Update: Final reformat and test as follows:Set-up in progress:
- Delete partition, format disk
- Install Windows 7 64-bit
- Install LAN drivers
- Disable all audio drivers
- Install Firefox
- Download and install latest (non-beta) HD 7870 drivers
- Custom install - checking everything
- Download and install updates + SP1 + .net 4.0 in Windows Update
- Read a book
- Install driver sweepers (Driver Sweeper & Driver Fusion)
- As anticipated, there was nothing for them to do because it's a clean reformat
- Install a game
- Crash after ~4 minutes of play time
So that just about does it. I physically do not have any extraneous drivers on my system at all (I didn't even set up the USB audio interface so I was playing without sound), and the PC still crashed almost immediately. There's literally nothing more I can do, so I'm talking to the PC repair shop guys past the weekend. Maybe they can at least single out the problem hardware so I don't have to send
everything back.
If I ever figure this out, I'll update this thread again. Until then, consider me off the case.
Original post:My new desktop is experiencing frequent crashes. More information past the info dump.
+ Show Spoiler [PC specs] +- Mainboard: MSI Z77A-GD55 (MS-7751), Socket-1155
- Chipset: Intel Ivy Bridge
- Southbridge: Intel Z77
- CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K Ivy Bridge - 3.4GHz
- Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
- RAM: (4GB) Crucial DDR3 1333MHz
- GPU: PowerColor HD 7870 2GB GDDR5
- HDD: Western Digital® Desktop Black 2TB
- PSU: Chieftec Super Series 650W PSU
+ Show Spoiler [Software] +- Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate
- Latest versions of all drivers, including:
- AMD Catalyst Version 13.2
- Intel ME Driver 8.1.20.1337
- Intel USB3.0 Driver 1.0.5.235
- Realtek HD Audio Drivers 6.0.1.6793
- Intel® 82579V LAN Drivers
- Worth noting that I have updated everything on this page (MSI mainboard drivers/software) either by downloading the version on that page, or a more recent version found on first party websites (such as the Realtek HD Audio Driver and the LAN Drivers, just to name examples).
Basic information:My previous GPU died, so I decided to upgrade.
Following advice from this forum, I bought a new CPU, GPU, mobo, and cooler.
Hardware and software installation went perfectly. Drivers installed and updated fine, and everything is in the green. The system runs smoothly right up until the crash, including games, where I get the good frame rate and graphical quality you would expect from this rig.
The problem is a sudden black screen while gaming, followed seconds later by a system freeze, forcing a hard reset. It only happens during gaming, across all tested games so far, and usually within five minutes or so, although I have been able to play for ~25 minutes as well. During the black screen, there is still background audio, and I can still briefly communicate with people in Ventrilo, until the entire system freezes a few seconds later. Every crash is the same, with the event log as follows:
+ Show Spoiler [Event Viewer] +Log Name: System
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power
Date: 04.03.2013 05:27:12
Event ID: 41
Task Category: (63)
Level: Critical
Keywords: (2)
User: SYSTEM
Computer: Ozymandias
Description:
The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly.
Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power" Guid="{331C3B3A-2005-44C2-AC5E-77220C37D6B4}" />
<EventID>41</EventID>
<Version>2</Version>
<Level>1</Level>
<Task>63</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8000000000000002</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2013-03-04T04:27:12.167222200Z" />
<EventRecordID>6176</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="4" ThreadID="8" />
<Channel>System</Channel>
<Computer>Ozymandias</Computer>
<Security UserID="S-1-5-18" />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="BugcheckCode">0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter1">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter2">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter3">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="BugcheckParameter4">0x0</Data>
<Data Name="SleepInProgress">false</Data>
<Data Name="PowerButtonTimestamp">0</Data>
</EventData>
</Event>
Data is identical for each crash so I'll only include the latest.
- All temperatures (CPU, GPU) remain low and stable - overheating is not the cause
- The crash happens across multiple games (so far every game I've tried, including NS2, CS:GO, TF2)
- The timing is random. Some times it crashes after 2 minutes, some times after 40 (but usually earlier)
- Crashes only happen during gaming
- Black screen makes it impossible to read the BSoD, and I've had problems getting it to make a .dmp file
Troubleshooting:Doing a Google search showed multiple forum threads around the internet from people with the same problem. The answer was usually along the lines of "EventID 41 Task 63" as well as the 0x80...2 keyword probably indicating a driver issue, or possibly faulty hardware. This gave me little to go on and I could find no solutions, so I started troubleshooting.
I installed the latest drivers of everything I could think of, including GPU and anything that can some times cause problems like LAN and Audio drivers. I updated the mainboard BIOS, and installed all relevant Windows Updates. Even with nothing installed but the preceding, a browser, and a game, the crashes persist.
I ran prime95 for several hours. CPU temperatures remained stable, and CPU-Z showed no problems. Even when I tried it again with a modest overclock of 4.2GHz, CPU temperatures remained at ~57*. (I used the mainboard's own OC Genie button for simple, conservative overclocking to test. No change.)
Expecting a GPU issue from the start, I ran Furmark, and was surprised when it ran for several hours with zero problems. The temperature never went over 70*, and the GPU fan barely broke 50% speed despite the GPU showing upwards of 100% usage. I have also tried to play games with AMD OverDrive both enabled and disabled, no change. I have not overclocked the GPU, and MSI Afterburner is showing no problems.
I also ran both prime95 and Furmark together while I did general things like surfing and listening to music. No problems for over an hour, so I killed the tests.
I ran memtest86+ overnight for something like 37 passes; no errors. Don't know if relevant, but I will post some CPU-Z info regarding RAM:
- Type: DDR3
- Size: 4096 MB
- Channels #: Dual
- DRAM Freq: 666.7MHz
- FSB:DRAM: 1:5
- Max Bandwidth: PC3-10700 (667 MHz)
- Voltage: 1.50V
Adding this info on the off chance that it might be relevant, because my RAM is older than the rest of my hardware. My PSU is also old, but the specs should be sufficient.
- As stated previously, it is probably worth noting that I have updated
everything on this page (MSI mainboard drivers/software) either by downloading the version on that page, or a more recent version found on first party websites (such as the Realtek HD Audio Driver and the LAN Drivers, just to name examples).
- I have also systematically deactivated certain drivers that I could live without, to no avail.
- To make sure it only happened during gaming, I played a 9-hour VOD overnight; no problems.
- I have both downgraded and upgraded (to a beta version) the GPU drivers. No change.
- Reformatted and reinstalled twice, yet the problem remains.
- Disconnected/deactivated my audio interface. It's an external audio card for use in music/audio production and has showed no problems on my previous rig, and removing it made no difference.
I have NOT:- Analyzed or checked the .dmp files because I don't have the utility software to do so, nor do I have any experience in doing this. If someone wants me to do this (preferably because you seriously think it can help), or if someone wants me to upload a .dmp file to Dropbox or whatever so that they can take a look at it, let me know. I don't really know how it could possibly help diagnose the problem beyond what I've already done, however.
- Tried with a 32-bit installation of Windows 7.
- Disconnected/disabled the LAN drivers during gaming.
- Used safe mode and/or a Driver Sweeper software to uninstall/clean drivers and install fresh ones. Please correct me if I'm in error here, but this should have no effect since this is a fresh (reformatted) install of the latest drivers.
- Urinated on the motherboard. Yet.
I want to say it's a hardware issue, but the GPU laughing at every stress test I've thrown at it makes it an uncertain conclusion. Still, the black screen (along with the rest of the system apparently working fine in the background for a few more seconds) seems to indicate a problem with the GPU, in which case I just have to send it in for a new one.
I have reached the end of my knowledge and capabilities. If it's a driver issue it's an incredibly well-concealed one. I have contacted the retailer and I will ask if they want me to send it back so they can test it for themselves, but I doubt they'll load up a game on the system and play it for upwards of 30 minutes. They'll probably just run stress tests, which I have already determined are unproblematic and unhelpful.
In the meantime, I'm chronicling my continued efforts here, and asking anyone if they have any,
any idea of what this could be, because I'm likely about to be without a functioning desktop for two weeks.