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[f0lken]

I think there is a tech support gaf but I couldn't find it.

My problem is that my pc randomly freezes while playing a game, maybe 5 minutes in, or 30mins tested on Tomb Raider, Alan Wake, Starcraft 2, Battlefield 3 and many others, or freezes when encoding and converting video. At first I tought it was the memory ( I had 4GB of RAM, which I upgraded to 8GB), then I figured it was the CPU temp, if had some shitty cooling fan which I upgraded to a Seidon 240m water cooling from coolmaster and it still kept happening, then I checked my GPU temps which went up to 82 C playing Starcraft 2 so I tinkered with it and kept it to a more healthy 75 C but it still wasn´t the solution and now I am just frustrated, I hope someone can help me please.

My specs are these:

Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z77M-D3H
OS: Windows 8 64bits (But it would still happen on Win 7)
CPU: Core i5-2500 @ 3.30GHz
RAM: 2x4GB
GPU: HD6850 MSI Cyclone
Power Supply: Coolermaster Silent Pro 1000w

 

[TheD]

I think there is a tech support gaf but I couldn't find it.

My problem is that my pc randomly freezes while playing a game, maybe 5 minutes in, or 30mins tested on Tomb Raider, Alan Wake, Starcraft 2, Battlefield 3 and many others, or freezes when encoding and converting video. At first I tought it was the memory ( I had 4GB of RAM, which I upgraded to 8GB), then I figured it was the CPU temp, if had some shitty cooling fan which I upgraded to a Seidon 240m water cooling from coolmaster and it still kept happening, then I checked my GPU temps which went up to 82 C playing Starcraft 2 so I tinkered with it and kept it to a more healthy 75 C but it still wasn´t the solution and now I am just frustrated, I hope someone can help me please.

My specs are these:

OS: Windows 8 64bits (But it would still happen on Win 7)
CPU: Core i5-2500 @ 3.30GHz
RAM: 2x4GB
GPU: HD6850 MSI Cyclone
Power Supply: Coolermaster Silent Pro 1000w

Any bugcheck (BSOD) error code?

 

[f0lken]

Any bugcheck (BSOD) error code?

No it just freezes the screen and the sound makes an awful buzz sound, it would stay there for a couple of minutes until it resets itself or I do it manually

 

[Grief.exe]

When was the last time you updated your drivers?

That power supply is brings the word overkill to a whole nother level.

 

[Atraveller]

When was the last time you updated your drivers?

That power supply is brings the word overkill to a whole nother level.

Yeah, why do you even need 1000w OP?

 

[f0lken]

When was the last time you updated your drivers?

That power supply is brings the word overkill to a whole nother level.

LOL I know but it was so cheap I couldn't resist. Drivers are up to date according to the AMD Page (13.150.0.0 version)

Yeah, why do you even need 1000w OP?

Not that I really need it, but I could get it for pretty cheap thanks to a friend who sold his gaming PC to buy a MacBook Pro

 

[red731]

Check event viever for any red exclamation marks - http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/win8/windows8-event-viewer.htm

Download something that stresses GPU like - http://www.ozone3d.net/benchmarks/fur/

Download GPUZ - http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/

Start with event viewer and check for critical stuff, then...

...GPUZ, play game/run Furmark in windowed mode, have them side by side - so when it hangs, you can see what CLOCKS are on the the GPU in the GPUZ.

Dunno. Try that, we can underperform your GPU after that :lol

 

[YianGaruga]

When you confirmed that it's not one of the things you listed in the OP, it could still be the VRAM of your video card. There's no real way to test if it's faulty, so you should swap it for another video card and see if the freezing still happens.

 

[Duxxy3]

Are you using your card to assist in video encodes, or strictly using the cpu?

 

[spirity]

Have you re-seated everything? G card, memory, power supply cables that connect to the motherboard, processor, hard drives. Just pull them out/disconnect cables and pop them straight back in again. Also, make sure you give the inside of your case a good blow out. One of those cans of air are good for this, but they blast really cold air so make sure nothing is wet before you power back on.

Try running memtest 86 (http://www.memtest86.com/) put it on a flash drive or cd and boot to it, let it run for a couple of hours and check on it occasionally.

 

[Atraveller]

Not that I really need it, but I could get it for pretty cheap thanks to a friend who sold his gaming PC to buy a MacBook Pro

I see. With that power you can do a three way SLI Titan and have leftover for more. And like others said, the only way is to swap out parts individually to check, maybe it's the MB or the PSU itself, could be anything.

 

[f0lken]

I'll try first the stress test, and then I will try using the pc without the graphic card maybe is as YianGaruga said and my card is faulty (I hope not!)

Have you re-seated everything? G card, memory, power supply cables that connect to the motherboard, processor, hard drives. Just pull them out/disconnect cables and pop them straight back in again. Also, make sure you give the inside of your case a good blow out. One of those cans of air are good for this, but they blast really cold air so make sure nothing is wet before you power back on.

Yes, I did unplugg and plugged everything to no good results.

Try running memtest 86 (http://www.memtest86.com/) put it on a flash drive or cd and boot to it, let it run for a couple of hours and check on it occasionally.

What should I check for?

 

[1st Course]

Maybe it's your HDD? Freezing is a very known sign of a dying HDD.

 

[thunder_snail]

What's your motherboard? Modern cpu and gpus should throttle when overheated so I don't think they would be the one's causing the problem, especially since you said you have aftermarket heatsink. From my personal experience, it's either the psu or motherboard that fails first in a custom built pc. You seem to have a good psu so it maybe your motherboard crapping out.

 

[spirity]

What should I check for?

If you set your pc to boot from memtest (put memtest on a flash drive and set your boot order accordingly) it will run automatically, doing 'passes' and it will give your memory a thorough workout. If there's a problem with your memory sticks, memtest ought to catch it. You'll see when you run it, it will display any problems as it goes.

 

[f0lken]

What's your motherboard? Modern cpu and gpus should throttle when overheated so I don't think they would be the one's causing the problem, especially since you said you have aftermarket heatsink. From my personal experience, it's either the psu or motherboard that fails first in a custom built pc. You seem to have a good psu so it maybe your motherboard crapping out.

I'll update the OP, is a GIGABYTE Z77M-D3H

Currently the strees test of FurMark shows 91 C max temp, 19FPS avg, load of 99% and no freezes so far

 

[Ahmed360]

I think it's time to upgrade your GPU!

I don't want to say it is AMD GPU related, but I had a sager with 6990M (which was based on 6870) and games used to freeze alot, overheating and stuff, even though I used to clean it all the time, but the thing is, 6xxx series GPUs generate heat...lots of heat!

Anyway, as was said before, try a different GPU if possible.

 

[CSX]

had the same problems as you op

For me it was either

1. faulty video card

2. video card wasnt connected PERFECTLY to the mobo. If the connection isnt spot on, its guarantee to cause a freeze

had the card switched out and made sure i reconnected the card straight on. Basically pushing the card to screw it to the case was messing up the mobo connection. I had to use cable ties to secure the card to the case

 

[Thoraxes]

Maybe it's your HDD? Freezing is a very known sign of a dying HDD.

For me it was when my last mobo broke, particularly the SATA ports that I had the same issues as OP.

 

[TheD]

You might want to play a game or something in windowed mode and have a program that shows your voltage (vcore, 12 volt rail ect.), underload the voltage might be going out of operational range of your components.

 

[red731]

I'll update the OP, is a GIGABYTE Z77M-D3H

Currently the strees test of FurMark shows 91 C max temp, 19FPS avg, load of 99% and no freezes so far

I don't like these temps - for other people, write even the time for how long is it going.

Yeah, check GPU if it is connected properly - just push on both sides AND check power cable going to GPU.

 

[thunder_snail]

I'll update the OP, is a GIGABYTE Z77M-D3H

Currently the strees test of FurMark shows 91 C max temp, 19FPS avg, load of 99% and no freezes so far

You seem to have a reliable motherboard too. I strongly recommend doing memtest that was recommended by spirity. Also since booting from a flashdrive can be fickle, it may be easier to download and burn an iso of linux distro for memtest since most of them let you do that without installing linux.

On a side note, 91 C seems way to high. Especially if you have an aftermarket cooler. Are you sure you are applying the thermal paste correctly?

 

[f0lken]

The stress test is over, it put my pc lo intensive work and it hasn't freeze my PC yet so I take it the graphics card is ok?

Maybe it could be the HDD after all?

This was the previous Starcraft 2 related freeze I had on my PC just an hour ago
BTW: That 91 C Temp was for the HD6850, not the CPU

This is what it shows right now:

I'll do the memtest now

 

[f0lken]

So memtest froze too! Or at least is what I think because it stopped responding to ESC and C, I took these 2 pics:

 

[spirity]

Ok, you've just confirmed its a hardware error and you've ruled out software.

Let it run for an hour or so without interrupting it. It will repeatedly do passes of its test. If things are going wrong the bottom half of the screen will fill up with errors. If after an hour there's no reported errors, you've ruled out memory and can move onto something else. Diagnosing a fault is often just the process of elimination. The two fields "Pass" and "Test" should keep advancing in that time with a string of #'s. Is that happening?

 

[Erasus]

No it just freezes the screen and the sound makes an awful buzz sound, it would stay there for a couple of minutes until it resets itself or I do it manually

Is the buzzing sound the games sound but slowed down? I had this and it was my RAM going bad.

 

[f0lken]

Ok, you've just confirmed its a hardware error and you've ruled out software.

Let it run for an hour or so without interrupting it. It will repeatedly do passes of its test. If things are going wrong the bottom half of the screen will fill up with errors. If after an hour there's no reported errors, you've ruled out memory and can move onto something else. Diagnosing a fault is often just the process of elimination. The two fields "Pass" and "Test" should keep advancing in that time with a string of #'s. Is that happening?

Yes that happened but stopped suddenly after a couple of minutes, so now I am pretty sure is the RAM that is at fault.

Is the buzzing sound the games sound but slowed down? I had this and it was my RAM going bad.

It is more like a high pitched krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[sono]

When you confirmed that it's not one of the things you listed in the OP, it could still be the VRAM of your video card. There's no real way to test if it's faulty, so you should swap it for another video card and see if the freezing still happens.

I was going to suggest try swapping your video card also.
Also
Is your bios up to date.

 

[spirity]

Ok, it could be the your original memory stick is duff. Remove it so you've just got the newer 4gb stick installed. You can either try running memtest again, or try playing a game and see how you get on.

 

[f0lken]

Ok, it could be the your original memory stick is duff. Remove it so you've just got the newer 4gb stick installed. You can either try running memtest again, or try playing a game and see how you get on.

Well after removing the original RAM stick I just finished a scene on Starcraft 2, so issue pretty much resolved...

I hope lol, thanks to all,of you