean inside,take your RAM out and clean the connections,

the rubber end of a pencil works good.

regards Worgeordie

[stud858]

As others suggest swap out and clean parts( video card, ram, psupply, connections). Also Look at capacitors on motherboard. Are the tops showing any sign of bulging?

If you've got access to another HDD put it in and reinstall windows refresh to eliminate HDD and software issues.

Aim a hairdryer/freeze spray on suspected parts to hunt down heat related problems.

 

Good luck.

 

 

[sammieuk1]

Download Specy and Who Crashed both free and it should point you in the right direction best guess ram graphics motherboard or heat good luck????

[KhunBENQ]

9 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

best guess ram graphics motherboard or heat

Would be my guess too.

Install a monitoring tool like "Core Temp" and watch whether the temperature rises to critical values. In this case the CPU might just stop.

Cleaning fans could improve the situation.

 

 

[ignis]

46 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Would be my guess too.

Install a monitoring tool like "Core Temp" and watch whether the temperature rises to critical values. In this case the CPU might just stop.

Cleaning fans could improve the situation.

 

 

 

46 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Would be my guess too.

Install a monitoring tool like "Core Temp" and watch whether the temperature rises to critical values. In this case the CPU might just stop.

Cleaning fans could improve the situation.

 

 

 

46 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Would be my guess too.

Install a monitoring tool like "Core Temp" and watch whether the temperature rises to critical values. In this case the CPU might just stop.

Cleaning fans could improve the situation.

 

 

"Core Temp"  Been installed for years + updated, NO problem with heat......  Clean the fans OK will do that

[ignis]

1 hour ago, shady86 said:

Might be ram or power supply problem. If you have more than one stick, you can take out first to test.

Power Supply is less than 6 months old..  THERMALTAKE 850W Gold

 

Ram - have 4 x 4 GB sticks, and shows there is 16 GB installed

[CharlieH]

Had similar, swapped ram stick, resolved.

[mokwit]

Power Supply and other components can be tested and stressed with this: https://www.aida64.com/downloads

Isolated a memory problem by using this

[ignis]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Download Specy and Who Crashed both free and it should point you in the right direction best guess ram graphics motherboard or heat good luck????

??  Tried everything appears normal  All are in light green between 56 - 61 on everything

[ignis]

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

Maybe needs a good clean inside,take your RAM out and clean the connections,

the rubber end of a pencil works good.

regards Worgeordie

Thanks, something I will do in the next week

[ignis]

30 minutes ago, mokwit said:

Power Supply and other components can be tested and stressed with this: https://www.aida64.com/downloads

Isolated a memory problem by using this

Not got my head around this all yet.........  only thing that stands out is the R 7 Graphics Bios - April 2014.... on web pages shows a Bios of 2017 but with a warning of not being tested or approved.......

 

  Appears there is NO problem with the memory sticks....  

[mokwit]

The program puts the selected component under load - can identify problem component.

[mokwit]

Check list from a very competent computer pro:

 

 

Here is what I would/could do. Maybe you want to try some of these things yourself.

 

1)      Make sure the fans and cooling elements are reasonable clean clean enough to do the job

2)      If the CPU was installed a long time ago maybe the thermal paste between the CPU and the cooler is old and cracking (I guess this could be the case after years of heat). I would buy new paste, remove the CPU, clean it and install it with new paste (just very little paste to cover the whole surface).

3)      The temperature should be most of the time below 50 C. If this is not the case then there is something wrong with the cooling elements or the CPU mounting.
Currently my PC shows me now about 25-30 C CPU temperature. If I stress it with Cinebench 100% CPU the CPU temperature is never more than 50 C on my PC. But I know older CPUs get hotter.
You can try to open your PC and have an external fan blowing air inside and look how it works.

4)      If your temperature it too high I recommend a good CPU fan. Something like this: http://www.coolermaster.com/product/Lines/cpu-air-cooler/

5)      It is difficult to test the motherboard but some components can be tested individually:
RAM: One test is available in the Windows Setup (I think also in the start-up menu which includes safe-mode
HDD/SSD: Tools from the manufacturers, be aware that a bad hard disk can also be just bad cable/connector to the hard disk
Power Supply can be tested and stressed with this: https://www.aida64.com/downloads
If you want to find out if Windows is the problem or hardware start the PC and go into the BIOS and keep it there. Leave it on i.e. overnight. If this does not crash then maybe Windows is the problem.

6)      If possible run your PC from a Windows CD or DVD (not from the normal Windows on your hard disk) and look if this also crashes

7)      Remove (temporarily) anything you dont need like extra video card, DVD drive, etc. that only the necessary components (RAM, SSD) are connected and test how this works.

???? Maybe install on a new (or spare) hard disk Windows new (just the basics should do the job) and look if that also crashes. Disconnect the normal hard disk when you test this.

 

[ignis]

1 hour ago, mokwit said:

Check list from a very competent computer pro:

 

 

Here is what I would/could do. Maybe you want to try some of these things yourself.

 

1)      Make sure the fans and cooling elements are reasonable clean clean enough to do the job

2)      If the CPU was installed a long time ago maybe the thermal paste between the CPU and the cooler is old and cracking (I guess this could be the case after years of heat). I would buy new paste, remove the CPU, clean it and install it with new paste (just very little paste to cover the whole surface).

3)      The temperature should be most of the time below 50 C. If this is not the case then there is something wrong with the cooling elements or the CPU mounting.
Currently my PC shows me now about 25-30 C CPU temperature. If I stress it with Cinebench 100% CPU the CPU temperature is never more than 50 C on my PC. But I know older CPUs get hotter.
You can try to open your PC and have an external fan blowing air inside and look how it works.

4)      If your temperature it too high I recommend a good CPU fan. Something like this: http://www.coolermaster.com/product/Lines/cpu-air-cooler/

5)      It is difficult to test the motherboard but some components can be tested individually:
RAM: One test is available in the Windows Setup (I think also in the start-up menu which includes safe-mode
HDD/SSD: Tools from the manufacturers, be aware that a bad hard disk can also be just bad cable/connector to the hard disk
Power Supply can be tested and stressed with this: https://www.aida64.com/downloads
If you want to find out if Windows is the problem or hardware start the PC and go into the BIOS and keep it there. Leave it on i.e. overnight. If this does not crash then maybe Windows is the problem.

6)      If possible run your PC from a Windows CD or DVD (not from the normal Windows on your hard disk) and look if this also crashes

7)      Remove (temporarily) anything you dont need like extra video card, DVD drive, etc. that only the necessary components (RAM, SSD) are connected and test how this works.

???? Maybe install on a new (or spare) hard disk Windows new (just the basics should do the job) and look if that also crashes. Disconnect the normal hard disk when you test this.

 

Many thanks.......    Not sure if it is a crash, just suddenly the picture will freeze and the mouse + keyboard will not work, have left it on for 20 mins and all comes back working again as normal...  mostly just turn the UPS Off and back on again and all comes back without restarting the PC

[Pib]

Could be a corrupted operating system.   Assuming you are using Windows you might want to boot into Safe Mode and see if it locks-up on you.  If it don't, then it's some add-on programs loading during normal bootup causing a conflict/lockup.  If it sitll locks up in Safe Mode it could still be a corrupted operating system....it's just trying it in Safe Mode lessens that chance.  

 

You also may want to go into "Command Prompt (Admin)" mode and run the command: "sfc /scannow" which does a file check of your core Windows system files and if it finds any it will try to repair them.