Numerous BSOD playing games, recently error 0xd1

[Britton30]

Lian, it may be a good idea to explore the power supply issue. Your has 2 12V rails, 25A each and may not be giving you all the needed power.
I think one with a single 12V rail is superior, such as a Corsair HX650 or AX650 and provide 52A and 54A on the +12V.
The OCZ ModXStream has been known to fail after a short time as well.

 

[Dave76]

Agree with Britton30, those voltage graphs don't look good.
Check your warranty, hopefully you can return it and get a better PSU.

PSU REVIEW DATABASE
Seasonic are very good PSUs and are the supplier for most of the Corsair HX and AX series of PSUs.

As you can see in our system specs we both have the Corsair HX650W, they are very good and Corsair has a great warrany service.

 

[lian9]

I'm not sure I did it right. The test failed a few times and I changed the settings until it passed for a first time, but the graphs look the same as before with voltages varying greatly during idle times. CPU Load Line calibration is set to level 5, load xmp settings changed from auto to X.M.P 1.2, and additional turbo V changed from auto to +0.035V

Max vcore was around 1.17v and max temps were (69,74,74,72).

edit: I did another test to see if it would go through all the way (same settings as first) and it failed after 45 secs. I uploaded that too. Not sure how high to put the additional turbo v but I'll try higher now.

edit2: Still failing at +0.203v, graphs look same as before. Vcore tops out around 1.15v and sticks around 1.1v-1.11v

edit3: failing at +0.301v, graphs look the same. I'm going to wait for an update because I don't really understand why it's continuing to fail.
Could it be a faulty psu? I thought this thing had enough power for what I'm doing, I know others have used this same processor with it without issue.

 

[smarteyeball]

Sorry for the wall of text

Not sure how high to put the additional turbo v but I'll try higher now.

The max actual vcore reported by OCCT or CPU-Z you'd want to see is 1.37-1.38v. Realistically you will hit a thermal wall long before that.

But you do have plenty of voltage 'wiggle room'.

Could it be a faulty psu? I thought this thing had enough power for what I'm doing, I know others have used this same processor with it without issue.

Always a possibility, some of your previous idle fluctuations are interesting.

However, results from software based apps shouldn't be taken as gospel. At best they should be considered a guide, since the only way to get an accurate PSU volt reading is using a tester.

And despite not being able to check load fluctuations - the next best reporting is what's reported in the BIOS.

What is the BIOS reporting your volts as?

Some fluctuation is normal - but if they are fluctuating wildly, which one? (ie 12v, 3v etc)

***

Since the 24, 4/8 mobo pin are on the 12v1 Rail, your card should be on the 12v2 rail, which are the Red connectors.

Spec wise, the PSU is fine and is adequate for your card/setup. The 7850 amp recommendation is 24 and peripherals (HDD's etc) use bugger all.

But if it's running 'out of spec' (broken) - that is indeed one possible cause for the sporadic issues you've been having, since a spike or dip can occur at any moment causing a crash.

But it's best to to cover all angles first before having you buy a new PSU 'on the off chance' only to discover a new PSU makes no difference and the problem is something else.

For example it could be a faulty board, the CPU isn't seated 'quite right' (not making full and proper pin/pad contact) or damage like bent pins has occurred to the socket area.


(Of course you are welcome to buy a new PSU if you wish and are willing to take the 'off chance'. I'd personally opt for the Corsair AX650W - but there other good alternatives)




Just some basic double check questions:

Are you using the 8 pin CPU power plug, or the 4 pin plug? And is it firmly secure? Ideally the 8 pin plug should be used.

The same with the 24 pin mobo connector. All locked into place?

How have you got your 7850 connected? - Is it connected using the 6 or 6+2 PCI-E cable connected to one of the the Red plugs?




What you can try next:

It might be time to change tack and actually 'overclock' the system. Eliminate Turbo all together.

But it will be a 'very mild overclock'. 3.6ghz-3.8ghz across all cores, instead of 3.8ghz for just one. It will also be achievable with stock cooling.

It looks like the 1.7 BIOS has been pulled and is no longer available. The latest is now 1.8. - The first step would be to update to that straight away. Normally when a BIOS is pulled and no longer available, a fault has been found.

ASRock > Products > Motherboard > Z77 Extreme4 > Download

(The manual for your board isn't the most informative, so I'm working from mostly 'general' settings. But most of these settings should be found in the OC Tweaker section of your BIOS

►Put the Turbo voltage back to auto.

►BCLK should be left at AUTO or 100.00

►Adjust the multiplier to 38 - this 'should' grey out/disable Turbo. If not, set Intel Turbo Boost Technology to Disabled.

►Leave the LLC at 5, or max settings for now.

► Leave all Power saving settings like Speedstep, EIST etc Enabled.

►CPU Voltage - use a +offset.

ie +0.040 is a good starting place. Check with CPU-Z what the reported voltage is. Depending on temps/crashes etc, you can adjust this up or down. Most likely it may have to go down.

(Just for reference, with my 3770K I use a +0.85 offset with a multi of 47. This gets me a 4.7ghz OC with an actual vcore usage of ~1.28v. Since you are aiming for a much lower OC - you will not need a vcore this high. Tbh, you shouldn't even need to go above to 1.2v. So if you see the voltage getting this high, lower the offset.

*Offset works by taking your CPU's VID (voltage identification) that is factory set to 'ensure' that individual chip runs at the specified stock clock speed. ie 3.4ghz. Using a positive offset + increasing the multiplier, adds extra voltage to the VID to make the CPU run at the new clock speed ie 3.8ghz. Same idea behind increasing the Turbo voltage.)


All other settings like VTT, PCH, CPU PLL, VCCSSA, Spread Spectrum etc should be left on AUTO.


The fun bit

► Start Testing again. Under load, all your cores should now be 3.8ghz. Keep an eye on your temps. For personal comfort sake, aim for low 90c-mid 90c as your 'max temp limit'.


You may have to fiddle with the offset a bit.

If you start passing OCCT without problems, consider a longer stress test with Prime 95 27.7, or test 'real world usage' like games.

If you still experince OCCT core failures or game crashes - it might be time to look at either re-seating your CPU (checking for bent pins when you do) or replacing your PSU.


Hopefully this gives you something to work with.

 

[Dave76]

Your voltage fluctuations are concerning. I agree with smarteyeball you need to test your CPU to be sure that a setting isn't causing the issues. Check all the power connections, CPU for bent pins, etc. these types of issues can be hard to nail down. If you know someone with a known working PSU you can test with it will help narrow down the possibilities.

AsRock has removed the 1.7 BIOS version, update yours to the 1.8 version, as smarteyeball mentioned it usually means there is an issue with it.

Since your build is only about a month old, check with your supplier about the return policies, this will be good to know in case you need it.

 

[lian9]

Thanks!

Updated bios to 1.8. My graphics card uses both PCIe cables (Newegg.com - XFX Double D FX-785A-CDFC Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card), I am using the 8 and 24 mobo pins and they are securely attached. I took out the CPU and the pins were very small but I didn't notice any that were bent (hopefully didn't miss any). I reinserted it and did another OCCT test which failed. I had followed your overclocking instructions. The Vcore was getting to about 1.2v with +0.030 and 1.9 with +0.020. One of the tests failed due to a core going over the max of 86C, but it also failed due to core errors as before.

In the BIOS the voltages are:
Vcore - This was constantly fluctuating (several times each second), 1.048 seemed to be most common and the midpoint, it would go down to 1.040 and often up to 1.056, the highest I saw it go up to was 1.072.
+12V - 12.355V no fluctuations
+5V - 5.064V no fluctuations
+3.3V - 3.376V no fluctuations

I got the AX650 that you recommended but before I put it in I want to make sure I add more details:

I haven't tested games a lot recently, but I played diablo again for about ~30 mins a few times yesterday, before the overclock, and did not get any blue screens (but I can't say I won't anymore). However, at one point, maybe after 20mins, the game/computer simply froze and I had to restart the computer.
In addition, the game will occasionally freeze for ~5seconds, I minimize it, and then a tab shows up saying "AMD driver has stopped responding and has successfully recovered" **This has actually been happening sporadically ever since I got the game about two weeks ago, sorry for forgetting to mention it. It happens maybe 3 times an hour, but that's an estimate and it's not consistent. There have been times when it hasn't happened at all I'm not sure if this is an issue with the graphics card, voltage/psu issues as mentioned before, diablo 3 itself, etc.
Also, the cinematics run choppy.

Let me know if this post changes anything.

 

[smarteyeball]

Thanks!

Updated bios to 1.8. My graphics card uses both PCIe cables (Newegg.com - XFX Double D FX-785A-CDFC Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card), I am using the 8 and 24 mobo pins and they are securely attached.

Good. It never hurts to double check.

I took out the CPU and the pins were very small but I didn't notice any that were bent (hopefully didn't miss any).

As a general rule, they are relatively easy to spot if bent. So for now, that's another thing we can scratch from the list.

I reinserted it and did another OCCT test which failed. I had followed your overclocking instructions. The Vcore was getting to about 1.2v with +0.030 and 1.9 with +0.020. One of the tests failed due to a core going over the max of 86C, but it also failed due to core errors as before.

1.9? I presume there was a number missing there?


Is it the same core failing, or different cores each time?

Although it doesn't really matter as it would be highly unlikely for the CPU itself to have a problem. (It's pretty damn rare to have a faulty CPU. 99% of the time it's always another component)

In the BIOS the voltages are:
Vcore - This was constantly fluctuating (several times each second), 1.048 seemed to be most common and the midpoint, it would go down to 1.040 and often up to 1.056, the highest I saw it go up to was 1.072.
+12V - 12.355V no fluctuations
+5V - 5.064V no fluctuations
+3.3V - 3.376V no fluctuations

All good, all normal. Vcore fluctuation is normal. The PSU volts are within spec.

(However as mentioned, it doesn't measure load usage, since there is no load so to speak.

I got the AX650 that you recommended but before I put it in I want to make sure I add more details:

Good choice sir

I haven't tested games a lot recently, but I played diablo again for about ~30 mins a few times yesterday, before the overclock, and did not get any blue screens (but I can't say I won't anymore). However, at one point, maybe after 20mins, the game/computer simply froze and I had to restart the computer.

A freeze is good as a BSOD - meaning that it's still highlighting a h/w issue.

In addition, the game will occasionally freeze for ~5seconds, I minimize it, and then a tab shows up saying "AMD driver has stopped responding and has successfully recovered" **This has actually been happening sporadically ever since I got the game about two weeks ago, sorry for forgetting to mention it. It happens maybe 3 times an hour, but that's an estimate and it's not consistent.

That's okay - it gives us more to work with.

There are multiple reasons for the display driver to stop working, such as:

Bad driver / game incompatibility (software based essentially. Unlikely that what's what were are dealing with)
Too high an overclock on a video card
A h/w fault with the video card itself.
PSU not delivering enough power to sustain the card under load.
etc

Also, the cinematics run choppy.

It could be part of the underlying cause, or something completely separate. Focus on that later.

Let me know if this post changes anything.

It does. Extra info is always useful.


***

If this was just a bad video card, the CPU shouldn't be failing OCCT at AUTO settings, adjusted settings etc. It doesn't mean the card is 100% in the clear - but it does put it down the list.

(In the meantime - smell the card, especially around the PCI-E plugs. What you're 'smelling for' is a burnt electrical/burnt plastic smell. Sometimes a bad card can cause an damaging electrical feedback which can have a flow on affect on other components.)





Before you swap the PSU:

And to eliminate one more variable during the testing process


► Remove the 7850, adjust the BIOS to run off the iGPU (integrated GPU) and run your display from the iGPU. This will both reduce any excessive PSU load and eliminate the 7850 from the equation for the time being.

(This method turns it into a potential bad motherboard or PSU trouble
shoot. Don't forget to install the iGPU drivers so you can still play D3).


► Run the CPU at stock 3.4ghz with Turbo disabled. 34 multi, or simply disable the Turbo option. All that matters is that it's a flat stock 3.4ghz

For expediency, use a manual vcore. Use a relatively high vcore like 1.2v-1.25v. This will eliminate any questions regarding insufficient voltage causing the crashes. LLC at 5. All other options to AUTO

►Test again with OCCT.

If you pass - awesome. The CPU and motherboard are most likely fine. Without the 7850, start adding your 'daily' CPU settings. ie Turbo etc

If it fails at stock settings, replace the PSU

►Re-run the test again with the last failed/unchanged BIOS settings and new PSU. ie The stock 3.4 no Turbo Boost.

*If it passes - Add the 7850. Re-Run/game etc

*If it fails with the new PSU and no 7850 - RMA/return the board. It's a dud.

*If it passes with the new PSU but fails with the 7850, RMA the card.

*If it passes with both the new PSU and 7850 installed - time to start re-instating all your daily settings




Basically, start off stripped with as little variables as possible. Success or failure should determine the next step. If you need any further clarification - just ask

 

[Dave76]

Good trouble shooting steps smarteyeball.

 

[smarteyeball]

Thanks mate - fingers crossed for OP

 

[Britton30]

I agree, both Dave and Patrick are good help here.

 

[lian9]

After replacing the PSU, taking out the 7850 and setting it to stock 3.4 it failed OCCT after 2 seconds. Then I ran it again and it passed, ran it again and failed after 30 seconds. I put it back to default settings with turbo boost on and it failed after a few seconds/mintues sometimes passed as well. The graphs look pretty much the same as before. It's usually a different core every time.

I have to ask, how reliable is OCCT, really? It seems to be the most unreliable part of all this troubleshooting. If the cpu/mobo sucks, shouldn't it just fail everytime? Why does it pass sometimes and fail almost immediatly others? Is OCCT not able to deal with z77 boards or ivy bridge?

Assuming I have to replace my mobo, I figure I'll add a detail about that. I haven't had any noticeable problems with it however at start up dr. Debug flashes a few times, then turns off, just like in this video (except numbers are different):
ASRock P67 Extreme4 Boot - YouTube
Not sure if that's normal, couldn't find any info on it.
thanks

 

[Dave76]

Sorry to hear your results are not any better.

You have raised some good questions.
I'll list some links from a 'OCCT Z77 motherboard' search.

Intel Z77 Motherboard Review with Ivy Bridge - ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI

Voltage Readings

Using OCCT we monitor the voltage change of the motherboard under load. This represents the direct correlation between the Load Line Calibration and how the processor/motherboard deals with voltage requests while under load. This is not to be confused with the quality of power delivery, but more an indication of how aggressive the default LLC settings are on a motherboard.

The CPU voltage at load for the ASRock board seems to vary more than the other boards in this review, which may be a result of the price difference. Nevertheless, this is not a series of massive jumps to be concerned over.

The graph in this link looks similar to yours, the massive jumps comment leads me to your Vcore spikes when your system is at idle.
As mentioned here the AsRock handling of voltage is not that good, a questionable PSU will make it worse.
If your motherboard is slightly worse than the average this could be causing the OCCT crashes.

This article uses OCCT and other testing apps, and OCCT appears to be running fine on the i7 3770K and Z77 Extreme 4 motherboard.


Seems like you're not the only one having issues.
**Official** ASRock Z77 Discussion/Owners Club - Page 66

Originally Posted by dkline

Just finished new build with Z77 Extreme 4 and 3570k a few days ago.Tested briefly with OCCT. 4.4 OC LLC Level 3.Temps looked good 71c.
Installed Saphire HD7850 yesterday and my card is not being recognised.Doesn't show up in device manager.I've tried both PCI slots.
Currently on 1.30 BIOS
Has anyone experienced this with this board and graphics card or another card maybe?Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated?

alot of people(inlcuding myself) had issues with getting the board running on your gpu. try updating bios trough onboard i eventually got mine working in the second pci-e slot without updating bios but only after alot of reboots

Read some posts about this board having issues with Vcore voltages drooping or jumping, seems to be a known issue.

 

[smarteyeball]

I have to ask, how reliable is OCCT, really? It seems to be the most unreliable part of all this troubleshooting.

Good question. I personally don't use it - I use Intel Burn Test for 'quick' vcore tests and Prime95 27.7 for long term stability testing. (Authors site Make sure you D/l the x64 version)

However, the fact that you were having issues in game still highlights a h/w issue. I didn't bother recommending a different app since OCCT is pretty much based on the libraries IBT uses.

►IBT 10 runs on maximum (Presuming it passes. And watch the temps with this one)
►Prime95, you have several choices:

Small FFT - focuse on the CPU
Large FFT Adds a lot of RAM into the mix.
Blend (or torture test) - This is typically the one you run for about 8-12hrs. It's a mixture of small and large FFTs.

Also, there is an option in the menu for 'round off error checking'; enable this.

If either of these tests fail with the new PSU, no GPU and at stock - I would call it a day on the mobo.

(I'd bet the 7850 is probably fine too, but leave it out for now)


*

Does the mobo restart itself after it turns off, or does it require a manual restart again?

(some mobos - usually when overclocked though, 'turn off - then turn themselves back on'. But it's definitely something to add to the RMA description. )



(As you've discovered, trouble shooting is a long process of elimination.

There are a multitude of potential causes so the real issue is not always apparent. On the plus side though, you've now got a superior PSU and have taken a crash course in h/w trouble shooting. Once the frustration passes and everything is smooth as butter - there will come a sense of satisfaction after you finally nail it )

 

[lian9]

It didn't pass IBT.

Is there a good guide for replacing the motherboard? What do I do after I install it, should I do a clean install windows? I know I'll probably have to reactivate my windows license.

Will the stuff on my hard drives still remain? I have microsoft office on the SSD and I moved some folders like My Documents/My Downloads/etc. to the HDD to save SSD space. If it would make things much smoother/less buggy, I'm fine totally wiping the HDD and/or SSD, however, I'm not sure how to properly totally wipe a HDD or SSD.

Also, does reinstalling windows wear out the SSD?

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "does the mobo restart itself after it turns off."

And even though it seems unusual for a CPU to fail, if the new mobo doesn't fix anything, then does that mean I need a new CPU? Although I looked up CPU failure symptoms and if it was a problem I don't think my computer would even run.

Thanks!

edit: Got this as a replacement, hopefully it will be good. Fortunately they'll let me return it if it doesn't fix anything.
ASUS - Motherboards- ASUS P8Z77-V LX

 

[lian9]

Forgot to add:
Yesterday, I switched the computer to a different outlet in the off chance that it would fix the problem. It didn't, but when I switched the computer back to the original outlet and turned it on, there was a bsod just before the login screen at windows. I attached the file, this is the first time I've had a bsod on startup and it hasn't happened since so maybe it's an anomaly, but perhaps it will point to something.

 

[smarteyeball]

It didn't pass IBT.

Not surprising tbh.

Is there a good guide for replacing the motherboard?

I don't know of any step by step guides to cleanse an OS (especially for your board).

What do I do after I install it, should I do a clean install windows?

Typically a fresh installation is best.

To 'cleanse an OS' for a new mobo, you need to remove all apps/drivers for devices on the motherboard ie USB etc. Also you need to remove all chipset drivers through device manager which can be tricky unless you know exactly what to remove. Unfortunately there is no add/remove 'chipset driver'.

You can attempt to cleanse the OS, physically replace the board, install the new mobo drivers+chipset and hope for the best, but personally I find there's always a chance of gremlin or two rearing it's head down the track.

One thing worth mentioning though - thermal paste. As a general rule, whenever you remove the heatsink from the CPU you should clean the CPU and the base of the cooler and then replace the thermal paste. Otherwise airpockcets, dust etc can get in and seriously degrade your cooling performance. You've already removed the cooler once - doing it again when physically swapping boards without replacing the paste might be pushing it.

I know I'll probably have to reactivate my windows license.

If it doesn't work online, via phone is the next option. Most of it's automated iirc and you simply follow the prompts. There 'should' be an option along the longs of h/w replacement.

At worse, you speak to someone and tell them that your h/w failed. The same might have to be done when re-installing and re-activating office. Alternatively, don't enter a key when re-installing Windows. This will give you time to test your new set up.

Will the stuff on my hard drives still remain? I have microsoft office on the SSD and I moved some folders like My Documents/My Downloads/etc. to the HDD to save SSD space. If it would make things much smoother/less buggy, I'm fine totally wiping the HDD and/or SSD, however, I'm not sure how to properly totally wipe a HDD or SSD.

If you don't format the drive - it will remain. If you do format, it will be wiped. However the best bet would be to format and start from scratch.

If your My Documents etc is on the mechanical drive, there is no need to format that drive. After you freshly install the OS to the SSD, you can reset all the links to point back to the existing folders on the HDD. Just make sure the drive letters are all the same.

So back up your folders, Office save locations and your C:\Users\<YOU> folder. Your Users folder can be 'mined' for data like your browser settings, other files like save games etc. It can you up and running quicker.

Alternatively you can simply re-install Windows without formatting, but this will leave you with a Windows.old installation which can cause some links to apps to not work 'quite right' any more as well as taking up valuable space.

Also, does reinstalling windows wear out the SSD?

No. It's no more wearing than daily use. During re-installation you'll delete the partition and Windows will create and perform a quick format of the drive. Never perform a 'full format' on a SSD however. But you shouldn't need to worry about that.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "does the mobo restart itself after it turns off."

You physically turn machine on once, it starts, turns off by itself and then restarts again by itself vs It turns off and stays off.

And even though it seems unusual for a CPU to fail, if the new mobo doesn't fix anything, then does that mean I need a new CPU? Although I looked up CPU failure symptoms and if it was a problem I don't think my computer would even run.

If the new mobo doesn't fix anything - we swear. A lot

But I sincerely doubt there's anything wrong physically wrong with it.

edit: Got this as a replacement, hopefully it will be good.

Unless that's a dud as well - hopefully you'll be up and running again in no time


Basically the best method to avoid wasting space and avoiding issues is to quick format the OS drive and start from scratch.

► Back up all your save locations and C:\Users folder (anything you want to keep that's on your SSD)

► Swap the motherboards. (new thermal paste at same time preferably.)

► Run the Windows installation disk

(When it comes to the installation options, select your SSD drive/partition with the existing OS installation and delete that partition. This will leave unallocated space which Windows will reinstall to. By default it will perform a quick format when creating a new partition.)

► Skip the online activation/key entering during setup. (Gives you more time to test your new setup without worrying about activation etc)

► Once installed, start setting up your OS; ie installing the Asus chipset drivers, USB etc drivers. Update BIOS if one is available.

► Cross bloody fingers it all worked out

 

[Dave76]

Good post smarteyeball, can't think of much to add.
You should update the BIOS to version 0610, 'Improve system stability' is mentioned in the last two updates.
Download all the motherboard drivers from the Asus site, don't use the CD that comes with the motherboard they are always old drivers.

Your last crash was similar to the previous ones: STOP 0x0000003B: SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
Usual causes: System service, Device driver, graphics driver, ?memory

SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (3b)
An exception happened while executing a system service routine.
Arguments:
Arg1: 00000000c0000005, Exception code that caused the bugcheck
Arg2: fffff80002e7d85c, Address of the instruction which caused the bugcheck
Arg3: fffff880084e1aa0, Address of the context record for the exception that caused the bugcheck
Arg4: 0000000000000000, zero.
EXCEPTION_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%08lx referenced memory at 0x%08lx. The memory could not be %s.
IMAGE_NAME:  ntkrnlmp.exe
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  X64_0x3B_nt!_??_::FNODOBFM::_string_+43609

From your System event log:

Event[996]:
  Log Name: System
  Source: Service Control Manager
  Date: 2012-06-30T18:57:59.202
  Event ID: 7026
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: ComputerG
  Description: 
The following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load: 
Avgldx64 - AVG AVI Loader Driver

Are you using AVG AntiVirus?
Don't see the usual drivers loaded.
After the new motherboard and OS are installed, use MSE for a week or two just to keep the AV compatibility issue out of the mix. If everything is running well you can install a different AV.
Microsoft Security Essentials*- Free Antivirus for Windows

 

[Britton30]

Here is one video guide.

THIS LINK has several more videos on the subject.

In my opinion NEVER, EVER, re-use thermal paste for any reason. It doesn't cost much and you're assured of maximum cooling for your particular setup. Use some rubbing alcohol to remove the old thermal stuff, I prefer the 91% isopropyl variety myself, it cleans better.
Just to emphasize what smartyeyeball said.

Some suggestions if you've not swapped a mobo before. Install the CPU and cooler, RAM, and HDD data cables before you slip it into the case. Power it up before committing to the case too. Here's pics of how I did it, the mobo boxes are the "test bench" and I had 2 PSU to use. You can use the one in your case if the cables can reach the 20/24 main power, and EPS 12V CPU power connectors. If not take it out, only 4 screws. Don't connect anything at first except for a graphics card if you don't have on-board graphics. If it will POST, then switch it off and hook up your mouse, keyboard, graphics card, and a CD drive if you wish and see if you can boot into Windows. If so, to the case Batman!
NOTE: do not lay the mobo on the anti static bag it is shipped in, the outside of them are conductive.
View attachment 219288

If you can't connect the case power switch, short the two pins on the board's PWR_SW for an instant to power it on.
View attachment 219289

 

[lian9]

Thanks guys for those informative posts, they were very helpful. I installed the motherboard and did a clean install of windows on the SSD. I've ran OCCT (v4.3) fine without any problems now so it seems like the motherboard issue is fixed. I'll test some games soon to see if this has fixed everything but I'm going to go through what I did so far just in case I did something wrong or need to do something extra.

Put in mobo and installed windows 7 (it has been verified). I also installed MS Security Essentials.

I got the motherboard drivers from this site: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download P8Z77-V LX
The ones I installed were the chipset, audio, vga, lan, usb and sata. I did not upgrade the BIOS, though. Nothing installed from utilities yet and not sure I should even bother.

Installed the graphics card drivers 12.6. When I start up the computer the screen is underscanned and it fixes itself to normal after about 30 seconds. Also, whenever I start up the computer, I get a message saying "kdbsync.exe has stopped working" and I just close out of it. I looked around and it seems like there ways to fix this stuff but I figured I'd mention it anyways, although it's probably just a problem w/ amd drivers and is hopefuly isolated from the problems I've been having.

Then I put in the HDD and moved all the user folders except Contacts from the SSD to the HDD. However, even though all the games are still on the HDD and playable, they won't show up in the start menu. So if I search for "diablo" nothing comes up. Additionally, if I go to add/remove programs from control panel, none of the games or programs on the hdd show up. Should I just reinstall all the games so they show up like they used to or is there a better way? Assuming I should reinstall a game, is simply deleting the game from the HDD sufficient?

That's pretty much it for now. I'll update on how well everything works. Thanks again so much for your help so far, guys.

 

[Dave76]

Glad to hear the new motherboard is working well for you.

Asus motherboard and Corsair PSU?
If you don't have any issues in a week then you can install the AV of choice.

Good work on the drivers.
Which BIOS version do you have?
Just keep it for now, if you have any issues that may be related to the BIOS you can consider updating it later.

Motherboard utilities are known to cause issues and crashes.
Highly recommended to not install them.
If you must try them, then install one at a time and run for several days to check for stability, if you start having problems then you know what the cause is.

kdbsync.exe is from the AMD 12.6 driver. If it's not causing any issues just leave it for now.
Several reports of this and seems to be nothing critical.

smarteyeball can tell you how to get the games linked or if you should re-install.

Let us know how your system is running and if you have any questions.
If no issues after a week, mark this thread 'Solved'.