Windows 7: Occasional BSOD, Firefox always open.

I've got a new system, and almost at random I get a BSOD on occasion. No excessive system load, and the only correlation I can see is that Firefox had been open each time.

I've included CPUZ screen shots in addition to the dump files.



System:
i5 3570k, Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H (F7 BIOS), Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 CAS9 2 x 4GB (Running XMP profile), EVGA GTX 480, SeaSonic Platinum 860w PSU, Cooler Master Hyper 612 PWM, Cooler Master HAF XM case with 2 extra 140mm side intake fans.

Analysis:

BugCheck 0x124

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.
  
  
• If you have an SSD, make sure the following are up to date:
  • SSD firmware
  • BIOS Version
  • Chipset Drivers
  • Hard disk controller drivers/SATA drivers
  • If you have a Marvell IDE ATA/ATAPI device, make sure the drivers are up to date from the Intel site or Marvell site and not from your motherboard/vendor support site.
  
  
• Run all but the advanced tests with SeaTools for HDDs.

  SeaTools for Windows
  
  SeaTools for DOS

• 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.

BSOD Instructions:

If you need further help, please follow the http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-d...tructions.html to provide us with better information about the system in question.

Thank you for the analysis, it's a shame that fault is so non specific.

I know it isn't an overheating heating issue, I run CPUID HWMonitor constantly. In fact I can run Prime 95 for hours with no issue, this is a really random BSOD, it's happened 3 times since I built the system. I don't have an overclock going, but my CPU is under volted, I'll try placing it back on stock voltage and see what happens.

This is a hand built system, so if needed I can RMA any parts if it proves necessary. I'm just not sure where to begin, my first inclination is to blame the Motherboard.

There are actually some guides to overclocking and what steps to do for certain BugCheck codes. A friend of mine, James7679, introduced them to me. You speaking of an under-Volted CPU is what cued that in my mind.

I just ran FurMark Burn-In test for 10 minutes, the card stabilizes at 83-84c, about 20c below the cards rated max...and the ambient temp is around 25c, case temp is 28c. CPUID HWMonitor and FurMark agreed on the cards temp.
North Bridge maxed out at 40c. CPU is hitting 65c (package) after 20 minutes of P95...which from my reading is normal for IvyBridge chips. North Bridge is reaching 47c with P95 running...this seems high to me considering I have two 140mm side intake fans.

Going to muck around in the BIOS, it seems this motherboard has some odd defaults.

After running FurMark and P95 simultaneously for 6 hours, no issues presented themselves. Set the CPU back to stock voltage just in case.

I'm finding that this BSOD is scaring me quite a bit, debating returning my mother board and processor and getting an MSI or ASUS model instead.

Alright, let us know whether you have any problems or find a solution.

Also, if you replace components, post back if the problem is solved.