Computer Freezes!

[squallypie]

Hi,

I'm running a new PC custom built by a local computer store. The specs are as following:

Intel 2600K i7
Asus P7Z68 V LE MoBo
Sapphire 6870 1GB
Cooler Master 750W PSU
8GB Patriot RAM
2TB Seagate and 1TB Samsung

The problem is: Computer freezes RANDOMLY.
What happens: Music stops playing, keyboard and mouse stop responding, all processes freeze but the screen is still there totally FROZEN. No BSOD or Restart.
How i'm fixing it: Force shutdown by pressing on the power button and restarting it again.
Does it happen all the time?: Yes
When: It happens from anywhere between 5 minutes after start up to a few hours. Very luckily one day, it lasted for 28 hours after start up once. i thought the problem was over but it freezed again.
Random Observations: A temperature labelled as "CPU" on speedfan shows 80*C when idle and it reduces to 40*C when the cpu is under load. Very strange as temperature is usually supposed to RISE when under load. But the core temperatures are in the typical values. I dont know what the "CPU" label actually refers to.. a friend suggested that the motherboard might be overheating but the System temperature is at 30s. Also, the computer freezes even when "CPU" temperature is low. So any connection between the CPU temp and freezes are ruled out.. But still it is strange.

A little about the components:

The graphics card and PSU were transferred from an old PC to this new PC. They worked very well in the old PC so i dont think they are the problem.

I ran memtest for an hour and the tests were all okay. So RAM cant be blamed as well.

Seagate has a hard disk diagnostic tool which i ran on both my hard disks and both passed all the tests.

I dont think anything can go wrong with a processor but i might be wrong.

I think its something to do with the motherboard as that is the main component in providing all the outputs. Only the video goes out from graphics card, but even the card is on the mobo..

Any ideas? its VERY irritating that this new PC isnt as stable as my 3 year old PC.

I sent the computer back to the shop which made it for me but they sent it back saying they ran all benchmarks and everything was fine. I'm planning to send it back again.

Thanks alot!

PS: The processor handles prime95 very well. It lasted 12 hours torture test at 80-84*C only to stop when the computer FROZE like it does always.

 

[Kenmitch]

Stock speed? How old is power supply?

 

[dma0991]

Put your PC into a microwave and dial the settings to thaw and wait, that should solve the problem.

Anyway, try using some other temp monitoring utilities like HWMonitor or Realtemp. Try stress testing your rig and monitor the temps, if you could, post a screenshot here while on load.

 

[Puppies04]

What version of windows is it running? Could very well be a corrupted install also just because the PSU worked in an old PC doesn't mean it is beyond doubt. Have you checked the CPU cooler is properly installed?

 

[squallypie]

Thank you for all the replies.

@Kenmitch: everything is on stock speeds
@ dma: pc wont fit into microwave image attached of temps under load
@ Puppies: Windows 7 Pro 64 bit

 

[Schmide]

Dude your HSF isn't seated properly.

 

[dma0991]

You've not listed a 3rd party heatsink so I assume that you're using the stock heatsink? If it is then the temps are pretty consistent with improper mounting of the heatsink.

 

[Inspire]

What sort of case is it in?

It looks like the HS/fan isn't installed well.

 

[Idontcare]

Dude your HSF isn't seated properly.

This. Look at your Max temps for the individual cores, as well as the package temp (that is the temp in the socket on the mobo).

For a stock-clock CPU those are ridiculously high. Something is wrong with the HSF mount.

 

[Seven]

Disable C6/C3 if the system is OCed.. Fix the heating issue.

 

[squallypie]

Thanks for the replies,

I removed the HSF and installed it back but still the same temps.

If you look at the temps when processor is Idle, u can see the CPUTIN is high! can anyone explain this?

@dma0991 I'm using the intel hsf that came with the processor.

@puppies04: the freeze mostly occurs when the processor is idle. That is when the power consumption is lowest. does it still have something to do with the PSU?

@Inspire: its in some case called "Volcano" from a company called "Circle". It is made in India :/ i had to settle for this as the store had no stock of CM HAL 912

@Seven: the computer is not oc'ed. i dont know how to fix the heating issue

@Idontcare: i tried reinstalling the HSF. still no results.

But my room temperature is 25*C - 30*C, if this has anything to do with the core temps.

 

[Inspire]

I think were going to need pics since what you tell us doesn't add up.

If they didn't have the Cooler Master HAF 912 or something with good cooling then I suppose you could get yourself in trouble with a $15 case from who knows where.

I can't speak for folks here but I would have have said "no" to the case.

 

[MisterMac]

Even with the SHITTIEST of cases, it shouldn't get that high with a stock heatsink.
(without OC)
Unless you live in sauna.

Your HSF has to be mounted unproper.
Both by you and the Store.

Did you check if the HSF has any TIM on it?

(Maybe the retard pc store removed the TIM - most local pc stores are...not very knowledgeable).

 

[squallypie]

@Inspire: i know... HAL 912 was something i wanted for a long time but the case i have is not sooo bad even though it is from some unfamiliar company. and it actually costed me Dh.300 ( 80$! ). i'll post some pics of the case in another post.

(I went ahead with the thought that it is these companies that produce products and let other companies brand them... so why not just buy from the original producers.)

@MisterMac: Mounting an HSF means inserting the 4 rubber pins into the holes on the motherboard, pushing 2 at once (diagonally) and turning the rubber screws using a screwdriver right?

The PC came with thermal paste which i cleaned off and applied once again. the thermal paste i used was Thermaltake TG2.

 

[Idontcare]

Thanks for the replies,

I removed the HSF and installed it back but still the same temps.

If you look at the temps when processor is Idle, u can see the CPUTIN is high! can anyone explain this?

@Idontcare: i tried reinstalling the HSF. still no results.

But my room temperature is 25*C - 30*C, if this has anything to do with the core temps.

Don't be worried about CPUTIN, its the core temps (Core #0, Core #1, etc) that are the worrisome stuff, especially your idle temps.

25-30C ambient is not the issue. Your idle temps, even with a crappy Intel stock HSF, should be at most 5-7C higher than ambient. Not 20-25C higher than ambient.

My system runs cooler than yours even with the fans disabled, there is something wrong with your cooling.

Until you resolve it, whatever it is (bad mount, too much paste, too little paste, warped IHS, warped HSF, etc etc), you can continue to expect to have instability issues. That's the bottom line.

If you paid someone to assemble this for you then you need to take it to them and boot it up and point out how ridiculously high your idle temps are. If they say anything but "yes, we need to fix this" then you need to find yourself a better computer seller because they obviously don't know or don't care enough to give you what you paid for.

Right now you are not getting what you paid for.

 

[Rvenger]

Did you check event viewer to see if Windows reported anything on the freeze?

 

[Kenmitch]

MisterMac: Mounting an HSF means inserting the 4 rubber pins into the holes on the motherboard, pushing 2 at once (diagonally) and turning the rubber screws using a screwdriver right?

That doesn't sound like the correct way to me. You only use a screwdriver to release the pins for removal.

Did you change the thermal compound when you redid the cooler?

Maybe take a look at this thread http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2047683

 

[squallypie]

@Idontcare: I live in Dubai actually and the PC gaming market here is not so big..

I had a friend on my Steam account who built a computer for 2500$ ( 10,000 dhs ) but ended up having 60*C idle temperature on his Intel i7 processor even with water cooling. ( i7 at that time was ridiclously expensive. i think it was 2000 dhs or 600$ ). The shop which made it for him had nothing to say for it! but anyways, i know that the store im going to is no good either but the point is they offered the cheapest prices for the components in my PC so i settled.
@ SLK: I havent checked the event viewer but nothing popped on windows at start up saying that the windows crashed...
@ Kenmitch: thanks for sharing the link. i did change the thermal compound but after seeing the thread, i'm not sure myself if i locked the HSF properly inside. I'm gonna give it a try again. But will i have to change the thermal paste again if i remove and install the HSF?

 

[tweakboy]

Oh boy its your temps on the CPU, 80c is too high for full load 100 percent even...

at 85c the computer should shut down by itself, or these Sandys do that at 95c dont know, But a freeze I think your CPU heastink/fan is not placed properly. Reseat your heatsink theres not strong contact with CPU... gl

 

[richierich1212]

You can try undervolting in BIOS and see if that lowers your temps and helps. Otherwise it could also be your PSU.

 

[Inspire]

Squallypie: I live 30 miles from CM USA. I often forget that Anandtech gets people from all over the world and availability isn't the same.

If its possible a photo of the HSF might tell us something. Yes, you have to clean off the HSF and CPU when you remove it and stick new thermal paste on. That might be the best time to take a couple of photos if you can.

 

[Avalon]

Def check to see that you have all four push pins securely pressed into place. They sometimes require a good deal of force. After that, they must be turned to lock into place, although I know a lot that position them into the locked position first, and then push them in.

Did you get a manual with your Intel CPU? It should tell you how to operate the push pins.

 

[squallypie]

Thank you all for the replies. While i still couldn't find a way to fix the heat issue ( even after reinstalling TIM and HSF ), i think i fixed the freezing issue.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2212089

In my other thread, a very helpful tip was given to change my RAM voltage to the manufacturer's specs ( 1.7v ). I checked the bios and it automatically had set it to 1.5v and underclocked the RAM to 1333 mhz even though mine should run at 1600 mhz.

I raised the frequency and the voltage and i let the computer run. It has not freezed in 34 hours. I had to switch it off coz i had to move the PC. Hopefully the computer wont freeze again.

As for the temperature, i still haven't fixed the high temps I might buy a new HS/F and when i do so, i'll make sure i go to someone who knows how to install it properly.

 

[Idontcare]

In my other thread, a very helpful tip was given to change my RAM voltage to the manufacturer's specs ( 1.7v ). I checked the bios and it automatically had set it to 1.5v and underclocked the RAM to 1333 mhz even though mine should run at 1600 mhz.

Ouch. You are aware of the very real risks of frying the memory controller on your CPU (and thus killing your CPU) with that kind of Vdimm, yes?

There is a reason your vendor had set it to 1.5V and then underclocked it in hopes of it being stable while undervolted.

If I were in your shoes I'd set the voltage back to 1.5V, reduce the clockspeed and further relax the timings to achieve stability that way.

What you've done here is take an already precariously hot and questionable CPU and are now placing it under even more stress by over-volting its memory controller while simultaneously clocking it even faster.

You will find stability with this approach, but it will not be long-lived I am afraid. A few months down the road and you'll have a degraded CPU that is no longer stable (even with the higher voltages).

 

[dma0991]

AFAIK from a thread in the past, it should be set at 1.5V, not 1.7V as per the datasheet, page 9. As for the temps, it can aggravate the problem much more and since you're living in Dubai, it would be practically essential to get a good cooling to run at reasonable temps. For this situation, I think the Corsair H100 would be the best choice.