Bios functions correctly, Windows is unaffected.
Bios functions correctly, Windows is unaffected.
Hi. Over the past nine days, my PC has been experiencing issues. It was built in October 2022 with the following specifications: i3 12100F Se-214-XT Argb RTX 2080 Founders Edition, Asus Prime B660M-A DDR4 Enermax Revolution D.F., 650 watts, Silicon Power Turbine, 2x8, 16GB, 3200MHz, Cl16 DDR4, Sandisk Ultra 3D, 1 TB (SATA). In January 2023, I upgraded to an i5-13600K. The problems started last Thursday while editing a video in Davinci Resolve. I relied on MSI Afterburner’s RivaTuner stats to track hardware usage. My CPU usage spiked to around 70% for a brief moment, after which the system froze and crashed. I opened the Event Viewer and saw a “WHEA fatal hardware error.” I assumed it was a one-time glitch and thought I’d recover. Then I tried Minecraft with OBS studio enabled at 1440p 165fps (x264 low CPU load, large files). Windows froze again. After restarting, it crashed about an hour and a half later too. I decided to reinstall Windows to investigate further. Unfortunately, I didn’t back up my files, so I lacked minidumps. The issue persisted, crashing shortly after I restarted Minecraft. Today, I replaced the motherboard with a Gigabyte Z690 UD D4. Instead of freezing, it immediately displayed a blue screen error with Stopcode “WHEA UNCORRECTABLE ERROR.” It didn’t reach the Windows lock screen; it went straight to the blue screen from BIOS. I’ve tested using one RAM stick at a time, suggesting both might be faulty or the problem lies elsewhere. I don’t have any spare hardware since I sold my old i3 12100F. I still own the ASUS motherboard, but it seems the issue isn’t there. Probably the PSU, GPU, or CPU is the culprit. I’m uncertain which one it is. Interestingly, both ASUS and Gigabyte motherboards booted normally in the BIOS, but Windows failed to start when I tried. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
It could be the GPU. Consider removing the graphics card and using integrated graphics instead. Just in case, reset the CMOS by removing the battery from the motherboard and then reinserting it. Also, check the temperatures of your 13600k and RTX 2080; if they exceed 90 degrees, you should be concerned.
Hi. I don’t keep track of my CPU temperatures, but I do watch my GPU temps and they’re generally normal. My CPU tends to reach around 5-5.1 GHz, which suggests the temps are okay. The cooler doesn’t usually get too noisy, so I don’t believe it’s pushing the CPU too hard. I leave my side panel out in my case for better airflow. I also tried taking the GPU out to use only CPU graphics, but the issue remains unchanged.
usually the problem lies with the driver. Have you attempted reinstalling on the same or a different disk? Not working. Hardware failure is often the cause. The WHEA uncorrectable error appears as a stop code during blue screen crashes and typically points to hardware issues such as a failing hard drive, bad memory, or a loose CPU.