Diagnosing Freezing Issue

Recently my computer has started locking up completely, as in i can't move the mouse or use the keyboard, but the screen is still being displayed. If i'm listening to music it sort of stutters and goes crazy. This happens a few times a day.

I don't do anything more strenuous than browse the internet whilst listening to music, but it does happen more often when i have lots of tabs open in Firefox. This made me think it could be RAM related, but i did a memtest which found no problems.

Sometimes it locks only for a few seconds and i get 'display driver stopped responding', then it usually recovers. Other times i get the BSOD.

I don't think it's the disk or OS as i've reformatted it, re-installed a fresh copy of Windows and done chkdsk's.

Any ideas how i can identify what's causing the issue?

 

Sorry, specs:

Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (6.1, Build 7600)
System Manufacturer: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
System Model: M68MT-S2P
Processor: AMD Phenom(tm) II X4 850 Processor (4 CPUs), ~3.3GHz
Memory: 8192MB RAM
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560
OcUK Crusade 750W Dual-Rail High Efficiency '80 Plus' Power Supply

 

Have you scanned for malware?
Are the system innards, fans (including the often hard to clean, graphics card fan), heatsinks and vents all clean of heat-trapping dust?
Are all your fans spinning freely?
What are your CPU, GPU, and system temps?

I have mixed feelings about the power supply. Certainly 750W is plenty big but that is not a well known brand. However, it is 80 Plus certified so that is very good. I always like to start troubleshooting potential hardware problems knowing for a fact I am supplying good power. So I generally start by cleaning out heat trapping dust, then if still a problem, swapping in a known good PSU.

Running MemTest was a good idea but not conclusive. These software memory diagnostics don't always find bad RAM. If they report the RAM is bad, it is bad. But often sticks can test good, but refuse to play nice in the real world, and/or when paired with other sticks. So running with one stick at a time is sometimes needed to really test RAM.

Also, when running Memtest (or similar programs) it is best to let them run for several passes. I generally let it go overnight and there should be 0 errors.

 

Hi my fellow , welcome to MG's :major

In addition to Digerati's suggestion you have to run memtest86 until 7th pass is finished because is the most important pass :wave

 

The description sounds like a TDR problem (graphics waiting on 'something' before it can move on).

Troubleshooting tips for it here.

The PSU could well be involved here, dual rail indicates a likely older design, and that 'brand' could be built from low quality components.

 

Oh? Got a link? I agree to let it go for "several" passes (to let the computer and RAM fully heat up), but I note each pass contains the exact same tests. The 7th pass is no different from the 1st.

Memtest86 Tutorial

For awhile there, multiple rails was all the rage - at least for the PSU marketing weenies. But it proved to be a marketing flop.

"IN THEORY" the ideal behind multiple rails was for redundancy - so at least part of the "system" could stay running if one rail failed. That's fine in some applications but not a PC. If half the computer is not getting power, the whole computer will not work so why have multiple rails.

Another problem with multiple rails is the power is divided among the rails and there is always some reserve left for each rail. So if you have a power hungry graphics card, for example, it may be starved of power because it is reserved for another (possibly unused) rail.

Also, multiple rail PSUs have a more complicated design, use more parts, and consequently, have more potential points of failure. For all those reasons, PSU makers now use single rails so all power is always available.

 

I have seen this

http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=8348

isn't correct ? :confused

 

I've 'supervised' many MemTest86+ runs and the 7th run often picks up errors, also seen 3 reports where errors don't show until the 11th - 16th run. Anything longer than ~8 runs probably just increases the chances of false positives occurring (there was one report here at MG's, I think, of nothing showing until upwards of 30 runs. I'd say that was an FP).

The balance of the different voltages required by PCs has also changed since dual rail designs came to prominence.

 

No! It is correct, but you were not!

Please read your source again and note he is talking about "test" #7, not "pass" #7. Big difference!

 

Yes you are right Digerati , my fault i meant test" #7 you are alright , thank you for your support satrow :wave