Computer freezing randomly for half a second!

[Speluncus]

Hello everyone!

I have an issue with my computer that I can't seem to solve. I have tried a few things to get rid of the issue but none of them seems to do the trick.

My computer is freezing for half a second as stated in the title, and on a daily basis for the most part. The sound is also freezing causing a "brr" sound. (The sound usually changed depending on the sound coming through the headphones/speakers)

What I have done so far:
-Updated a ton of drivers (and flashed bios)
-Scanned my system for malware and viruses with MSE
-Ran a memtest with Memtest86+

Spec:
Tower - Coolermaster Elite 430 Midi
GPU - Asus Radeon HD 7950 3GB "DirectCU II TOP"
RAM - 8GB DDR3
PSU - Fractal Design Tesla 650W Standard
CPU - Intel Core i5 2500K Quad Core 3.3 Ghz
SSD - Kingston HyperX 120GB 2.5" 555MB/510MB
OS - Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
HDD - Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM
MOBO - Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3, Socket-1155

Everything else;
Monitor - Samsung 27" LED SyncMaster S27B350 & Asus 24" VW246H
Mousepad - Corsair Vengeance MM600
Mouse - Logitech G600
Headset - Astro A40 2014 w/ mixamp pro
Keyboard - Razer Black Widow 2011
Controller - Xbox 360 USB controller

Everything is stock, nothing is overclocked.

HERE is the link of the event viewer. When my system crashes completely witch it rarely does, as mentioned, that kernel-power 41 event pops up. Not sure what it means myself, but you might

Rarely the system will decide to crash completely, similar to a BSOD. The only difference is that I can't use the reset-button at all, and the monitor isn't blue but instead black because they turn off. (More or less blinking to a permanent black, as when you're updating GPU drivers.)

This makes me think it is caused by the motherboard, PSU or GPU, although I think the first two of the three are most likely the cause.

I go to school so I wont be able to reply until after 3 PM at all.

English isn't my native language so there may be some typo's lurking around.

Thank you all in advance

-Hauk

 

[Speluncus]

Bump! I know it isn't really appreciated, but since the problem still persists I figured I should give it a try!

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hauk mate try these scans I use these as well as my main security


http://www.superantispyware.com/

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/

download from bleeping computer – delete any rubbishthese find.


Also run Speccy and let us know what the temperatures are doing Speccy - Download

to post results use this
How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista > click on Manage Attachments and then go to where you save the snip via browse and then Upload that snip.

 

[Speluncus]

I have now scanned my computer with the programs you gave me and they did find some bad stuff that I have now removed.
I took three pictures, one when scanning the computer, one when testing "OBS" and one 10 minutes after testing "OBS".
The CPU usually stays somewhere around 40 degrees C, but it got pretty hot when trying OBS.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Now the CPU is running tad hot for my liking Hauk but not so bad it is likely to burn. Having said that the Tcase see this http://ark.intel.com/products/52210 is set at 72.6C which to me is an indicator of what not to get near with the CPU temp. In other words it is the temp at which the CPU will shut down to prevent wrecking it.

So as a precaution I would be redoing the thermal compound Hauk and make sure the cooling is up to scratch. However doing that on a laptop is quite a fiddly thing to do and I suppose as long as you do not get those temps over the max's you show then it's ok.

Just one thing you can try is this.

CLEANINGLAPTOPS

What you can do is to check the air intake aperture and the"rad" and to do that shine a very bright light into the fan apertureand look through from the outlet grill
1. You will see if there is a lot of dust in the fan intake and fan blades and2. you will see if the "rad" is blocked in any way when you lookthrough from the outside.

Now to clean you can blow the dust out using compressed air but first makesure you insert something into the fan blades before you do - to stop the fanfrom spinningas spinning the fan withair will cause it to spin at much higher revs than it was designed for and canwreck the bearing.
The rad you can use those chenille wire play things to very gently clean therad from outside the machine and again blow the dust out. It is fiddly buteffective.
In my pic (just an example) you can see what is typically the set up for cooling and the light should be directed down into that fan and you look through the grill into the "rad" and dust, hair and crud should be cleaned out using the above.
But as in my ditty be very gentle doing this.

For posting pics mate just to make life easier for you read this.
How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista

 

[Speluncus]

I am actually not using a laptop, so I'll see what I can do
But is the CPU temperature likely to be the problem?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

I am actually not using a laptop, so I'll see what I can do
But is the CPU temperature likely to be the problem?

Oops my mistake mate I saw your specs and naturally went gung ho on that. So what machine are you dealing with? and what is the cooling arrangement because using the stock CPU cooler and some of the other methods are light years apart in performance ie stock - very basic and depends a lot on fast fan speeds and the liquid coolers that are more efficient because the liquid dissipates heat far more rapidly because there is more of it and it has a greater surface cooling area in the radiator. Some of the aftermarket air coolers are good but tend to be really on the very large side and heavy as well not to mention expensive.

 

[Layback Bear]

Clue me in, what is a OBS?

Please use this tutorial by Brink to post screen shots.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[Speluncus]

I am dealing with a desktop, the specs are posted in #1. I am using the stock fan, but haven't overclocked the CPU so I figured I didn't need an aftermarket one. I'd love to get some liquid-cooling going, but I don't have any money to fix something like that at the moment.

'OBS' stands for Open Broadcaster Software. You can stream to webpages such as twitch.tv or hitbox.tv.

And did you want me to re-post the pictures as you linked me those tutorials?

 

[Layback Bear]

Posting using that tutorial is the preferred way on this forum.
Many members including me will not go off site to see these things.
It's much safer for other members if you use the forms method.
I have no idea what is going to happen if I tick on those sites and I don't want to know.

Now I will go back to post #1 and start over. Maybe something will come to my brain.

Your English is fine.
I'm some what confused. What happens in 1/2 of a second is almost impossible to diag. After the 1/2 second are you having any other problems?

What I'm searching for is a problem you are having other than that 1/2 second thing.
We don't want to give wrong guidance because we don't understand clearly your problem.

 

[Speluncus]

I don't have any issues after the freezes. When it occurs the computer basically stops, and after the freeze it continues, and nothing happens under the freeze other than a horrible sound. Everything basically comes to a halt for 1/2 a sec.

As mentioned the freezes happen randomly, but at times they happen a lot more frequently than others. It can happen once a day to three times in ten seconds, which is pretty frustrating.

I don't know much about hardware and how they would work regarding this issue, but since everything stops I thought that the cause could be either the PSU or Motherboard as they more or less control the rest of the system. I have a feeling that if the GPU would cause it drivers would have stopped etc, and wouldn't result in a freeze.

Well I don't really know what I am talking about here but that's everything I can think of to write down here.

Thanks for the replies

 

[Layback Bear]

If it was my computer and something happened for a split second I wouldn't worry about it.
A split second of doing or not doing something is not a freeze.

From your post #11

Everything basically comes to a halt for 1/2 a sec.

From your post #1

My computer is freezing for half a second as stated in the title,

I have no idea how to work with 1/2 seconds.

Have a nice day.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hauk try this for starters
Using HW Info

You can test the volts on the PSU with HWInfo HWiNFO, HWiNFO32/64 -Download < download the right bit version andclose the right hand window select Sensors and scroll down to the power sectionwhere you will see what the volts are doing see my pic. You will know it is the right section because it will include the rail voltages as well as the CMOS battery volts - Vbatt

The original right hand window shows themachine running and is handy for that but for looking at the components in some detail close it and use themain left hand side panel


FOR OTHER COMPONENTS

Open each + down into the componentitself and then click on it - in theright hand side will appear all sorts of details including brands speeds andother essential info that device. See pic for example.
An alternative is this but please use a digital meter if you do because an analogue meter injects typically 9v into a circuit for testing and that would be no good into a 3.3v rail!!
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/301799-psu-test-dc-output-voltage.html

 

[Speluncus]

The issue did not happen only once, it has happened several times, possibly with warnings showing up in the event viewer as already stated in #1. I thought it was apparent that it has happened more than once, but hey!

I am not sure what to make of the voltages, as I don't know what to look for, but here is a picture showing what I think you wanted to know ICit2lol

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Spot on mate and the volts look good to me

 

[Speluncus]

That's good to hear! I was kind of convinced that the PSU was the issue..

But now that we've come this far, what could be the issue?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hauk just going back a bit when you say half a second is that when the machine first starts up or is a random buzzing sound?
I am now thinking maybe it has something to do with what you have hooked up to the machine ie the headset etc
The audio I take it you are running from the back or front panel and not a sound card as I don't see one listed in the specs post #1.

 

[Speluncus]

The sound card is integrated in the motherboard, so I don't have one listed in the specs.

The freezing happens completely at random, for 1/2 a second with a buzzing or "brrr" sound accompanying it.
Some days my computer doesn't freeze, and sometimes it does - up to several times.
Rarely the computer might completely lock up, the same "brrr" sound occurs and I have to use the power-button to turn off and restart the PC. The screen is completely black as well, so I can't tell if it's a BSOD or not "underneath" the black screen. The reset button doesn't do anything either, so I have to use the power-button if I don't want to pull the power cable out..

Might be a bit hard to explain and understand, but that is what happens. :/

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hauk these are the drivers for that board and I input Europe the audio you can see as one of them
GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket 1155 - GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 (rev. 1.0)
I am just wondering if the motherboard needs updating on all of the drivers or maybe faulty.


Now can you boot into safe mode as I have a person I ma trying to fix up at the moment with that black screen issue and it is safe mode he cannot get into.

 

[Speluncus]

Sorry for a late answer!
I have installed the audio driver driver from the webpage you linked
I will post another reply later tonight or whenever I can to verify if it worked or not.