BSOD during gaming

[donp]

First post here. I just built a new PC with these specs:

AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE @ 3.4Ghz
4 X 2GB PNY XLR8 DDR3 RAM @ 1600
XFX XXX Edition Radeon HD 6850 @ Stock

I have stress tested all the components separately for about 3 hours each, and no problems. However when i game (Dirt 3 / GTA 4) there are random BSODs. I see some colorful lines on the screen before what feels like a lockup, then the blue screen itself, and then a restart.

I've attached the required. Any help is appreciated.

 

[panais]

First post here. I just built a new PC with these specs:

AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE @ 3.4Ghz
4 X 2GB PNY XLR8 DDR3 RAM @ 1600
XFX XXX Edition Radeon HD 6850 @ Stock

I have stress tested all the components separately for about 3 hours each, and no problems. However when i game (Dirt 3 / GTA 4) there are random BSODs. I see some colorful lines on the screen before what feels like a lockup, then the blue screen itself, and then a restart.

I've attached the required. Any help is appreciated.

Hi donp and welcome to SF

Please follow these steps http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

 

[donp]

Yea, kinda stupid of me to not attach the file.

Done now.

 

[panais]

Please follow these steps in this order,

Uninstall and clean Kaspersky from your system using the http://support.kaspersky.com/downloads/utils/kavremover.exe

Download and install mse http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/mse.aspx

Enable windows firewall.

Download and install driver sweeper Phyxion.net - Driver Sweeper

Download the most recent software/driver for your ati AMD Graphics Drivers & Software

Uninstall ati software\driver,restart in safe mode,run driver sweeper and clean any ati remaining fragments,restart in normal mode.

Install the new ati software/driver.

Update DirectX.

Update or uninstall if not needed anymore your Hava - Wireless TV tuner\Monsoon Multimedia Inc.
------------------------
Finish with the above steps and post back with any results.

 

[donp]

Thanks for the inputs Panais - I did all that. The BSODs are now gone, however they're replaced by random hard reboots.

Happens mostly when gaming, but I've noticed two incidents when I was just doing nothing - once running winamp, another time having 2 instances of chrome.

The screen just goes black and the pc reboots - like on pressing the physical reboot button. I think there's also a faint sss sound from the case, but I cant be sure.

 

[panais]

Shutdown the pc for 1 hour,start the pc,enter bios,check system and cpu temperatures and post them here.

Try to play for 1 hour or do something stressing and again post here the temperatures.

Also you can download and install speccy Speccy - Standard
is good for checking temperatures and more.

 

[donp]

Yea, I've been continuously monitoring the temps..

At cold startup, the cpu is doing 43-45C.

Here's what I've seen later using HWMonitor.
With nothing stressing, the cpu is doing about 47C and the GPU is doing about 41.
During gaming (GTAIV - CPU Heavy), cpu =~ 55C and GPU = 52C
During stress test:
- Prime 95 takes the cpu to about 62C
- MSI kombustor takes the gpu to about 72C
- Furmark took the gpu to 85, at which point i stopped it.

Both GTA4 and Dirt 3 dont last an hour.. restart happen around the 25-30 min mark

Forgot to add, my ambient room temp is about 24-25C

 

[panais]

If you overclocking anything stop.

Keep always everything inside the case clean,use air spray or blower.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update any vso software\driver you have http://www.vso-software.fr/

Update your Hava - Wireless TV tuner from Monsoon Multimedia Inc.

If any of these 2 software/driveris not neededanymore just uninstall it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Update your windows using the windows update.

Then run this test,but first read all the tutorial carefully,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html

 

[donp]

Overclocking, it's just the RAM. But the RAM is anyway rated at 1600 @ 8 8 8 24. The motherboard by default recognized it at 1333 @ 9 9 9 24/27 (dont remember), but I upped this. Would this be overclocking? I can back it out.

The entire ATI/driversweeper part, I have already done as per your 1st reply.

What is directx update? I have dx11 (came with Win7?) - I dont see anything in MS sites which displays decimal numbers. This is the dx11 download link. It was published on 6/7/2010
Download Details - Microsoft Download Center - DirectX 11 Technology Update
Is there somewhere else i need to be updating from?

Both vso and hava are required. But for testing purposes, I can uninstall them and reinstall later.

I had earlier run memtest86+ for about 3 hours (4 or 5 passes), but I'll do it again as per the instructions on that page.

I'll post back with results in 2 days or so.

Appreciate your help.

 

[donp]

Also, my earlier stress tests were done with these:

CPU = Prime95
Mem = Memtest86+
GPU = MSI Kombustor

Is there any other tools I can test with?

 

[panais]

Both vso and hava are required. But for testing purposes, I can uninstall them and reinstall later?YES

Set the ram back to stock.

You can check gpu with http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/100356-video-card-stress-test-furmark.html

Then run memtest,if its possible live it overnight.

 

[donp]

Okay,

Things I've done:

Uninstalled vso and hava.

Observations @ 24/25C ambient

1. Ran only Prime95 (CPU + Mem Blend) for 8 hours - CPU temps peaked at 64C. No errors / shutdown.
2. Ran only Furmak for 3 hours - GPU temps peaked at 79C. No errors / shutdowns.
3. Ran both above together for 2 hours - GPU temps peaked at 80C. CPU temps peaked at 73C (too high?) But no errors / shutdown.s

Seems like problems occur only when gaming, and all my hardware seems okay. But gaming does not last beyond 20-30 mins.

Next i'll set the RAM back to stock and stress it with memtest86+. But like i mentioned earlier, it had already passed about 3 hours of memtest with 0 errors @ 1600 8-8-8-24.

I'm lost.

 

[panais]

""Next i'll set the RAM back to stock and stress it with memtest86+. But like i mentioned earlier, it had already passed about 3 hours of memtest with 0 errors @ 1600 8-8-8-24. ""

Set the RAM back to stock.

Try to play,post back here the results.

Then run memtest.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dont run 2 tests the same time,just one at the time.

 

[donp]

Okay, so I backed out the RAM changes and it has worked fine all weekend. I've gamed rather extensively, and I've not seen one single lockup or restart It's funny, since it had passed about 3 hours of memtest86+ with that setting.

Anyway, it's possible that my board was undervolting the RAM @ 1.5v, whereas most reviews of the RAM tell me that 1600 8-8-8-24 is achieved @ ~1.65v.
I'll try to volt it up to that next and see if I can gain stability on the rated speeds.

Maybe i'll also try reinstalling the software (Kaspersky / VSO / Hava) and see if it's stable.

Thanks again Panais for all your help.

 

[panais]

Yes you can try everything one step at a time but always be careful!!