Windows 7: BSOD Random but usually games

I posted on this forum I think in March, same issues.




Windows 7 x64 Original OS - What is the age of system (hardware)? 2yr - What is the age of OS installation (have you re-installed the OS?) no/same



Additional info
-If it is a video card I can remove one.
-Tested the memory since then (over 20 times), bought new memory (tested too) never was the problem.


Personally I think it's one of the video cards or some driver issue.

You have a 0x124 hardware bugcheck. If the system is still under warranty, I would recommend sending it in to have diagnostic tests done and any bad hardware replaced.

   Warning

Before you proceed with the following, answer these two questions: Are you still under warranty? Does your warranty allow you to open up the machine to check hardware? If you are unsure of the answers to these questions, contact your system manufacturer. WARNING: The steps that follow can void your warranty!!!

For your hardware stop 0x124 crash, read through Stop 0x124 - what it means and what to try and use the following hardware checks to supplement that link.

• If you are overclocking any hardware, please stop.
  
  
• Monitor temperatures during the following tests.

  Use the following programs to monitor the temperatures.

  • Real Temp is a good CPU temperature monitor.
  • Speccy - System Information - Free Download will monitor all hardware temperatures.
  • HWiNFO, HWiNFO32 & HWiNFO64 - Hardware Information and Analysis Tools can be inaccurate for CPU temperatures, but is a good program for GPU temperature monitoring.

  • Use FurMark: VGA Stress Test, Graphics Card and GPU Stability Test, Burn-in Test, OpenGL Benchmark and GPU Temperature | oZone3D.Net to test the graphics card GPU. Let it run until the GPU temperatures even out or until the GPU temperatures reach a dangerous level (you can find the max temperature for your card on either the nVidia or AMD sites; if you are not sure, ask us). The goal is to get a steady temperature, find out if the GPU is overheating, or to see if there are any artifacts present in the test itself: look for strange pixelated patterns on the screen or colors that do not look like they belong. Then use the |MG| Video Memory Stress Test 1.7.116 Download to test your graphics card memory. Let the memory test run for at least seven passes; the more the better.
    
    
  • Run Hardware - Stress Test With Prime95 to determine any hardware problems. Run all three tests for a few hours each. If you get errors, stop the test and post back here.
    
    
  • Follow the steps for doing CPU stress test using IntelBurnTest

• Run the boot version of Memtest86+ paying close attention to Parts 2 and 3 of the tutorial. Also, in case Memtest86+ misses anything and comes up with no errors, run the extended version of the Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool for at least five passes. These you may want to run overnight since they take a long time to complete (run them an hour before bed each of the next two nights and check before going to sleep that they are still running).
  
  For Part 3: If You Have Errors: If you swap any memory components, follow these steps for ESD safety:
  1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
  2. Unplug all power supplies to the computer (AC Power then battery for laptops, AC power for desktops)
  3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to close the circuit and ensure all power drains from components.
  4. Make sure you are grounded by using proper grounding techniques, i.e. work on an anti-static workbench, anti-static desk, or an anti-static pad. Hold something metallic while touching it to the anti-static surface, or use an anti-static wristband to attach to the anti-static material while working. If you do not have an anti-static workbench, desk, or pad, you can use your computer tower/case by finding a metal hold in it, such as a drive bay.
  Once these steps have been followed, it is safe to remove and replace components within your computer.

Remember to read closely through Stop 0x124 - what it means and what to try for the crash.


If you do not decide to do the memory test, that is fine. You said you did it already. Anything else you want to skip over that you have already done may be alright, as well, but it may be worth doing to test. I know you did some in the previous thread, too. The link is the most important part.

Hi writhziden,

My computer came overclocked, both processor and video cards. Most of the time the bsod happens with games. I only saw it happen once without but I had alot of firefox tabs up and maybe some flash was running. How exactly do I unclock the hardware? Would you suggest maybe the video cards? I could remove a video card and it might solve this and disable sli too. I also wonder if it's the soundblaster, since sound is obviously playing in the games too. I'm confused about it. This bsod has been happening since december 2011 and nothing has changed about it. 99% of the time like I said it was in a game, 1% it wasn't.

I think way back a ran some video card test that was in that other thread, and the pc crashed when it reached a certain point. I just wonder which card it is. I have sli disabled right now and the nvidia control panel shows 480 (2) as the card running and I believe hw monitor shows the second card listed as running the hottest. would that be the lower card even though the monitor is plugged into the top card? Sorry for this stupid question, I just really don't know.


edit, not sure what this means but I ran furmark just now and the second card was the only one enabled. It got to 92c before the pc rebooted, and it wasn't over time, almost instantly when it reached that temperature it rebooted. I don't know what to make of that, can you advise at all?

Try testing each graphics card individually, as you said. Remove the SLI and one card. Test the remaining card. Whether it works or not, test the other card. If both cause issues or both work, then you know it is something else involved: possibly the SLI if both work fine, or the motherboard if both fail.

As you add and remove hardware, follow these steps for ESD safety:

1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
2. Unplug all power supplies to the computer (AC Power then battery for laptops, AC power for desktops)
3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to close the circuit and ensure all power drains from components.
4. Make sure you are grounded by using proper grounding techniques, i.e. work on an anti-static workbench, anti-static desk, or an anti-static pad. Hold something metallic while touching it to the anti-static surface, or use an anti-static wristband to attach to the anti-static material while working. If you do not have an anti-static workbench, desk, or pad, you can use your computer tower/case by finding a metal hold in it, such as a drive bay.

Once these steps have been followed, it is safe to remove and replace components within your computer.

Well I got another after removing the video card but it was a whole day later. This one in bluescreenview was 0x000000a

Maybe this file will help. Maybe I should try the other video card or maybe it's not related. I did noticed without the one card I thought to be a problem. my temperatures were 25-30% lower than they ever had been.

Crashes indicate hardware, but do not specify which hardware. I see a slight overclock of the CPU; is that intentional?

Download and install CPU-Z and Upload screenshots of the CPU, Mainboard, Memory, and SPD tabs. In the SPD tab, upload an image of each slot.

Also, go into your BIOS and post all Voltages (CPU, RAM, NB, IMC, etc.) and all RAM settings (timings, frequency, etc.)

Thanks to Dave76 for help learning RAM Stability

Thank you for the reply. ALienware did everything to this machine, I didn't touch or change anything since I've had it but installing games and occasionaly driver updates. If turning something down a little, something I read in other posts actually but don't understand really, will somehow possibly correct things, Ill try it.

In the zip files, hope I got everything right. I am really new to this kind of thing. Just let me know if you need to see more and what parts. I don't know if you need the second zip, there are so many menus within menus so I am unsure really. CPUZ stuff is inside the first zip too. Sorry for that. Here's a zip -



Also here is a video i put on youtube of the bios, i sent you a private message with the url

I have asked an overclock expert to take a look.

Attachment 215656 Attachment 215657

Attachment 215658 Attachment 215659

Attachment 215660 Attachment 215661

Attachment 215662 Attachment 215663

Attachment 215664

Hello Jessicka. I am seeing some inconsistencies with the information provided. The BIOS and CPUz do not match, this is indicative of SoftClocking. To explain, basically, all CPU OverClocking should be done via the BIOS. There are software environments that are made, generally referred to as Overclocking Suites. In your case, I believe this program to be called "Alienware Command Center". The settings in there are not stable and seem to be the issue. I would suggest that you navigate to the Suite, and attempt to find the OverClock section and set everything to default. CPUz shows your the following settings;
Core Speed: 3876.4mhz
Multi: 29
Bus: 133.7
QPI: 3208.0
VCore: 1.136

Both the QPI and VCore are too low for the combination of the Core, Multi and Bus. If you WANT to overclock, I can advise some settings in the BIOS, but first you need to clear the settings from within thee OS.

Regards,

James

Hi James. Thanks for the reply and thanks to writhziden for also helping. I am in the Alienware Command Center but all it shows are: fan speeds, power management and lets me change the color of my lights. Is there some other possible program that's doing this? There was some other application I remember when I first got this, they installed while remotely taking control of my machine and did something... but I don't remember where it was. Is there some hidden functionality in the Alienware Command Center I'm not seeing? On Youtube I see a 4th button people can click but in my shots below you can see that one is not there. It might be hidden somehow. <--- nevermind to this, it's just Alienware Sense. Some face recognition gimmick. I don't even have it. I don't think there is any overlocking in the AWCC. There are pictures below so you can see the Command Center program and all the options it shows to me.

Alienware Command Center screenshots-
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5...5yyo1_1280.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5...5yyo2_1280.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5...5yyo3_1280.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5...5yyo4_1280.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5...5yyo5_1280.jpg

Let me know if you can see these?

Unless there is some hidden program on my pc that can be used to remove the soft clocking issue (and I still don't quite understand what I would do once the program was running), is there one I could download and you could explain to me what settings to change so I can remove the soft clock?

At that point, once the soft clocking problem is fixed, I wouldn't mind a slight overclock of the processor through bios and would appreciate the help with those settings you mentioned in your previous post.


EDIT* I read Dell uses this on Alienware or something similar, http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=189 could something like this remove the soft clocking? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm not sure what to do really since I don't see any options in the Alienware Command Center to remove the softclock you mentioned. it looks kind of bad, but I see so many different ones Dell is known to use.


Thanks,
Jess