Overclocking and BSOD
Overclocking and BSOD
Hello!
I'm a passionate Battlefield player and I've started playing from the beginning.
As soon as I begin, my PC begins to crash during gameplay with a BSOD.
I suspected my GPU (Nvidia 750TI 2GB) might be the issue since the game demands more than just that.
So I upgraded to a better card and bought the new Nvidia 1060 6 GB.
However, the FPS didn't improve much, and the BSODs became even more frequent—about once every 30 minutes.
To address this, I upgraded my RAM to a DDR3 (previously 8GB @ 1333Mhz) from Corsair CMY16GX3M2A2400C11R Vengeance Pro 16 GB (2x8GB).
I've been trying for two days to get a stable BIOS setup, but my PC still crashes with BSODs in every game.
My brother suggested replacing the CPU cooler since I had the original one. The new one is expected on Tuesday, but checking the specs with Speccy showed the CPU temperature never exceeded 90°C.
So there must be another factor at play.
Details:
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K @ 4.00GHz Haswell 22nm
Motherboard: Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd. Z97X-Gaming 5 (Socket 0)
RAM: 16GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 666MHz
Cooling: Stock
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
Power Supply: CX600 — 80 PLUS® Bronze Certified
I had to raise the RAM voltage from 1.5 to 1.7 to make the new sticks work.
To be clear, I'm not aiming for overclocking, but to run the RAM at 2400MHz I need to adjust the BIOS settings and increase the voltage.
Are there any ways to diagnose the cause of my BSODs? Where can I find a guide on safely overclocking? Also, if you have any suggestions or values you're open to trying, please let me know.
Some BSOD messages I receive include:
- Clock Watchdog Timeout
- WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR
Best regards,
Ovi
Your temperatures are still quite high, particularly during gaming sessions. At a stock CPU speed, around 60-65°C might be typical in such conditions. Core and ambient temperatures will likely fall within a narrow range of the reported values. Most applications display the system's overall temperature, not the precise core temperature. I think this issue needs clarification first. It could be that your cooling solution isn't installed properly, has insufficient thermal paste, or lacks adequate airflow in the case.
Hi 1LiquidPC,
Thanks for your reply. The temperature climbs to 90C during gaming, and it's about 40C when idle. I'm planning to use older Nvidia drivers and will keep you posted. I feel a bit uneasy about the CPU affecting these problems—it's one of the most costly components in my PC. Should I return the RAM and GPU and consider buying a new PC this Christmas? I don't have much money, but upgrading the PSU and CPU might be similar in cost. Some BSOD messages I receive are:
- Clock Watchdog Timeout
- WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR
I can confirm that downgrading to an older Nvidia driver still causes the same issues.
I'm checking for a temperature issue. This only began after Battlefield. It might be due to CPU throttling at high temperatures, which could explain why FPS matches the old GPU. I recommend running AV and malware scans too. It's unlikely it's your CPU itself, especially without overclocking. I think CPU temperatures or PSU are more probable causes right now. For testing, I'd reset RAM to default settings and disable XMP until the problem resolves. Expected speeds should be around 1333 or 1600 at 1.5v. Running at 2400 suggests memory controller overclocking is contributing to the issue.
Hi 1LiquidPC,
Thanks again for checking. I turned off XMP but still experience the typical BSODs. In two days I expect a better CPU cooler (Cooler Master Hyper 103 CPU Cooler "RR-H103-22PB-R1"). If this doesn’t help, should I consider replacing my PSU as well?
I reinstalled Windows twice this weekend—can’t be a virus. It began two weeks ago while playing Battlefield, but now it’s happening with all games. No BSODs appear when using the PC for other tasks like music, films, or internet.
I’ve stress-tested my CPU with Prime95; temperatures reached 95°C in just 4-5 seconds and the PC restarted without a BSOD. This suggests a cooling issue. If so, is the current cooler sufficient, or should I look into a more expensive model?
Appreciate your help,
OvISaN
Your temperatures appear to be an issue after further testing. The new cooler seems suitable for regular use, but I wouldn't recommend using it with the original components, at least not much. A review of a similar CPU(4770k) showed a temperature drop of about 10°C. For the PSU, I suggest checking first—since you've already changed many parts and reinstalled Windows, the PSU is probably the culprit.
Hi,
The new GPU cooler appears to be working well. Thank you a lot for your assistance, 1LiquidPC.
All the best,
Ovi
Hello,
It looks like I acted too hastily. The PC has been crashing during games. Before installing the CPU cooler upgrade, it would crash after 5 to 10 minutes of playtime, but now it can run for up to an hour. I’ve observed that whenever the CPU reaches full usage, the system restarts with a BSOD error (CLOCK_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT). Running 'IntelProcessor Diagnostic Tool' usually shows a 'Fail' result or causes the PC to restart during CPU load tests. Could you have any other ideas?
Best,
Ovi
When CPU stress tests cause your PC to restart, it likely points to a power supply issue even if temperatures are normal.