Laptop: Screen freezes followed by a buzzing sound during gameplay

[ModgePodge]

Hey guys. I've been having this problem on and off and with various games now. At some point during playing a game, my laptop will freeze and make a buzzing sound through the speakers/headphones. I have a Dell XPS L501x laptop with Windows 7 64bit on it. I have an Intel Core i7-2630QM CPU with 6GB of RAM. My video card is a Nvidia GeForce GT 540M.

I've contacted Dell about this and they replaced my motherboard 3 times and the problem persisted. However, the replacements were about a year ago when this problem occurred while playing League of Legends. After Dell not really being able to help and their flawed and pointless circle logic became more of a nuisance than the buzzing problem, I decided to just endure the issues. The buzzing sound and the freezing did stop happening however after a few more times of encountering the problem. I didn't change anything or update anything to my knowledge. It just stopped happening.

However, recently while playing Skyrim, I've been facing the same issues! The screen will freeze and a buzzing sound will play through my headphones. If I disconnect the headphones while it's buzzing, the sound doesn't come through the speakers though.

Dell Support wasn't fully able to get rid of the problem, but maybe you guys can help me find the root of it. Let me know what other information you need and thank you all in advance!

 

[YoYo155]

All of the bugchecks are the same and are very old, throughout 2012.
But still referring to a driver still present on the machine.

DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE (9f)
A driver has failed to complete a power IRP within a specific time (usually 10 minutes).
Arguments:
Arg1: 0000000000000003, A device object has been blocking an Irp for too long a time
Arg2: fffffa8005f004a0, Physical Device Object of the stack
Arg3: fffff800044023d8, nt!TRIAGE_9F_POWER on Win7, otherwise the Functional Device Object of the stack
Arg4: [COLOR=Blue][U][B]fffffa8005863a90[/B][/U][/COLOR], The blocked IRP

[B][COLOR=SeaGreen]!irp[/COLOR][/B] [COLOR=Blue][U][B]fffffa8005863a90[/B][/U][/COLOR] [B][COLOR=SeaGreen]1[/COLOR][/B]
Irp is active with 9 stacks 8 is current (= 0xfffffa8005863d58)
 No Mdl: No System Buffer: Thread 00000000:  Irp stack trace.  
Flags = 00000000
ThreadListEntry.Flink = fffffa8005863ab0
ThreadListEntry.Blink = fffffa8005863ab0
IoStatus.Status = 00000000
IoStatus.Information = 00000000
RequestorMode = 00000000
Cancel = 00
CancelIrql = 0
ApcEnvironment = 00
UserIosb = 00000000
UserEvent = 00000000
Overlay.AsynchronousParameters.UserApcRoutine = 00000000
Overlay.AsynchronousParameters.UserApcContext = 00000000
Overlay.AllocationSize = 00000000 - 00000000
CancelRoutine = 00000000   
UserBuffer = 00000000
&Tail.Overlay.DeviceQueueEntry = fffffa8005863b08
Tail.Overlay.Thread = 00000000
Tail.Overlay.AuxiliaryBuffer = 00000000
Tail.Overlay.ListEntry.Flink = fffffa8006186ae8
Tail.Overlay.ListEntry.Blink = fffff8000328fae0
Tail.Overlay.CurrentStackLocation = fffffa8005863d58
Tail.Overlay.OriginalFileObject = 00000000
Tail.Apc = 00000000
Tail.CompletionKey = 00000000
     cmd  flg cl Device   File     Completion-Context
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-00000000    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-00000000    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-00000000    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-00000000    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-00000000    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-00000000    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-00000000    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
[B]>[ 16, 2]   0 e1 fffffa8006e4ce20 00000000 00000000-00000000    [COLOR=Red]pending[/COLOR]
          Unable to load image \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\SynTP.sys, Win32 error 0n2
*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for [COLOR=Red]SynTP.sys[/COLOR]
*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for SynTP.sys
 \Driver\SynTP[/B]
            Args: 00014400 00000001 00000004 00000002
 [  0, 0]   0  0 00000000 00000000 00000000-fffffa8005f0d010    

            Args: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000

• Driver Reference Table - SynTP.sys

[COLOR=SeaGreen][B]lmvm[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=Red][U][B]SynTP[/B][/U][/COLOR]
start             end                 module name
fffff880`03c2f000 fffff880`03d8c000   SynTP    T (no symbols)           
    Loaded symbol image file: SynTP.sys
    Image path: \SystemRoot\system32\DRIVERS\SynTP.sys
    Image name: SynTP.sys
    Timestamp:        [COLOR=Red][U][B]Fri Dec 17 18:51:13 2010[/B][/U][/COLOR] (4D0B9501)
    CheckSum:         00163764
    ImageSize:        0015D000
    Translations:     0000.04b0 0000.04e4 0409.04b0 0409.04e4

The driver is very old!

Download the latest from your OEM website.

• Download

---

I believe the problem you are experiencing is due to overheating.
Your system event log is filled with these:

Event[837]:
  Log Name: System
  Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
  Date: 2012-12-31T19:02:07.863
  Event ID: 89
  Task: N/A
  Level: Information
  Opcode: Info
  Keyword: N/A
  User: S-1-5-18
  User Name: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
  Computer: ModgePodge
  Description: 
ACPI thermal zone ACPI\ThermalZone\TZ01 has been enumerated.             
_PSV = 368K             
_TC1 = 1             
_TC2 = 5             
_TSP = 1000ms             
_AC0 = 0K             
_AC1 = 0K             
_AC2 = 0K             
_AC3 = 0K             
_AC4 = 0K             
_AC5 = 0K             
_AC6 = 0K             
_AC7 = 0K             
_AC8 = 0K             
_AC9 = 0K             
_CRT = 373K             
_HOT = 0K             
_PSL - see event data.

---------------------

Event[840]:
  Log Name: System
  Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Processor-Power
  Date: 2012-12-31T19:02:10.749
  Event ID: 26
  Task: N/A
  Level: Information
  Opcode: Info
  Keyword: N/A
  User: S-1-5-18
  User Name: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
  Computer: ModgePodge
  Description: 
Processor 0 in group 0 exposes the following:

2 idle state(s)
14 performance state(s)
8 throttle state(s)

Test for overheating and stability:

• Download Speccy and post a Screenshot of the summary window, one at idle and another while putting load on the PC using Prime95 for the CPU side and Furmark for the GPU.

Post back with the results .

 

[ModgePodge]

Here's the idle and GPU for now. I'll do the CPU one tomorrow because it'll take more time. Also, do you want me to run both the CPU and GPU stress tests at the same time?

 

[YoYo155]

No don't stress this is crazy hot already!

   Warning

The Following Steps Will Void Your Warranty!

Addressing the overheating issue:

• Make sure you can hear or see the fan working, if it is continue with these steps.

1. Shut-Down the PC
2. Unplug from the power brick.
3. Remove the battery.
4. Let the PC cool down for as long as needed until its only warm to the touch or not at all.
5. Buy a can of compressed air.
6. If you have a cover on the bottom that can be unscrewed, remove it for grater access.
7. When using the compressed air, use short bursts and DO NOT! use it upside-down!!
8. First blow into the intake (the grill with the fan) again short bursts.
9. Next do the same to the exhaust.
10. If you have access the opposite side of the fan blow through there as well.
11. Next grab a flashlight and point it inward from the exhaust and look for anything that may be blocking the light from passing through when looking from the intake side (the fan).

Happy cleaning

 

[ModgePodge]

Here's the CPU test after like 15 minutes. And I will clean everything out tomorrow and get back to you then! Thank you very much!

 

[YoYo155]

You're welcome!
Keep posting updates .

 

[ModgePodge]

Well, it crashed again... kind of. I updated my drivers to the newest nvidia beta drivers and I had the same freeze and buzzing sound occur, but after like 10 seconds it exited the game (Skyrim), and it showed an error in the notification area with an error. I can't remember what the error said though. Either way, I rolled my drivers back to the newest official/stable drivers.

EDIT: Here's the errors. It'll buzz and freeze but eventually stop and either allow me to keep playing, or it'll close the program. I haven't had to force shut down since I cleaned.

 

[ModgePodge]

Froze and buzzed again. This time I had to force shut down.

Here's another one of these if you want it.

 

[YoYo155]

Thank for the update .
No new dumps were created but that is inline with the fact that no bugchecks occurred.

How did the cleaning process go?
Post a new set of screenshots using Speccy as detailed above ( #4 ) .

 

[ModgePodge]

Cleaning went well I think. It takes a bit longer now for the GPU to heat up and it's not quite getting to the same temps.

 

[YoYo155]

Ahh yes the CPU is looking in good shape, but the GPU is suffering.
Can you borrow a laptop cooling pad for testing purposes?

• Examples

 

[ModgePodge]

I have a laptop cooling pad and all those speccy reports were with the pad being used :/

 

[Anak]

Hi ModgePodge, welcome to 7F!

I admire your fortitude, I see you've been at this for a while, from 1-20-2012: Game freezes followed by buzzing sound requiring force restart - League of Legends Community (L oL)

Now, back to the future...

The screen will freeze and a buzzing sound will play through my headphones. If I disconnect the headphones while it's buzzing, the sound doesn't come through the speakers though.

To me, this would indicate a hang in either the video and/or audio processing of your machine.

From your thread starter at L oL:

Temporary fix that I have found on my own:
- If I go into the Nvidia control panel and set the "preferred graphics processor" to Integrated Graphics, I don't crash at all. The downside to this is that I can't stream, my game runs at a lower fps, and I'm completely wasting a $200-$300 part that I paid money for.

This would indicate that the part you paid money for is incompatible with your machine,

But, hold on for a second. did you ever replace that ram??

Again, from your thread starter at L oL:

Out of all of the above, the only one that I haven't mentioned to Dell is the RAM replacement. I'm not too knowledgeable about hardware, but why would replacing the RAM solve a problem that's seemingly related to the graphics cards? When I read about the RAM replacement, it seemed like the RAM might be incompatible with either the game or with other parts in the computer itself though.

Consider a symphony orchestra, if one instrument that was composed in to help carry the music is out of tune, the whole piece suffers. The same holds true for the parts of a computer.

The original ram of the Dell XPS L501x laptop may be insuffcient to carry the load of the "preferred graphics processor".

As a test can you "dumb down" the settings on the Nvidia control panel to see if that helps? Try that and get back to us.

 

[ModgePodge]

I haven't faced any issues with League of Legends in a long while though. Either they fixed something on their end, optimized something, or my machine made peace with the program.

I never did replace the RAM or change anything in any settings to make LoL work without issues. Skyrim is a bit more graphics intensive so that might explain why the computer keeps fizzling out, but after seeking all kinds of help, I still can't figure out the exact problem.

Also, at the point I am in my life, I'm not completely sure if I want to look into replacing hardware or anything if it will get too expensive or complicated because I'm looking to buy a desktop fairly soon anyway. Finally out of college so I shouldn't be moving around so much that a desktop would be annoying to manage.

 

[Anak]

You still seem to be dancing around my question:

But, hold on for a second. did you ever replace that ram??

The answer is obvious, no.

Your Dell 501 seems to have the minimum requirements to play Skyrim, but Steam has been known to defeat a mutitude of systems.

Also, at the point I am in my life, I'm not completely sure if I want to look into replacing hardware or anything if it will get too expensive or complicated because I'm looking to buy a desktop fairly soon anyway. Finally out of college so I shouldn't be moving around so much that a desktop would be annoying to manage.

Then you need to consider moving on and morphing into being an adult, it is the most intensive game one can play.

 

[ModgePodge]

I actually did answer your question in my earlier post.

I never did replace the RAM or change anything in any settings to make LoL work without issues.

Also, if you are implying that I can't resolve these issues and also transition to a more "adult" lifestyle, I disagree. While I am working on becoming a professional/figuring out my further education plans (I have a orientation tomorrow and another interview on Thursday woo!) I would still like to at least try and fix the laptop that I had spent a decent amount of money on. I don't want the issues to become worse if it has that potential. Thank you for your help so far though.

 

[Anak]

Your Welcome,

Then at least test the ram to see if it is bad: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html and make sure you follow Part 2: Testing, Number 3. The best time to run Memtest is overnight while you are asleep or while you are busy for several hours elsewhere.

If it is bad then replace the ram and see if that helps, it is not that expensive, as an example: Computer memory upgrades for Dell XPS L501X Laptop/Notebook from Crucial.com Click on "Show All Compatible Computer Memory" to the right under the first listing or find a local store. I hope it is not a bad ram slot.


I can not fault you for making an effort to resolve these issues with your laptop, but a person who is professional would never say woo.

 

[ModgePodge]

Well, I ran the memtest last night and had it going for about 10 hours and 7 passes.

Good news: No errors. So what's left to check for?

Bad news: No errors... Still have no concrete evidence of what's wrong.

One thing I did notice though was that because I have 6 GBs of RAM, I have two different sticks of different sizes from different companies. Could it be possible that the two sticks of RAM just aren't playing nicely with each other?

One is a Nanya Technology NT2GC64B88B0NS-CG
The other is a Samsung M471B5273DH0-CH9

 

[Anak]

Yes, it is very possible they are not playing nice even though they checked out okay.

Do you have their mates, or did you purchase your laptop with the mis-matched pairs like that?

 

[ModgePodge]

The laptop came with the mismatched pair.