Hello forum, My new-built computer crashes and I want some help diagnosing it. Specs are: ASUS P8Z68-V MOBO Intel Core i5 2500k CPU G.Skill DDR3-1600 8192MB RipjawsX (F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL) RAM No discreet graphics card WD SATA6 7200 RPM 32mb cache (WD7500AALX) HDD XFX XXX 650w PSU Running fresh Windows 7 I've flashed BIOS a couple times but it's not the cause, it has started crashing before that. Also it doesn't seem to crash when I simply browse internet. Unfortunately I do not remember what was I doing when it crashed first couple times but currently it only seems to crash when I run Team Fortress 2 game (it runs all right for random amounts of time but crashes the comp eventually). The game itself obviously isn't the cause, it's one of the things that trigger crashes. The CPU runs under 30C heating up to 35 when I run the game. I've run Windows 7's RAM test and it reported no errors. Some of the voltages that BIOS reports: CPU: fluctuates up to 1.52V 3.3V: up to 3.392V 5V: up to 5.240V 12V: up to 12.192V DRAM: up to 1.671V All set to auto by default in BIOS (I haven't touched any settings in BIOS yet). I really hope you people help me at least narrow it down from infinite amount of possibilities to something more certain. Thanks in advance! P.S.: by crashing I mean rebooting (it shuts down and then boots back on).
Do you get a BSOD? I guess not cause you'd have said that if that was the case. But it's looks like a pure hardware issue if it just goes down without any warning. Maybe some other thing is running hot, like your chipset? The PSU might be insufficient, but I'd be surprised as you don't have a beast of a graphics card and 20HDDs running with an overclocked cpu and blablabla. Corrupted RAM is doubtful cause it would give a BSOD... What happens if you let the BIOS on default?
Everything in BIOS is set to default. Mainboard temperature is below 30C aswell as the CPU. No BSODs... I've had a bad feeling about the way I applied the thermal paste but the CPU seems to be cool at all times. GODDAMNIT! >.<
I'd take out as much hardware as possible, except for mainboard, 1 RAM module, cpu and hdd and then add hardware 1 after the other until it crashes.
The thing is that I don't have any other hardware. The only thing I can take out is one of the 2 RAM modules, and I don't have anything to replace my stuff with. Could it be overvolting? Check the voltages I posted. Also my RAM is specified to run at 1.5V and BIOS shows 1.66+.
Try to change the RAM voltage to 1.5v if you can. The other voltages don't look problematic to me. Were you already able to reproduce the crash? Btw: if it runs idle with that voltages there shouldn't be a problem with them. If the PSU can handle heavier load (which it can cause you only have the basic required hardware), it will keep the voltages at their level. The only thing what happens then is that the hardware gets hotter, but your temps are ok. If the PSU can't handle it then the voltages will start to drop, and then there's no overvolting anymore. What power can your PSU deliver actually? EDIT: Are you sure about your CPU-temp? 35C is low, especially under load... Maybe your bios reports it wrong.
I've checked the CPU temperature in BIOS and using Real Temp software, both show the same. As for reproducing... I run the PC doing basic things like internet browsing, watching movies, listening to music, packing/unpacking, etc., and it stays stable seemingly forever. And then I launch Team Fortress 2 (I do not remember what else triggered crashing) and sooner or later it crashes. This PSU (XFX XXX 650w) delivers around 650+ watt actual power. As soon as I get home I will try to manually set voltages and see/report what happens. P.S.: oops, forgot to specify my PSU. And I dunno if BIOS and Real Temp are different sources.
Maybe Team Fortress causes a hardware lockup. Videodriver maybe? I'd run furmark and cross my fingers that it does crash then.
Well... I've set RAM to 1.5V and crashes are gone. Should have tried that before posting panic threads, d'oh! Thank you for replying.